MORE SCREAM TIME FOR NAOMI WATTS BUSY ACTRESS REFLECTS ON 'THE RING' SEQUEL, 'KING KONG' AND HER WISH TO BE, WELL, FUNNY.Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Writer Right before she left to begin an arduous, six-month shoot in New Zealand New Zealand (zē`lənd), island country (2005 est. pop. 4,035,000), 104,454 sq mi (270,534 sq km), in the S Pacific Ocean, over 1,000 mi (1,600 km) SE of Australia. The capital is Wellington; the largest city and leading port is Auckland. for Peter Jackson's high-profile remake re·make tr.v. re·made , re·mak·ing, re·makes To make again or anew. n. 1. The act of remaking. 2. Something in remade form, especially a new version of an earlier movie or song. of ``King Kong King Kong giant ape brought to New York as “eighth wonder of world.” [Am. Cinema: Payton, 367] See : Giantism ,'' Naomi Watts bought her first house. Her friends thought she was crazy. Why make a monthly mortgage payment on a pricey Pricey Term used for an unrealistically low bid price or unrealistically high offer price. pricey Of, relating to, or being an unrealistically high offer. An offer to sell a security at $50 when the current market price is $47 is pricey. Westside property when you're going to be gone for half a year? ``I just need somewhere to dream about,'' Watts says. ``I'm sick of not having a nest.'' The Australia-born actress moved to Hollywood nearly 15 years ago and struggled for years through failed auditions, bad movies (``Children of the Corn Children of the Corn is a short story by Stephen King. Originally published in the March 1977 issue of Penthouse magazine, it later became part of King's Night Shift short story collection. IV'') and mediocre TV projects before her breakthrough role in David Lynch's 2001 bizarro This article is about the fictional character. For other uses, see bizarro (disambiguation). Bizarro is a fictional character, a doppelgänger of DC Comics’ Superman. masterpiece ``Mulholland Dr.'' So who's to begrudge be·grudge tr.v. be·grudged, be·grudg·ing, be·grudg·es 1. To envy the possession or enjoyment of: She begrudged him his youth. See Synonyms at envy. 2. her a home to call her own? ``She's like a good wine,'' says her ``21 Grams'' director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. ``You put her in the cellar for a few years, then bring her out and she's even better, more complex, than before.'' That complexity has been on display through films that have ranged from atmospheric, crowd-pleasing horror (``The Ring'') to existential comedy (David O. Russell's ``I (Heart) Huckabees'') to her specialty, excruciating tragedy (the aforementioned ``21 Grams,'' for which Watts earned her first Oscar nomination). This year, Watts can be seen in as many as four movies, beginning Friday with ``The Ring Two'' and including indies ``Stay'' (she plays a suicidal student) and ``Ellie Parker'' (here she's a Hollywood go-getter) and, of course, ``King Kong.'' ``She's very persuasive in just about anything she tries,'' says Hideo Nakata, her director in ``The Ring Two.'' ``She is not your typical horror actress, but she is perfect for the genre because she possesses an intensity that is quite remarkable.'' Here Watts displays some of that intensity while she talks about what she really wants to do - comedy - as well as her experiences making ``Kong'' and why someone should really write a funny movie for her and her ``21 Grams'' co-star co·star also co-star n. A starring actor or actress given equal status with another or others in a play or film. tr. & intr.v. co·starred, co·star·ring, co·stars To act or present as a costar. , Sean Penn. Q: So, your first sequel. Does this mean you've become a franchise actress? A: (Laughs) I certainly don't think of myself that way. I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. that anyone else does, either. Hopefully, there's no way to describe my career. Hopefully, it can remain diverse. Q: Well, you just did your first comedy, ``I (Heart) Huckabees.'' Were you nervous about moving into a genre you've never tried? A: Yeah, I was very nervous. I had spent years auditioning, and a lot of those auditions were sitcoms  The perspective and/or examples in this article do not represent a world-wide view. Please [ edit] this page to improve its geographical balance. and people told me over and over
again that I was not funny.
Q: Just point blank - you're unfunny? A: There was no graciousness about it at all. God, no. Sometimes they were polite, but you want the truth as well. You can't just say, ``We're not going to go that way.'' You want to know. You want to evolve and learn. But I got to the point where too much truth came out and I was like, ``Oh my God. I can't take this anymore.'' Q: Sounds more like tragedy than comedy. How did you get to the point where you could do something like ``Huckabees''? A: I just kind of needed the assurance of my director that I was going to be OK. I do remember calling David (O. Russell) up. It was actually in the midst Adv. 1. in the midst - the middle or central part or point; "in the midst of the forest"; "could he walk out in the midst of his piece?" midmost of a wardrobe fitting and I saw my outfits and they were like teeny- weeny pieces of sub-clothing. And I called David, and I said, ``I don't know if I'm the right person for this. I'm not funny. I really should tell you that now.'' And he said, ``What are you talking about? You'll be fine.'' And that's all I needed - reassurance. Q: Now that you've done it, are the comedy offers coming in? A: (Laughs) I wouldn't say that. Q: You've made two movies with Sean Penn, and both of you are known as these super-serious, suffering actors. Wouldn't you love to make a comedy with him? A: That would be great. He's really funny. Q: He can be. A: Not can be. It's his nature. It's one of the leading things about him. He's obviously very serious and moral and outspoken, but he is also a total prankster and a goofy Goofy bumbling, awkward dog; originally named Dippy Dawg. [Comics: “Mickey Mouse” in Horn, 492] See : Awkwardness guy, the opposite of what you think from what he puts forward. He's got kids. He's a kid himself. Q: I've talked to other people from ``Huckabees'' and they confessed they had no idea what the movie was about. Was that true for you, too? A: You had moments and glimpses, but to know exactly what it is ... It's the same as working with David Lynch. You can only interpret it the way that makes sense to you. Q: The Lynch background helped? A: It certainly did! You basically just turn it over and trust. Q: Your ``Huckabees'' character was a woman who felt the pressure of looking and acting a certain way. Have you felt that? A: Oh, I can definitely relate to that, the pressure of always needing to be perky perk·y adj. perk·i·er, perk·i·est 1. Having a buoyant or self-confident air; briskly cheerful. 2. Jaunty; sprightly. perk and pretty and nice. No one expects me to be pretty. But I could tap into the aspect of promoting a film and having to be polite and presentable pre·sent·a·ble adj. 1. That can be given, displayed, or offered: presentable gifts; presentable attire. 2. Fit for introduction to others: presentable relatives. and then someone asks you a ridiculous question, and you think, ``I've got to be gracious. I don't have anything nice to say, but I've got to be gracious.'' And part of your spirit is tarnished by that. You don't ever want to have to sell something. The minute you try to, you undermine it. Q: Now I feel bad about asking more questions ... A: Yes, let's just end this right now. (Laughs) No, it's a different thing altogether. Sorry. I got a bit too heavy here. Q: That's OK. What about the freaky freak·y adj. freak·i·er, freak·i·est 1. Strange or unusual; freakish. 2. Slang Frightening. freak things that happened while you were making ``The Ring Two''? Apparently there were a number of strange water-related incidents - burst pipes and such - that mirrored events in the movie. Oh, and the sudden appearance of a swarm of bees. A: Some strange things happened. There are two ways of looking at it. It could be a series of weird coincidences or you could read something into it. I certainly thought, ``This is a little bit freaky.'' But overall, I tend to be more pragmatic. Q: You're not superstitious su·per·sti·tious adj. 1. Inclined to believe in superstition. 2. Of, characterized by, or proceeding from superstition. su ? A: A little bit. I don't walk under ladders. Q: Do you knock on Noun 1. knock on - (rugby) knocking the ball forward while trying to catch it (a foul) rugby, rugby football, rugger - a form of football played with an oval ball rugby, rugby football, rugger - a form of football played with an oval ball wood? A: All the time. Q: Are actors more superstitious as a group? A: Probably. I get very superstitious with the way I work. Little things happen. Sometimes gifts are given to you. Nothing too literal. Something can happen in the middle of a scene and you go with it. You try to be as open as possible, almost willing things like that to happen to keep you surprised and off-balance. Q: Are you able to have moments like that on a huge, effects-laden movie like ``King Kong''? A: I didn't know what to expect going in. I was very nervous about acting with Kong. A good portion of the film is close contact between myself and Kong. But I've got Andy Serkis Andy Serkis (born 20 April, 1964) is an English actor and director best known for his work with Peter Jackson. Biography Serkis was born and brought up in Ruislip Manor, Middlesex, England. (who performed the computer-generated Gollum through the marvels of motion-capture in the last two ``Lord of the Rings'' movies) and what Andy brings to the party is like a whole other art form. I mean, he's a gorilla gorilla, an ape, Gorilla gorilla, native to the lowland and mountain forests of western and central equatorial Africa. It is the largest of the apes, the males reaching a height of 5 to 6 ft (150–190 cm) with a 9-ft (144–cm) arm spread. ! He is a gorilla! Q: How do the scenes between the two of you work? A: I'm looking into his eyes. Mind you, he's wearing a suit, a motion- capture suit. It's not hairy. His research is what transforms him. Andy went to Rwanda to study gorillas for two weeks. He worked in the London Zoo ZSL London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. for two months and fed the gorillas. He completely understands the behavior and is dedicated to getting it right. So I'm getting something. Q: You're getting monkey? A: Other than the size, when I look into his eyes, I'm getting monkey. There's a lot of monkey. (Laughs) It's not just a guy in a monkey suit. Glenn Whipp, (818) 713-3672 glenn.whipp(at)dailynews.com WHEN THE DIRECTOR RINGS TWICE Maybe you saw ``The Ring'' and went back and checked out ``Ringu'' and ``Ringu 2,'' the original Japanese movies that inspired the current craze of atmospheric horror. (See ``The Grudge grudge tr.v. grudged, grudg·ing, grudg·es 1. To be reluctant to give or admit: even grudged the tuition money. 2. .'' Or better yet, see ``Ju-on: The Grudge.'') If so, don't expect ``The Ring Two'' to be anything like ``Ringu 2.'' Just ask the man who directed both movies, Hideo Nakata. ``That's the reason I took the job,'' Nakata says. ``The movies are so different. I did not want to repeat myself.'' Nakata wasn't DreamWorks first choice - or, apparently, second, despite his connection to the original movies. When Gore Verbinski, who directed ``The Ring,'' passed, the studio signed commercials director Noam Murro. Murro was canned over the usual ``creative differences'' and Nakata got the job. ``I was preparing another movie when DreamWorks was prepping,'' Nakata says. ``I wasn't available.'' The main difference between ``Ringu 2'' and ``The Ring Two'' is a nod to Hollywood star The Hollywood Star was an idiosyncratic gossip tabloid published on an erratic schedule in Hollywood, California by William Kern, who wrote much of the magazine under the pseudonym "Bill Dakota. power. In ``Ringu 2,'' the main character isn't Naomi Watts' Rachel Keller, but her ex-husband's girlfriend, who appeared briefly in ``Ringu.'' The Rachel character, in fact, dies halfway through ``Ringu 2.'' That kind of plot development doesn't compute in the laws of big-studio sequels. ``No, I don't think Naomi would come back for that,'' Nakata says, smiling. - G.W. CAPTION(S): 4 photos, box Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) RING HER UP Naomi Watts has the lowdown low·down n. Slang The whole truth: gave us the lowdown on what happened at the party. lowdown low (inf) n he gave me the lowdown on it → on sequels and big apes (2 -- 3) no caption (Naomi Watts) (4) Hideo Nakata directs Naomi Watts Box: WHEN THE DIRECTOR RINGS TWICE (see text) |
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