RICHARDSON
PUTS THE 'BITE' INTO "SPIDER" ROLE
Thu Dec
19,12:12 PM ET
By Sue Zeidler
When Miranda Richardson signed on to play three different
roles in the drama "Spider," the actress found
a part she could literally sink her teeth into -- and the
result is already generating Oscar buzz.
In the dark film about a schizophrenic nicknamed
"Spider," played by Ralph Fiennes, who is
discharged from a London asylum to battle his past and
demons in a halfway house, the 44-year-old Richardson
transforms herself from Spider's restrained mother to a
lewd prostitute and then to the overbearing proprietor of
the halfway house.
Richardson said she relied heavily on make-up and costume
to mentally prepare for each distinct character, but she
wasn't able to fully nail the role of the tart, Yvonne,
until she came up with idea of changing the look of her
teeth.
"Costume and make-up were a big part of it. Sitting
in front of the mirror, you can see the transformation
taking place and I was continually working on this right
before going on the set," said Richardson.
"While I was waiting to be called on to the set, I
was thinking about her (Yvonne), what to keep in mind,
and I sort of had a little lightbulb come on," she
said.
"I rushed into make-up and and told them to make a
little gap in her teeth or something that made her seem
from somewhere else. It all came together after
that," said the actress, whose soft, beautiful and
refined features bear little resemblance to the hard,
flashy Yvonne as seen through the eyes of Spider.
Reading the novel by Patrick McGrath, who also wrote the
script, also helped Richardson. The actress said she also
wove in traits from people she had observed in her life,
ranging from strangers on trains to her own mother.
The performance has already earned Richardson an award
from the newly-formed San Francisco Film Critics Circle,
and critics are calling it a likely contender for an
Oscar nomination.
Nabbing an Academy Award nomination is not novel for
Richardson, who grew up near Liverpool, England, and who
is acclaimed for donning diverse persona in such films as
"The Crying Game" and "Enchanted
April." She previously received Oscar nominations
for "Damage," and "Tom & Viv."
Richardson, who once wanted to be a veterinarian, also
has a small part in "The Hours," starring
Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep. The movie interweaves
three stories about writer Virginia Woolf, a depressed
1950s housewife and a troubled modern woman.
The high-minded Richardson, who in the past has often
expressed her disdain for crowds, photographers and the
demands of stardom and fame, said working on "The
Hours" was "uneasy."
"It was a little tentative. It felt uneasy to me and
that was probably just the time factor, since I was only
there for about 10 days," said Richardson.
By contrast, she makes "Spider" -- an intense
portrait of mental illness, directed by David Cronenberg
-- sound like a walk in the park.
"This film was easier. David Cronenberg is very
relaxed and enthusiastic. He makes you feel like you have
a blank slate and it feels very creative," said
Richardson.
Cronenberg came on board in 2000, years after both
Fiennes and Richardson committed to the film, which was
nearly shelved in 2001 as financiers pulled out. Despite
the setbacks, Richardson is pleased with the finished
product.
Richardson, who describes herself as shy, enjoys curling
up with a good book and spending time at her country home
in England. "It's where I have ideas," she
said.
The actress, who lives alone and refuses to discuss her
private life, said she entertains the thought of someday
having a family. She also disputes the notion that she is
a solitary person, which seems to come up again and
again.
"I'm very gregarious. I have lots of friends and
people are coming over all the time," she said.
When asked what "Spider" co-star Gabriel Byrne
meant when he recently called her "enigmatic",
Richardson quipped, "OK. Maybe, he didn't try hard
enough to get to know me."
And reports of tensions with stars like Jeremy Irons on
"Damage," for which she got an Oscar
nomination, were overblown, she said.
"That wasn't a completely easy shoot," she
admits, but noted the friction mainly arose out of Irons'
desire to collaborate more and her own preference to
prepare alone.
Whatever people may think, Richardson radiates with
confidence and a sense of humor. Having sworn off wine
because she was feeling "depleted", she now
wakes up more "energized" than ever and is
searching for the perfect form of exercise.
In terms of her work, Richardson is thinking of lighter
things, like working on a great romantic comedy. Spider,
spider go away.
."
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