MEDIA: Would you have been more reluctant about doing this project had Peter Jackson not been involved?
NAOMI: Absolutely. I don't think I could have just signed onto this project had it not have been someone like Peter. I would have been concerned that it would have just been too much of an action movie and a damsel in distress. But when I first heard about it, and I heard that Peter was doing it, I thought, "Wow, that's interesting. The guy who is pretty much the frontrunner in terms of the effects world, as well as the man who made Heavenly Creatures, which is a beautifully complicated movie about very emotional stuff..." So it seemed like a great idea. So then I met with him and his partner, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, their writing partner. And I heard them speak about it--that it was the legendary King Kong, but with a number of great new ideas, and how they definitely wanted to change the female role into something much more than just a screaming beauty.
Have you ever felt like you were in love with a big, dumb ape?
[laughs] Yes. No, I'm just kidding. No, but there's so many things about that big, dumb ape that is just completely the same as any man, you know. They get jealous, they get full of rage, they get protective, they get dark, and then they get compassionate and caring and humorous--a lot of the emotions that match human beings as well.
How important was it to have Andy Serkis acting out the scenes with you?
Oh, it was so important. I couldn't have done it without him.
What was your interaction with him like?
Well, it's...like playing opposite any other man. He didn't have any words, but he had a huge amount of expression, be it physical or emotional. And so I just was reacting to him the whole time in as truthful a way as possible.
Was he in "full monkey mode"?
He was not in a monkey suit with fur all over it. He was in a special suit that helped him move a certain way. It was more about giving him the structure and the posture that a primate has. He had teeth in, because that helped him, and then he also had a microphone and this thing they called the "Kongalizer" that did something to change the vibration or the frequency in his own voice. But everything that you see on the screen is Andy Serkis. I mean, yes, some magical stuff happened in the post-production of special effects, but all the emotion, all the movement, how you see that ferocious face turn to sort of a smile and a light in his eye...That's all Andy. And that's what I was reacting to. That's why it felt like a normal workspace for me.
How would you characterize the type of love that is going on between Ann and Kong?
Well, it's definitely not lust like the '70s version. It's more pure and caring and paternal. They sort of see each other and identify with each other. They're two lonely beings, and I think they kind of understand each other in a way, and they both struggled and had been through desperate times. The first moment I think they make their connection is when instead of making the decision to pull her to pieces, he thinks she's kind of amusing, and he pushes her around a bit.
Why does Kong shove Ann around when they are first getting acquainted?
That's Andy again...All his time in Rwanda and the London Zoo studying the apes. They do this. It's just working it out. How does this work? Just like when you get a new toy, you just want to work out all of its bits and pieces and what it does. Does it wind up? Does it jump up and down? [laughs] He's figuring it out.
Did you do Ann's juggling scenes?
No, I'm afraid not. [laughs] I did do some of the dancing, though.
If you were to become permanently associated with this role, would that be a good thing or a bad thing?
I don't know, because it hasn't happened yet. You know, one of my fears in the beginning of taking on the part was that this is such an iconic movie and an iconic part, and how do you survive those comparisons that are naturally going to be drawn? But then I also thought, "Well, I have done quite a bit of work beforehand. Maybe it won't be just this one role that people think of me as." I'll continue to do lots of other diverse work as well. This was just different for me. And it was fun. It's an adventurous film with all kinds of other elements--love story, great humor...
How did the Central Park scene between Ann and Kong come about?
We shot that scene in the reshoots. I think after we finished shooting, Andy and Peter went in to the motion capture stuff, and I think Andy had the idea that, "Wouldn't it be great to see them have their last loving moment?" And Peter loved the idea, and I guess he built on it from there. I think it just made so much sense to go from all that chaos and then have a moment of reprieve. It worked really well. They sat me in this kind of metal...It's basically a seat with a piece of foam around me. And it's on a kind of...[laughs] I don't even know these technical names. I was there for seven months, but they didn't stick.
What is your take on the generally maligned 1976 version of King Kong starring Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange?
I saw that a long time ago, and I was still very moved by her performance. I've always loved Jessica's work, and actually, it reminded me, even when the story falters, the role is fabulous, and if it's done right, it still works. But [Peter Jackson's] passion was for the original, and that's what he fell in love with at nine years old, and that's what made him want to be a filmmaker.
Did you get caught up in Peter's love for the 1933 version?
Yeah, I did. But I also knew that although he wanted to honor that version, he had so many great new ideas that would make it modern and its own thing.
Is there something special about working on a film that is someone's lifelong dream project?
Yeah. That was another thing that just got me going. When someone has that much passion for a project, it's great. It's just wonderful to be part of the excitement. He's just loved it for all that time, and he's so invested. From that initial meeting in London when they invited me to dinner...He had images and just could talk so wonderfully about the characters and who Kong is, and I just thought, "I want to do this. I want to work with a man with that much passion and vision."
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