There are just 12 minutes to get to know Jane in Summer House. But you made her a dimensional person – how?
Daisy spent a lot of time with Rob and me discussing the back-story so we were aware of our characters situations and the decisions they’d made to get them to the point where the audience meets them, in the film. Action is character, as they say, so just knowing that my character was the type of girl who would have to run away to France to get over a break-up, gave me a good place to start.
How did you get to ‘know’ her? What did you work on to determine what was she like, and what she thought, who she was?
I was lucky enough to be given a copy of the book The Summer House, by the writer Ian Beck. This really helped me with the characterization. Prose is good for filling in the details – especially when there is very little dialogue.
The Summer House is set in the free love era. How free was Jane?
Although the film is set in the Swinging 60’s, Jane isn’t really that into free love. She’s more of a true romantic – idealistic, gentle, loyal, and intensely hurt by her lover’s betrayal.
Your Summer House lover, Robert Pattinson has been struck by a movie supernova. Did you work together during or before Twilight?
I worked with Rob before Twilight. I’m very happy for his success. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. He’s a lovely actor and a lovely friend.
Is he a good kisser? Neck nuzzler?
He’s a very good neck nuzzler.
The world of exhibition is changing so much. The Summer House has just been released on iTunes. What kind of impact will non-conventional, non-theatrical releases have on the business?
I think things like iTunes are great for the business. It means something like The Summer House, which would conventionally only have a very limited release, can be reached by a much larger audience.
