Eva Green: “Tim Burton and Me”

The actress looks back on their three collaborations as W9 reruns Miss Peregrine and Peculiar Children.

Eva Green toured three times under the direction of Tim Burton : for A black shadow (2012), Miss Peregrine and the Peculiar Children (2016) and Dumbo (2019). That year, she recounted these experiences First.

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Before working with him, what was your relationship with Tim Burton’s cinema?

Eva Green : I watched a lot of his films in my teenage years. I had a special attachment Edward Scissorhands Because as a teenager, we identify very strongly with this character who is too different to integrate into society. But despite everything remained my favorite Beetlejuice. For a restricted environment but transcended by the enduring fragility created by Tim. For the wonderful freedom of Michael Keaton’s play.

How did you end up in front of his camera A black shadow ?

Quite honestly, I never even dreamed of working with him. And then one day, when I had finished shooting the series Camelot, I was called to say that he wanted to see me. I was in a very dark mood that day and although I went there, of course, it was without the slightest hope. I was sure it would do no good. You should know that Tim does not administer the tests. This is a face-to-face discussion only. He must have walked for a total of 10 minutes, his arms flailing in all directions and me staring at the ground. Two diametrically opposed ways of expressing our shyness. I left completely confused, even though he asked me in his small voice if he could give me his script. I had absolutely no idea why he could think of me for this noble character which spontaneously reminded me of him. The Addams Family

. I was definitely entitled to another visit but again for 10 minutes, no more. So imagine my surprise when he finally chose me without an audition, which almost never happens. Also, almost every day of the shoot, I thought he would take my place…

How did you work with him?

For my part, I immersed myself in the catalog of exhibitions that were dedicated to him at MOMA. Tim is a very “visual” person. This character of Angelique automatically reminded me of Bette Davis, Jack Nicholson Shining Or Janis Joplin’s song: A woman totally in love, whose broken heart has driven her to conversion for centuries. So, to exchange with him, I went through the images and drawings I had collected. For example, for the love scene with Johnny (Depp), I showed him the sculptures of Camille Claudel. In any case, all discussions take place during the preparation phase and therefore all potential problems are resolved in advance. Then, once on set, his great listening ability overcomes the ever-paralyzing fear of ridicule… and which goes against the character he has assigned you. Because here we were closer to German expressionist cinema than reality Twilight. It forced me to go further than I would have done naturally, to dare more. So much so that we practically wrote the ending of the film together…

Tim Burton: “I was a typical movie buff, so completely unusual”

at the end of A black shadowDid he give you the confidence to want to work with you again?

No, we never mentioned it. Until one day, when I was filming Penny Dreadful, I got his call. He just told me he had an idea for an adaptation Miss Peregrine and the Peculiar Children And I was thought of for the title role. “I’m sending you the book but if you’re not interested, fine!” “,

he added. I devoured this Ransom Riggs novel when I received it and immediately gave it a yes. It’s funny because Tim gives this character a nickname “Scary Poppins” While for me, there is absolutely nothing scary about this regime. She just doesn’t want to endanger the children under her protection and for this, strict rules need to be imposed and enforced.

What was the challenge with this role?

Work on my English pronunciation to get the diction as fast as possible. Because this story is a race against time for him. The slightest delay means danger to children. It is this pressure that makes it as hard as it is eccentric. It’s not Scary Poppins but Speedy Poppins! (laughs)

Miss Peregrine, from book to film: Tim Burton’s big changes

How did you react when Tim Burton asked to meet you for the third time? Dumbo ?

It is a cartoon that had a big impact on me as a child. I remember crying so much during the separation between this mother elephant and her baby. And, for me, Tim was the perfect man to bring this story to the screen. He understands the hearts of the misunderstood like no one else, he knows how to celebrate them by adding his own perfect blend of magic, humor and emotion. Later, he likes to challenge me. And casting me as a trapeze artist when I’m afraid of heights is one of them, I can assure you! (Laughs) For a long time I had a feeling that I would never be able to take off, but I was well supported and finally managed to overcome my fear of heights.

Like during your first collaboration with him, were you still afraid that he would replace you once he hired you?

Tim is a special case. He has a family spirit and likes to find similar actors and technicians. It’s his armor in a way! We also experience our filming in a protective bubble that I haven’t encountered anywhere else. Later, my character in Dumbo A lot easier to play in some ways because it bothers less than usual. So I could be more calm. (Laughs) But we must never forget that Tim never verbalizes things. You have to constantly have antennae to understand what you want and transform it into something colorful.

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