Brie Larson, Oscar-winning actor and star of Captain Marvel, on her latest role, favourite cities and how she selects her films
Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers is probably the most dynamic character I have ever played. I had to literally go through every emotion possible with her. Even though it’s a superhero movie, it has a lot of comedy to it, and also a lot of depth and emotion.
Getting through a movie is always a challenge both emotionally and physically. Captain Marvel certainly had its challenges, as I was doing intense fight scenes for three days straight before coming on to set and having to be all emotional. So all of a sudden you have to go from kicking and punching people to being vulnerable. That was pretty crazy.
My character Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers has an ego for sure, but in what I call a healthy way. It’s not like she has an unrealistic expectation of herself and I think that’s important for women. She is also a really humorous character – she makes fun of other people and has no issue if people make fun of her back.
While Captain Marvel is very much a female-led project, I don’t want it to feel or be any different. I think that the more we talk about it, the more it becomes a thing. Women can do the same things men can do – it’s not such a crazy concept. We’ve just done what is natural, and that’s resulted in a great movie. We don’t even need to talk about genders.
Kathryn Bigelow and Ava DuVernay are incredible female directors. I’ve worked with some great people, a lot of very creative people and many people that I have been able to learn from. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck [who helmed Captain Marvel] are both great directors and we had a great relationship from day one.
I think it’s the journey of directing that draws me to [a film]. You start something, you obviously have a script, but you don’t quite know what’s going to happen along the way and how things will develop. [In terms of acting] I don’t want to know all the answers at the start [of filming] and a journey where I discover things on the way really excites me. [Conversely, I automatically turn down] anything clichéd, whether it’s a clichéd character or a clichéd film where you know exactly what is going to happen.
I don’t think I will ever be able to grasp fame or why people would be interested in what I have to say. As for having a platform, I don’t think anybody gets to decide if they are a role model or not. I am just myself – that’s it.
People can’t ignore numbers, and with the number of people, both female and male, who have been speaking out in the last couple of years, we have seen a change. There has been a shift [in rectifying the patriarchal nature and norms of Hollywood], but it doesn’t mean it is finished.
I used to DJ and it was a big part of my life. It helped pay the bills while I was auditioning for movie roles that I just wasn’t getting and music is still [important to me]. I love to find new bands and artists.
Friends and family keep me anchored and it is so much easier to keep in touch nowadays. Nothing replaces being together in person, but geography isn’t the barrier it once was, which is great if you have a job like mine.
New York, Los Angeles and Miami are three of my favourite cities in the world as they are just full of life – you believe things can really happen when you are there and there is an energy you can feed off. When I visit a new city, I really love to sit at outdoor cafés and restaurants and just people-watch [to soak it all in].
SEE ALSO: Margot Robbie: “The industry is gravitating towards female leads”
This article was originally published in the March 2019 issue of SilverKris magazine
