Actress Salma Hayek and Mary J. Blige interview one another for Variety.com about their current movies and how they use their characters to relate to other women:
“Salma Hayek: I want to ask you a question that many times actors don’t even know themselves: Do you know why Dee Rees offered you this role in “Mudbound”?
Mary J. Blige: She told me that she offered me the role because she didn’t know anyone else that can play such a reserved, quiet but powerful woman at the same time. She saw that in me when she met me, and then she was at one of my concerts and she saw how explosive I was. Speaking to me later, I’m not that explosive. I’m just kind of quiet and reserved.
Hayek: What did you think when you read the script and you began to explore the role?
Blige: I was blown away by the love story that was in all of the horror. And then this character, Florence, was exactly who my grandmother is, and exactly who all of my aunts are. I was also happy to play Florence because I could just give her so much of my heaviness. I was having a lot of heaviness at the time, due to my personal life, and I would just give it to Florence. All my insecurities, all my sadness and anger and paranoia. Whatever it was, I would give it to Florence.”
Hayek: It’s a beautiful thing, no? When you can really connect to other women through your characters.
(Source: Variety.com)
Originally published: 11/27/2017
