In a new interview to Indiewire, Jessica talks about A Most Violent Year, the crazy press schedule for Interstellar, her love for Crimson Peak… and all before flying to Budapest to shoot The Martian. Busy bee!

With “Interstellar” you did the biggest press tour you’ve ever done in your life.
I never had a press tour like that. I’ve never been in a movie that big. We had four premieres. And each city we went to we had TV junkets and it was a complicated thing for me to talk about. You’re not supposed to give away spoilers. It was an interesting experience. It’s such a huge press tour for a film that you’re not really allowed to talk about.

You shot “A Most Violent Year” while you shot “Crimson Peak,” right?
Oh my gosh. Flying back and forth to Toronto. I don’t think I’ll ever repeat that. I’m glad I did it because if I hadn’t done it, I would never have been in this film, and I love it so much. Wait until you see “Crimson Peak” because these characters are so different. I’m the English governess in it. A completely different energy.

You use a lot of interviews as a platform to demand for better roles for women in film, but it’s clear you’re managing to find them. Is it just luck?
I’m lucky. When I speak out I’m not doing it from a selfish place because I get incredible opportunities. I get incredible roles and experiences with these wonderful filmmakers. I’m speaking out as an audience member who is going to the cinema and noticing there’s a problem here because I don’t see women being represented. I don’t see Asian-American actresses begin represented. I don’t see women in their 60s being represented in film. I want to see incredible actresses like Sarah Paulson and Lily Rabe in movies. There are these really fantastic actresses out there, but there are so few opportunities.

You’re one of the most outspoken actresses working in Hollywood today. Did you have a really strong female role model growing up?
For me, it’s more like, I always root for voices in society. There are groups of people that have, growing up, felt like they don’t have a voice. And I don’t think that’s right. I recently did an interview with, and I love him so much, Xavier Dolan, and he said that beautiful thing at Cannes about Jane Campion. He said that growing up as a gay man, he kind of connected to women because of a need to be heard. Everyone wants to be seen and to be heard. And that’s what I want to fight for. That’s why I talk about Asian American actors or African American women. I’m an audience member first, and when I go to see a movie, I want to see the voices of everyone.

Read the full interview at Indiewire’s website.

December 16, 2014   Luciana