Did you celebrate the part you received?
I don’t know if it was. I think I just had a pint of my own, or I was drinking alone. I don’t believe I did. I should have. Maybe today I’ll celebrate.
You are due a celebration, I think. How did you prepare to play Eloise after you had been offered the part?
I began to read the books and learn a little more about them, but my technique is to really learn the lines and work hard on set. It doesn’t go beyond that. I’m not a method actor, or anything like that. I mean, what would you do with Eloise. It’s pointless. This would be absurd.
Eloise is 17 years old when I played her for the first time. She is very young; she is bright and intelligent. However, I am also aware that I am a 32-year old woman with a deep voice. So I had to make sure that the thing I brought to her showed that youthfulness. So I decided to make her speak at the speed of sound and light because she doesn’t have that filter—to let things come out and to be a little bit blind to what’s going on around her. A little more lively, a little more bounce.
I watched every episode of season 2 as fast and efficiently as possible. It was amazing to see the growth Eloise had during this time. There is so much to do.
It was a beautiful season to shoot and Eloise has been the most enjoyable character I have ever had the pleasure of playing. I can’t imagine ever getting bored of her role. There’s so much to do and so much fun. Being able to see her deal with potentially romantic feelings, love, and then heartbreak, and all of those things, and then still making people laugh…I get to really flex and train a lot of muscles, so I feel grateful.
Was there anything in particular where you were like, “Oh, I’m really excited to dig into that?”
Yes, it was exciting to know that Penelope would be discovered by Eloise. This was my favorite. I was so happy they did that. It’s a right time at the end of the season, but it’s so rewarding for the audience.
I think about the audience so much—about what would be satisfying for them, what would they love to see–and I think that is one of the things they want to see. Eloise must find out more about Penelope. It is a huge deal, so I was thrilled that they chose this route. It was also great to see Eloise develop a crush. It’s so cute!
It was so fascinating to me that Eloise discovers about Penelope. That could have been played in so many different ways–can you talk more about the direction you decided to take it?
Source: Glamour
