Had you read the novel before you played the part of Bertha?
I hadn't read it. Shamefully. Bad American! But I loved it when I read it. I did a lot of research. I made four films back to back last summer, so I didn't have the time I usually have to prepare. I pulled images before I arrived on set - costume images, social graces, photographs of the era. What did you think of your character?
She's a clever, crafty creature, who would've been a wildly successful businesswoman. A lot of these women, if they had been put in a different time and era, while they wouldn't have had the wealth, they would have had
other things. These were women of great intellect and passion. If they had been liberated, other than just "be", it would've been interesting to witness.
What did you uncover about the era?
It was such an interesting time. Money, who has it and who doesn't, and how easily reputations can be tarnished or tainted, or how easily people can be protected if they need to be. It was a very socio-political
world. Everything from the hat that you wore to how you behaved in public. I would have gone insane.
What are you doing next?
I recently completed "You Can Count On Me" with Matthew Broderick. It's a story about a brother and a sister. It's extremely good. It's written by Kenny Lonergan, who wrote "Analyse This".
