Julia Louis-Dreyfus recently attended the Telluride Film Festival for the premiere of A24’s Tuesday, a dramatic fantasy film directed by Daina Oniunas-Pusić. This was Louis-Dreyfus’s first time at the festival, and it was a significant departure from her usual comedic roles. In Tuesday, she plays a character who confronts tragedy, with a giant macaw symbolizing death. In an interview with THR, Louis-Dreyfus opened up about why she took on this challenging role, how she felt promoting the film during the strikes under the Screen Actors Guild’s interim agreements, and what she’s learning from her podcast, Wiser Than Me.
Louis-Dreyfus explained that she was sent the script for Tuesday and was immediately intrigued. She recognized that this role was completely different from anything she had done before, which excited her. The film’s fantasy and fable elements, along with its association with A24, known for making artful films, drew her in. Additionally, the subject matter of grief and the exploration of the maternal instinct resonated with her own personal experiences of losing loved ones.
When asked about shooting the more emotional and dramatic scenes in the film, Louis-Dreyfus admitted that it took a toll on her. To truly inhabit her character’s emotions, she had to go to a difficult and unpleasant mental space. As a mother and someone who loves deeply, she knew that dwelling in that emotional place for an extended period of time would not be healthy or sustainable.
In Tuesday, Louis-Dreyfus shares the screen with a giant macaw representing death. She described how her co-star, actor Arinzé Kene, embodied the physicality of a bird throughout the shoot. The animators used his performance to create the bird’s movements, and in some scenes, he was acting with Louis-Dreyfus directly. In other instances, he was filmed separately and then digitally added to the scene later on.
The interview also touched upon the fact that the film was being premiered during the strikes under the Screen Actors Guild’s interim agreements. Louis-Dreyfus expressed her delight at being able to promote the film after the agreement was reached. She had initially been unsure if the film would be allowed to participate in the festival due to the strikes. She believed in the importance of standing proudly next to the film and was relieved when the agreement came through.
Louis-Dreyfus acknowledged that there was initially some pushback against the interim agreements, with people feeling it wasn’t right for the Screen Actors Guild to issue them. However, she believed that the agreement was a valuable tool for the creatives involved and provided leverage in negotiations. She expressed her anxiety and concern for friends who were financially affected by the strikes, frustrated with what she viewed as a lack of leadership from the AMPTP.
When asked about her future projects, Louis-Dreyfus stated that she would love the opportunity to explore more dramatic roles but also enjoyed doing comedy. She described herself as a workhorse and emphasized her openness to different types of projects.
Lastly, Louis-Dreyfus discussed her podcast, Wiser Than Me, where she interviews older women about their lives and experiences. She explained that the podcast was born out of her curiosity after watching a documentary about Jane Fonda. Louis-Dreyfus was struck by the wealth of wisdom and life stories that older women possess and felt that their voices were often ignored or dismissed. She wanted to provide a platform for these women to share their stories and perspectives.
In summary, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s involvement in the film Tuesday marked a departure from her comedic roots. She took on the role because of its dramatic nature and the opportunity to explore themes of grief and the maternal instinct. She discussed the challenges of shooting emotional scenes and the unique experience of acting alongside a digital representation of death. Additionally, she shared her thoughts on promoting the film during the strikes and her frustrations with the lack of leadership in negotiations. Finally, Louis-Dreyfus spoke about her podcast and the importance of amplifying the voices of older women.