Promoting her new film A Lonely Place to Die, the beautiful Australian Actress was in a free spirited and jovial mood for our round table interview. Looking resplendent in natural complementary tones, she talks of her role and the gruelling demands of action films, her plans for the future and about inventing the highest selling product in the USA right now. Here is an edited extract of the interview.
Flickfeast: Let’s start with your role. What’s it about, what are conquering?
Melissa George: She had conquered the mountain many times before, her biggest growth was to become more maternal, more sympathetic, more of a woman. Alison is independent, no boyfriend, no interest in having a family, she is all about the mountain. She goes from not wanting to have this kid around to fighting all evil, all that rugged terrain to save the life of this little girl.
FF: It’s a physical role
MG: It’s more than one human being can take in a lifetime. 20, 30 takes 10 hours a day for 4 months. No wonder some actresses run off the rails, you honestly live a full existence in that time, but yeah I had a ball. I did all my own stunts bar one.
FF: Known for your strong roles you are always the last last girl standing
MG: I tend not to look at the genre, I look at the director and I look at the script. If there is a good journey, I try and do justice to women. As an actress it’s not easy to find good roles.
FF: What about Action films?
MG: I do like making these movies because they are very creative, they’re high impact. Every one is like ‘lets get in there, lets be dangerous’. I do like to live on the edge a little bit.
FF: Roles that excite you?
MG: I am now looking for things that I have come up with. I really like those fragile, torn women they. are so much fun.
FF: Do you prefer film or tv roles?
MG: I go back and forth. At the end of the day the TV’s are getting bigger in peoples homes, they are massive, the size of a wall and cinemas are getting smaller. So you wanna take tv ‘cos you get 5 million people watching you, whereas your movie comes out once a year. I’d rather do HBO for no money than a network role. It has to be the right role. In treatment (HBO), she was so fragile, she was in therapy for being a sex addict and then she is tough and then she is funny, she is witty. I got blessed to get that part, that opened up a lot of doors. I was desperate for many years and you have got a small window as an actress.
FF: So what’s next?
MG: I’ve gone through a lot of changes, I’m finally at a place where I’m very happy. I was talking to Julian Schnabel, I want him to direct a movie that I’ve got the rights to … I like that european sentimentality.
FF: And of personal projects?
MG: I invented a product that’s the highest selling product in the US right now. Hemming my way… I have a team of engineers and staff of about 40 sold in 21 countries. It’s an adhesive snap for pants that you can use for jeans. Snap up for flats and un snap for heels. After three years of hell, it’s finally do its own thing. It’s nice that’s doing so well, it’s functional and it works.
With many thanks to Melissa and the staff at the SOHO Hotel.
