Feature for The Shape of Things

She is arguably one of the most sensual actresses alive, yet Rachel Weisz is still waiting for the "big" film that will truly put her on the front lines of Hollywood. Not that Weisz herself is worried, because the shapely star is about as laid-back and cool as they come. But with the exception of her "Mummy" films, Weisz continues to attract rave reviews for her performances in supporting roles in films like ABOUT A BOY and the recent CONFIDENCE when virtually everyone in the "business" would rather see her play the lead.

Perhaps to that end, Weisz has recently found herself a flat in New York which will make it considerably easier meeting producers and directors in that city and in L.A. rather than having to fly in regularly from London, where she maintains a house in Primrose Hill.

"It made a lot of sense to me to find a place in New York," says Weisz. "I've done some theatre here, I plan to do some more, and aside from being a little closer to L.A., I happen to have a new man in my life who also lives here (U.S. director Darren Aronofksy)...I've lived in America before when I moved to L.A. after doing CHAIN REACTION, so I always had it in mind that one day I would come back."

Weisz adds: "My identity will always remain British, but I find it interesting that there is greater allowance for you to express yourself here. You can be a little bolder and less restrained in America even though sometimes you find yourself dealing with people here who can be frighteningly bold and ambitious. Overall, though, I enjoy being in America. It's made me become much more direct when it comes to speaking to people and also made me more aware of what I want to do with my life. And New York is an incredibly exciting place to be!"

Weisz, 32, will soon be seen in yet another scene-stealing supporting role in RUNAWAY JURY, playing opposite Hollywood luminaries Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman, and John Cusack in a taut courtroom drama based on the John Grisham novel. Following that, she has the female lead in a Barry Levinson comedy, ENVY, and is reportedly in talks to re-team with her CHAIN REACTION co-star Keanu Reeves in a mainstream love story.

Born in London to a family of creative, middle-class Hungarian emigres (her mother is a psychotherapist, her father a medical equipment inventor - they divorced when Rachel was 15), Weisz began modelling at age 13 when her sparkling features turned her into a teenage knockout. She formed her own theatre company after graduating from prestigious Cambridge University, and slowly began working her way up the movie ladder with parts in Bernardo Bertolucci's STEALING BEAUTY and then in several other European art house pics, the best of which was Michael Winterbottom's I WANT YOU, which won a prize at the 1999 Berlin Film Festival. But it was her role in 1999's surprising smash hit, THE MUMMY, which brought her to the attention of international audiences. She followed up that success with the rather odd choice of playing a Russian soldier in the lacklustre ENEMY AT THE GATES, although her performance in BEAUTIFUL CREATURES, for which her hair was dyed platinum blonde, was well-received. Since then, however, Weisz's career has seemingly languished awaiting her next "big" film. So, the question becomes, is Rachel Weisz about to turn up the heat on her Hollywood career? We tried to find out.

THE INTERVIEW

Q: You have several new films in the works. Do you see yourself taking another shot at a big career in American films?

WEISZ: I'm not worried about becoming a major star as long as I can find good work. That sounds like a very self-serving cliché, but it's pointless to devise a grand strategy with respect to one's acting career. I've done some theatre in America (Neil Labute's THE SHAPE OF THINGS), I've done some independent films here and there, and had a chance to play some very good parts even though they might not be in blockbuster type films like The Mummy. I'm quite happy with the way things are moving along for me. I feel that if I continue doing good work in interesting films that eventually I'll have more opportunities to play the lead in major films. But it's not a priority for me.

Q: So you wouldn't describe yourself as being particularly ambitious?

WEISZ: Not in the sense of desperately wanting to succeed at any cost. I worry sometimes about celebrity. I wasn't comfortable with the attention when I was in a fairly high-profile relationship in England some years back. Neil (Morrissey) embraced the whole gossip press culture and I didn't like it at all. I think actors have a choice of drawing attention to themselves or living on the outskirts of the profession, and I prefer being as far from the centre of celebrity as possible. I still recall the time when I worked with Keanu Reeves (on Chain Reaction) and I saw what a toll unwanted celebrity had taken on him and I want no part of it. I don't know exactly why, but I find the attention stressful. I think I enjoy a certain amount of quiet distance from my work when I'm out on my own and looking to read a book or a magazine at a café. So maybe part of my general lack of huge ambition is that I'm fine the way things stand and I don't need to constantly be reading about my own life in the press.

Q: You've played the supporting role in recent films like CONFIDENCE and now in RUNAWAY JURY. Many critics and fans want to see you do more...

WEISZ: That's good of you to say so...I feel that I still have a long way to go as far as my acting is concerned. Even though I'm very pleased with the parts in those films you've mentioned, I know there are much better things to come. Certainly, I want to accomplish more and find some really terrific roles, so I'm looking forward to what lies in store for me.

Q: So much attention has been focussed on your looks ever since you played in Bertolucci's STEALING BEAUTY. How do you feel about being regarded as something of a thinking man's sex symbol?

WEISZ: (Laughs) Oh, I don't really think of myself as a sex symbol or a celebrity at all. No one ever stops me in the street or goes up to me in a coffee shop and asks for my autograph. And no one has asked me to do a sexy calendar or things like that, which is quite disappointing because you make a lot of money out of them! (Laughs) I'm glad I did the Revlon contract, though, because that was quite fun and I got lots of free makeup!

Q: You're often asked to play sultry women, especially in films like CONFIDENCE where you were the femme fatale, or running around in a tight bikini in MUMMY RETURNS. Are you as sultry in private?

WEISZ: (Laughs) Not quite. My stepmother once told me that I shouldn't move between men as I do between films, although I'm afraid I haven't paid enough attention to that advice. (Laughs) I've had some good relationships with men, but it's not easy to find the right one.

Q: I've read that you once considered changing your name. In fact, you're one of only a few female actresses to have kept her original name...

WEISZ: It's something that I've thought about, because you have to wonder whether Winona Ryder would be Winona Ryder if she were still called Nonni Horowitz, or whether Lauren Bacall would have become famous if she stayed with her original name which was Betty Perske?

Q: Woody Allen was originally Allan Konigsberg....

WEISZ: Yes. Exactly. I must admit that I did want to change my name at the beginning of my career, but only because I got sick and tired of people mispronouncing it as "Wheeze" or "Wise." I toyed with the notion of changing my name to Vice, but that sounds like the name of a porn star, and then I considered Vyce, which my agent said looked like a car licence plate. So in the end I'm rather glad I kept my real name. I mean, I haven't been offered any Hasidic roles.

Q: You did play a Jewish woman in ENEMY AT THE GATES, though...

WEISZ: You're right, but that wasn't that relevant to the story. My character Tanya and Jude Law's Vassili were desperately in love and trying to find some comfort in each other despite the terrible circumstances of being in Stalingrad.

Q: How did you feel about the explicit sex scene when you needed to be surrounded by dozens of extras playing soldiers?

WEISZ: There is no privacy in war. They knew they weren't alone, but they weren't worried about possible prying eyes. They just tried to block those things out like blocking the war out of their minds for a few moments. It's the same way with actors, in a sense. Actors are never alone for their love scenes. There are always directors, camera people, sound people, and a myriad technicians. So in this case, it was just a case of several more actors and extras being present. It wasn't anything that would have made Jude and I pay more or less attention to. Sex scenes are always complicated, but in this case, the fact that we were making love as characters who knew that other people were present reminded me of how actors are exhibitionists in some way and how we've all had to train ourselves to block out the other world - the technicians, etc. - and go on as if there's no one else there.

Q: How do you feel overall about the way your life has evolved over the years and in terms of dealing with your success as an actor?

WEISZ: My 20s were a very trying and difficult time in my life. My career went very well for the most part, but in terms of my private life, it was a mess. My 20s were horrible. I felt I didn't know anything about life and what I was doing with myself or who I was. I was petrified and insecure about everything. I think that as you get older you learn to let go of your fears. That makes you behave less wilfully and compulsively. You become less stubborn and rigid because you don't react out of pride or fear anymore. As you grow older, you come to know your own mind, values, and morality. I used to be very driven and ambitious and I would get terribly exhausted and frantic worrying about things. Now I take life more easily. I'm a little cooler and more confident now.

Q: What did your rather intellectually minded parents think about your going into acting?

WEISZ: My father hated the idea. He was a very harsh critic. He didn't think I should be acting because he thought I wasn't good enough. So in some ways I feel rather guilty about my profession. It's actually come quite easily to me and that feeds my natural inclination towards guilt and self-examination.

Q: Why feel guilty about being talented and successful?

WEISZ: That's the whole point. It makes me vaguely uncomfortable that everything has worked out so well for me. The fact that you're considered attractive and successful and you've had a first-class education is something that other people love to celebrate. Especially journalists who are constantly asking you about your success. But I'm not confident with compliments and high praise, it makes me wonder whether I've really done anything to deserve such attention and approval.

Q: Do you mind if I tell you how brilliant you are?

WEISZ: (Laughs) Don't be mean! (Laughs) I don't know why, but I'm not comfortable with the thought that people find me attractive and sexy or whatever. I don't like having eyes on me...Obviously I'm in serious trouble psychologically, here, but it's something I'm still working on. Maybe I need to do a cover girl calendar or something! I know that many people have a rough time adjusting to celebrity and I'm starting to think more and more about it. But I've been working so hard over the last two years that I haven't been spending that much time in the real world. I'm trying to adjust to the fact that I get a few more curious looks walking down the streets even though people can't quite figure out who I am. If they would recognize me, I'd probably be panic-stricken!

Q: How do you feel about the stories which have been printed over the years about your romantic escapades?

WEISZ: One advantage of spending more time in America now is that I've dated British celebrities that few people outside England know that much about. The tabloids have pestered my family in London a bit, but otherwise I've been treated well. I'm just trying to think if I have any horrible things in my past that might get out, but I've lived such a boring life they're probably going to have to invent some scandals to make me seem at all interesting!

Q: You were modelling at age 13. Have you always known that you're pretty?

WEISZ: I started getting a lot of attention when I was 11 or 12, but I wasn't so happy about it. It makes you more self-conscious unless you're a very egocentric person, to whom all the attention just inflates your ego. I've seen some actors who positively bask in all the attention to their looks and are dependent on that. I've never been that way. I just let out a little laugh when I read things in the newspapers or magazines about how sexy or ravishing I'm supposed to be. I find it very amusing and sometimes I wish I could believe in all that a little more.