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Youve been attached to an adaptation of Peters book for a long time.
Why was this story important to you?I just loved the book.
Peter had this relationship with Gloria Grahame.
He was this actor from Liverpool.
He meets this woman who had been a movie star.
They have this very intense relationship.
And I think thats what this is.
The book is beautiful, its tasteful, its a discrete slender volume.
We had the book as our source material, and Peter there too.
I mean, theres the illness I felt really responsible to venture to get that right.
And then the next minute she would feel, Wait a minute, wait.
How do I look?
Am I too old?
How do I live my life?
So she had both, you know, and I think thats true of a lot of us.
Thats the thing, to be open.
In the movie, you speak in this very girlish high-pitched voice.
She would change her voice in movies as well.
I watched her movies like crazy, you know, and I still watch them.
Her voice would vary, but I just chose to keep it high.
How did you approach her aging?
She has kids that are still around.
He came to our screening in London, he really liked it.
I know Gloria married one of her stepsons so would that have been Tims brother?Thats right.
His half-brother, exactly, because his dad had been married before.
Gosh, what a complicated situation he was born into, but he loved her.
He said she was tough but that she was fun, that she was a great mom.
He really adored her.
What do you think of Peter and Glorias relationship?
Do you think of them as being sort of star-crossed?Thats an interesting way of putting it.
I guess you could say that.
You know, and isnt thatit, right?
I dont know if youve ever experienced that.
A little bit, yeah.
And then they broke up.
Can I come and stay?
[is important].
He happened to be back in Liverpool because he happened to be doing a play.
I mean, you cant make this stuff up.
What was the hardest scene for you to shoot?Definitely the Shakespeare scene in the theater.
Were doing a scene fromRomeo and Juliet.I adore Jamie, I really got on with him.
I was very concerned.
I wanted to get that right.
She had to be strong enough to do it even though she was very sick.
The funnest scene was definitely the dancing.
Youre a great dancer.
Do you like it?
What kind of music do you like to dance to?Thank you!
I love to dance.
I listen to some disco, but also the Pointer Sisters and the Supremes, I love the Supremes.
I had that double-sidedBest of the Supremesalbum playing on my record player in my room as a teenager endlessly.
Im the first person at a wedding to get up and dance.
My husband isnt, so I always have to dance with different people.
Ugh, oh no!You know how some people men wont dance.
Gloria is a very curious creature for Peter, a little unknowable.
No, because I dont feel that way at all.
In my work I have a go at hold nothing back.
I want to be as absolutely open as I can, because thats my job.
I love that question.
I dont know if its like this in your business, but with different projects you learn something new.
In my business its absolutely the case.
Its always a little microcosm of a world that youre entering into.
When I started films, I had already worked in the theater a lot.
I was almost 30.
It took me a long time to feel comfortable working in movies.
I felt kind of like I was a stage actress pretending I was a movie actress.
Now I dont feel that way.
I really relish it.
But it takes a long time to forget everything that youve learned.
Because you are constrained.
Youre not actually free.
But to just say, I dont care.
Im just gonna see what happens in this scene.
That is what learning is for me.
One last question: A while agoWarren Beatty toldVanity Fairthat he loves California Pizza Kitchen.
Tell me everything about that.
Do you go together?[Laughs.]
Sure, we have.
We used to go more than we have of late.
We have one in our neighborhood.
Yeah, we love California Pizza Kitchen.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
