More Bling Ring

New Stills

Several new stills from the movie were released recently.

Press Conference
A press conference was held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California the day after the Bling Ring premiere. Emma wore Antonio Berardi from the Fall collection.

F magazine

F magazine from Italy has an article on Emma’s role in Bling Ring and other things. Thanks to luca for the scans.

Stealing Beauty

In a Wallstreet Journal interview, Emma talks about The Bling Ring, continuing to act and celebrity. See the full article here.

In “The Bling Ring,” your character is loosely based on a true-life member of a group of privileged teens-turned-burglars. What were the challenges that came with the part?

How do you sell a line like “I could rule a country one day” and not sound completely ridiculous? I realized very quickly that my biggest challenge was to somehow make this surreal, delusional, eccentric character believable. She’s utterly tragic and hilarious at the same time. She could come across as unsympathetic, but I also tried to get the audience to identify with her, even if it’s just for a second.

I wanted there to be a palpable sense of sadness and loneliness about her. I talked to everyone I know—my mom, my friends and, of course, Sofia—to figure out how to understand her. I never met the real girl, and worked only from the script. I didn’t want to do an impersonation.

What else attracted you to the character?

I think everyone can relate to those teenage years when you don’t really know who you are. You feel rootless, disconnected, lost, pressured by what your friends are doing, self-conscious, image-conscious, and you really want to fit in.

I enjoyed exploring the mind-set of someone who is my polar opposite. I’m quite shy and a very private person; Nicki is an exhibitionist and loves attention. She dresses to impress, whereas when I’m not working, I usually dress to draw as little attention to myself as possible. I grew up in the countryside in a small town in England, which couldn’t be more different than L.A. The first time I went to L.A., I felt like I’d arrived on an alien planet. It still seems very foreign and voyeuristic to me.

You’ve been in the public eye ever since your debut role at age 11 in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” How has the constant exposure affected you?

Well, I basically took two years off. I went to Brown University and stepped away from cinema for a while. I wanted to continue my studies and also figure out what I was really interested in, what makes me happy, and how I want to spend my time. I even considered the possibility of not being an actress anymore.

So what convinced you to come back?

My very clever agent, who has been with me since I was 14. She said, “Look, I know you’re not interested in doing any films, but I just thought you’d enjoy reading this script.” It turned out to be “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” There was something really instinctual that connected me to the teenage character of Sam, and it just clicked. I felt compelled to make the film.

Do you see yourself moving away from roles in big blockbusters?

With smaller-scale films, there’s certainly more freedom, and less pressure to have a happy ending, but I wouldn’t rule out big-budget movies. I think it really depends on the director you have on the helm. In my next film, “Noah,” directed by Darren Aronofsky, the scale is biblical. It’s a mix of the apocalypse and Shakespeare, shot in Iceland.

What was it like to work with Darren Aronofsky?

It was pretty grueling. Darren really pushed me to the edge, but he’s so intelligent and passionate about what he does.

I feel like I was given a ticket to the moon—a once-in-a-lifetime role—but it was also the most difficult one I’ve ever played. I had to be really vulnerable. It was also very physically demanding, with hours and hours of shooting.

How do you unwind when you’re not working?

I love going to the cinema, sitting in a theater with other people. I don’t like watching films in my living room. I can usually time it so that I sneak in at the very last minute and leave right at the end without being seen. I also like to just stroll around, but that’s quite difficult for me, particularly in England.

Has “The Bling Ring” made you reflect on your own celebrity?

I blanch a little bit when people call me a celebrity because that word has taken on a new meaning. It’s actually a whole industry. Celebrity is a full-time job, if that’s what you want it to be. When you turn up at an event, you’re creating a lifestyle brand. It’s very different from what I try to do. I love fashion but I think the film has scarred me slightly. I can’t even carry a designer bag anymore, it weirds me out.

What prized possession would you steal in your own house?

Probably my two cats. I find them quite adorable.

posted by dook on Sunday, June 9th, 2013, filed under Bling Ring, Magazines.