CINEMA
BRADY CORBET FUNNY GAMES STAR DISCUSSES METHOD ACTING AND LIQUOR-FILLED HOT TUBS INTERVIEW by ALISTAIR BANKS GRIFFIN PHOTOGRAPHY by JENNA ELIZABETH
“Peter Jensen’s vodka sauna at Zentropa is maybe the least odd bit of the studio outside Copenhagen.”
Given the remarkable intensity that young actor Brady Corbet exudes, it is easy to assume that he is a decade or so older than his birth certificate reads. At the tender age of 22, Corbet has already worked with acclaimed filmmakers Michael Haneke (Funny Games), Greg Araki (Mysterious Skin), and Lars von Trier (Melancholia), and has demonstrated a genuine passion for cinema. His last theatrical premiere, Two Gates of Sleep, debuted at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. Here, Alistair Banks Griffin, director of Two Gates of Sleep, interviews his star protagonist. ABG: So, Brady, I hear you narrowly escaped Lars von Trier’s flaming vodka hot tub. Has he tried to kill you in any other ways yet? BC: Peter Jensen [Danish film producer]’s vodka sauna at Zentropa [von Trier and Jensen’s film company] is maybe the least odd bit of the studio outside Copenhagen. It’s a really strange and fantastic place. A kind of film commune. I suppose if one is creating the kind of films Lars is by employing such liberating techniques, it helps to be in such a liberating environment. But no, he has not yet tried to kill me or anyone else so far. Quite the opposite, he’s been very gentle with us all.
ABG: You and I have talked in the past about the rejection of “method style” in acting. What is your process for reaching emotional states without having that crutch? What is the ideal perception of an actor in your mind? BC: The ideal perception of an actor is hard for me to pin down. I can only say that for me, it is simply a necessary function of narrative movie making. It is no more or less important than most of the jobs on a film set. I personally do reject “method” processes as I generally think it’s just an excuse for poor behavior. I’ve never seen a mean actor taking a method approach to a nice character, if you know what I mean. ABG: Absolutely. BC: I just try stay in tune with the story and its themes. That generally informs your decisions, if you’re a sensitive enough person.
ABG: In Fabrice du Welz’s upcoming film, you are going to play a young artist whose work involves consensual designer kidnappings that go wrong. This, paired with your role in Funny Games, and to some degree Mysterious Skin – there ABG: I’m glad to hear it. We are all a bit worried for you. You have done an seems to be a developing trend of abductor and abductee in your choices. Is there immaculate job of keeping your resume (myself notwithstanding) tied to some of anything to that? the best art cinema directors of our time – Araki, Haneke, von Trier. It makes for a smaller list of films, but there seems to be serious restraint to do only projects BC: Not really. It’s a coincidence, I think. Fabrice’s film seems quite entertaining that are essentially a perfect storm for you. As an actor, are you more interested in on the page and I like him a lot and thought it was a good balance of stylishness these types of collaborations as opposed to them being of interest as “acting roles”? and thoughtfulness. We’ll see what happens. BC: Yes. I am still very young, and for me it has been the best form of education ABG: Now that you are directing as well, how do you shift between those mindsets? in this medium I love so much. We’re only about a week into the shoot of BC: I don’t really make the shift. That’s a blessing and a curse, I think. I am Melancholia and I am already learning so much. always thinking about the big picture. 104