Mary Elizabeth Winstead on Seducing Ewan McGregor in ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’

Primarily based on Amor Towles’ bestselling novel, the Showtime restricted sequence A Gentleman in Moscow tells the story of Russian aristocrat Rely Alexander Rostov (Ewan McGregor), who discovered himself banished to the attic room of the Lodge Metropol and threatened with execution on the order of a Bolshevik tribunal. Along with his life contained throughout the partitions of the opulent lodge and the years after the Russian Revolution persevering with to cross, the Rely builds a life, friendships, and love from inside. By now not having the ability to go exterior and expertise the bigger universe, the Rely takes a journey of emotional discovery that provides him a distinct perspective on the world and the folks round him.

Within the story, Mary Elizabeth Winstead performs Anna Urbanova, an actress trying to make a reputation for herself in Russian cinema and whose massive persona simply attracts curiosity from Rostov, sparking a deep and significant love affair throughout the years. As their relationship deepens, it’s enjoyable for the viewers to observe Winstead and McGregor work with one another, in each playful and fairly emotional moments.

Throughout this one-on-one interview with Collider, Winstead talked about how fortunate she felt to have the ability to work along with her husband whereas taking part in such an unimaginable function, increasing the character from what’s within the pages of the e-book, how liberating it was to play somebody so assured, the best way the wardrobe knowledgeable her efficiency, what she and McGregor love about working with one another, and determining the accent. She additionally talked about returning for Season 2 of Ahsoka, and the way she’d wish to discover a venture that may be a mix of humorous and heartfelt.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead Says Kismet Introduced Her To ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’ with Husband Ewan McGregor

Collider: Other than the apparent of attending to work along with your husband, Ewan McGregor, when this venture got here your method, did you learn the e-book first or did you learn a script first, and what was the factor that actually grabbed you and made you wish to do it? Was it one thing with the story that you just related to, or was it this character particularly?

MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD: All the things, actually. I learn the e-book first, primarily as a result of it was one thing that Ewan was gonna be doing and I used to be actually enthusiastic about it for him. I’d heard loads in regards to the e-book. I used to be aware of it. It appeared like probably the most unimaginable alternative for him to play this function on this lovely piece, and since he learn it first, he hinted to me, “There’s a woman in there that’s very fascinating.” However I actually didn’t know from his feedback whether or not she was any individual who was on three pages of the e-book, or who she was. And so, once I learn the e-book and I bought to know all of the characters and the world, I simply thought, “Oh, my God, what an unimaginable alternative, to be this sort of girl, on this place, on this time, and on this extremely epic story.”

So, I threw my hat within the ring very casually as a result of I needed the present to be nice. In the event that they didn’t assume I used to be the suitable particular person for it, I didn’t need them to decide on me as a result of Ewan was taking part in the lead. I needed them to decide on me as a result of they thought I used to be proper for Anna. I simply threw my hat within the ring and stated, “Look, I believe this could possibly be an important function, should you assume I’m proper for it.” After which, some months glided by, and phrase got here again that they have been excited about me taking part in the half. It was simply a type of actually fantastic kismet issues that got here collectively. It doesn’t all the time occur like this, to discover a venture like this, that’s so lovely, and to have the ability to do it with my husband, and to have a task that I completely love. It was only a actually fortunate factor.

As a result of your character is expanded from what was within the e-book, did you understand how she could be labored into the sequence?

WINSTEAD: I didn’t, in any respect. I bought to learn the primary two episodes, as a result of I wasn’t even within the first one, going into it, and thought, “Oh, my God, what a enjoyable, incredible girl that I get to be.” I used to be actually enthusiastic about it, simply from that. The sketch was outlined so fantastically within the e-book of their love story, however the particulars of it are generally left off the web page within the novel, so I didn’t understand how detailed they have been gonna get with it on the present, and I used to be blown away. With each script that got here via, I simply thought, “Oh, my God, I can’t imagine I get to play these lovely scenes, and this girl is turning into increasingly more complicated and distinct with each web page.” I used to be actually grateful.

She’s a little bit of a whirlwind. She positively makes an impression each time she comes right into a room, and also you make fairly an entrance into the sequence with these canine inflicting chaos across the eating room. How do you are feeling that entrance actually type of represents who the character is? And did it’s important to spend a lot time with these canine?

WINSTEAD: The way in which that it’s depicted on the present was so nice as a result of they actually managed to make it appear to be it was utter chaos. In actuality, these canine have been the sweetest, calmest canine. You simply needed to cuddle up with them and take a nap. They have been so beautiful. And it was primarily shot in separate items. More often than not, I wasn’t actually with the canine. It’s an incredible take a look at nice modifying as a result of it’s so nice to observe and it feels so chaotic and actual whenever you take a look at it. It was simply incredible. I discover it so liberating to play characters like that, with that sort of confidence after they stroll right into a room, as a result of that’s actually not the best way that I’d stroll right into a room, however I like to get to do it on a TV present. It’s wonderful.

Wardrobe Performed a Enormous Position in Defining Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’ Character

The fashion of clothes in that is simply completely lovely. What was this wardrobe wish to put on? How did that inform the character for you, even in simply the best way you walked?

WINSTEAD: Oh, it’s large. Wardrobe all the time makes an enormous distinction, simply with each factor coming collectively – the hair, the make-up, the footwear, the coat. You may’t actually follow the physicality of a personality, for me anyway. It simply comes collectively whenever you’re on set that first day and all the weather are there, and the units are there, and the whole lot begins to really feel very actual. After which, immediately you’re strolling otherwise, and all of it feels such as you’re a complete new girl, and I cherished being that girl. I cherished the best way that knowledgeable the character and made me really feel so snug in my pores and skin. Taking part in this sort of fashionable girl in a time that was not very fashionable in any respect, it simply felt actually fantastic to be that courageous. I cherished it.

How did you are feeling in regards to the blonde hair, and what did you consider Ewan’s mustache?

WINSTEAD: For each of us, these particulars add a distinct piece to your persona and you are feeling totally different. I felt extra charming and seductive in my blonde wig, and he felt witty and quirky within the mustache. It was simply a lot enjoyable. It appears like play. You’re getting to essentially go into a brand new world and be a distinct particular person and play with the actors round you. That’s the last word for an actor. It’s the perfect.

Chemistry is a type of unusual and undefinable issues, but it surely’s straightforward to acknowledge whenever you see it. On the similar time, simply because you have got chemistry with somebody in actual life, it’s not essentially assured how that may translate on movie. How did you discover the expertise of working collectively on this? What did you most get pleasure from about how he approaches the work and what he brings to the scenes that you just guys shared collectively?

WINSTEAD: As a result of we met working collectively, that was actually the muse of attending to know each other. We have now this very deep respect for one another, when it comes to our work and the best way that we strategy it as a result of we’re so comparable with out actually ever articulating something to 1 one other. We simply present up and do it. We simply click on as a result of we have now such comparable sensibilities and such a love for the work and an pleasure about it. That sparks the onscreen chemistry for us loads. We love that and have been having a lot enjoyable. That’s the perfect, when you have got a scene associate who’s within the scene and loving being in it with you and loving connecting in that method. It lifts it up a lot. And there’s no person that’s extra enjoyable to behave with than him, and that will be true whether or not he was my husband or not.

It looks as if it will positively make the romantic scenes simpler, however whenever you’re doing scenes which might be very emotional, does it make these simpler too, or is that more difficult?

WINSTEAD: It was each, in a method. It was a lot simpler. The emotion was simply flowing on a regular basis as a result of it was so on the floor, but it surely was tougher to manage it, in a method. That was the one factor that I’ve by no means skilled earlier than. I believe I’m fairly practiced, as an actor, at having the emotion, however dampening it down. Typically that’s what we’re making an attempt to do, since you don’t wanna be in hysterics on display screen. That’s not actual. Folks usually attempt to conceal their feelings or they attempt to preserve it inside. It was tougher for me to do this on this. The emotion would simply effectively up, and I’d be moving into my head going, “No, pull it again.” That was an fascinating factor to have occur as a result of that was a very new expertise for me to not need to not really feel like I used to be in full management over that.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’ Character is a Daring Girl Following Her Wishes

All this time passes after the primary romantic encounter that these two folks share. I significantly cherished how she advised him that it was simply just because he by no means got here calling. Was it refreshing to play a girl who has a way of company like that?

WINSTEAD: Oh, completely. It was a blast to play her. She’s taking part in with him, but it surely’s additionally trustworthy. It’s simply who she is. It was a lot enjoyable to only go, “I don’t really feel like talking to you this yr, or subsequent yr, or the next yr. However now, should you’re coming round, completely, I really feel prefer it.” She’s following her needs, which was a really daring factor for any time interval, actually. It’s daring to observe a girl doing that, and it was a lot enjoyable to play her, in that method.

How did you strategy the accent? Was it straightforward to determine the way you needed to deal with that, or did you retain engaged on it all through the shoot?

WINSTEAD: It was an fascinating one as a result of I went into it not realizing what they have been going to need. Many of the characters in it are supposed to be Russian, however no person actually is and nobody was gonna be doing a Russian accent. I knew that Ewan was gonna be doing a fancy English accent, simply to convey that aristocracy. The concept was that it will be largely British accents, however even via a British accent, you’re making an attempt to convey the place any individual would possibly come from, when it comes to their class. For me, they actually let me off the hook. We have been all presupposed to be Russian, so there’s somewhat little bit of suspended disbelief there, so the accent didn’t need to be good. We’re presupposed to be Russian, so we have been simply going for what we thought was proper for the character, and I went for a unfastened British accent. I felt like she wouldn’t be very posh sounding as a result of she’s not posh. She didn’t come from that sort of background. We don’t know what her background is, and she or he makes it up, half the time. That gave me quite a lot of freedom to be considerably unfastened along with her accent and to make her who I needed her to be.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead is Excited to Return for Season 2 of ‘Ahsoka’

It’s been formally confirmed that Ahsoka Season 2 is in growth with Dave Filoni. When do you get clued in on what’s going to occur? Have they already given you a primary thought? Do they wait till scripts are completed and able to be despatched to the actors? How totally fashioned is it earlier than they inform you?

WINSTEAD: I’d say they wait till it’s fairly totally fashioned. I’ve spent somewhat time with Dave, and he’s forthcoming, when it comes to his concepts, however that’s not essentially what’s now on the web page. So, I don’t know, actually, what that’s but. I’m actually excited to learn some scripts to seek out out the place the whole lot goes, however I’m just about in the dead of night, when it comes to what the concrete scripts are gonna be and what the story is gonna be.

Have you learnt what you’re going to be doing subsequent? Are you going to do one thing else earlier than Season 2 of Ahsoka?

WINSTEAD: I hope so. I’m positively just a few issues and making an attempt to determine what the following factor is gonna be. I’ve time earlier than probably capturing one other season of that to do one thing hopefully nice. So, I’m looking out for it.

Do you have got a dream venture that you just haven’t accomplished, or a style that you just’d nonetheless like to work in?

WINSTEAD: I’m positively within the temper to do one thing a bit comedic. Clearly, there’s comedic components in A Gentleman in Moscow, so I bought to do this a bit, however I do really feel like leaning extra into that. One thing that’s humorous and heartfelt on the similar time is my favourite factor, so I’m on the lookout for that, but it surely could possibly be the precise reverse of that. It’s simply no matter strikes me, within the second. We’ll see. I don’t know. I’m open to the whole lot, in the mean time.

A Gentleman in Moscow airs on Showtime and is offered to stream on Paramount+ with Showtime. Take a look at the trailer:

Watch on Paramount+