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Taking The Lead
Young Australian actress Mia Wasikowska continues her international ascent with the title role in the literary adaptation, 'Jane Eyre'.
"She's such a role model for women, in particular young women. What I love about her is that she has an inherent sense of self respect." Australian actress Mia Wasikowska is talking about the qualities that she admires in Jane Eyre, the character that she plays in the latest big screen adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's oft-filmed eponymous literary classic. With a quiet composure beyond her years, the young star could almost be speaking about herself. Unlikely to become the latest actress dealing with a nude photo scandal, Wasikowska's professionalism has impressed many in Hollywood since she moved to the US three years ago. Though she describes herself in Jane Eyre as "poor, plain, obscure and little", in person, the 21-year-old actress is anything but plain, and is quickly becoming less obscure with every new film role.
Soon after winning the AFI Young Actor Award for her feature film debut in 2006's Suburban Mayhem, Wasikowska relocated from Canberra to Hollywood for HBO's In Treatment, where she played a gymnast dealing with depression. Critics and directors noticed her natural talent, and roles in Defiance and Amelia soon followed. 2010 saw Wasikowska cast in the Oscar nominated indie hit The Kids Are All Right, and after a huge search, she scored the title role in Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland. "That was exposure in a way that I haven't experienced before, so I had a lot of great opportunities from that," Wasikowska says. "A lot of it is luck and timing. I had a lot of good luck, and I've been given a lot of great experiences."
2011 is shaping up to be another big year for Wasikowska, with roles in Gus Van Sant's Restless, as well as the lead in Jane Eyre, directed by Cary Fukunaga (Sin Nombre). Coincidentally, at the same time that Fukunaga was thinking of Wasikowska, the actress was seeking out a film version of her new favourite book, Jane Eyre. "I'd just come back from America, and it was the first time that I didn't have to go to school," she explains. "I made a list of books to read, and Jane Eyre was one of them. I loved it so much that I got in touch with my agent and asked her if anybody was developing the project or if there was a script around. There wasn't at that time, but then two months later, she sent the script, and then I met with Cary, and it went from there. It was really good timing."
This is the nineteenth film to be adapted from the novel in the 164 years since it was first published. Wasikowska believes that it's the timeless nature of the love story that has seen it endure throughout the years. "At the core of it, it's a really universal story," she says. "Regardless of what time it's made in, or what time it's set in, it continues to connect with people. It's about a young girl who's trying to find a connection and love and family in a really dislocated, disconnected world." And she can't speak highly enough about her character either. "I loved who Jane was from the book. She really does have such an incredible strength of character and originality of thought. She won't compromise herself for anybody, which is really brave, especially for that time. For anyone to have the strength to believe that they're worthy of being treated well and having a good life is utterly admirable."
In the film, as in the novel, governess Jane falls for the moody master of the house, Mr. Rochester. Taking up that role is Michael Fassbender, another star who has been making a name for himself in Hollywood with the likes of Inglourious Basterds and X-Men: First Class. When asked about her co-star, Wasikowska grins. "We just had so much fun," she offers. "He's the coolest! We got on really well. We were able to counter the intensity of the material with a lot of goofing around and a lot of fun. Chemistry is one of those things where if you get on well at the beginning, it's 90%, there."
It was a good thing that the co-stars managed to have fun, because shooting the period drama offered plenty of challenges, including freezing weather, restrictive costumes, Yorkshire accents, and a small budget. "It was all quite challenging," Wasikowska says. "The language was one that we don't really use anymore, and the corsets are such a pain. They were really useful to be able to understand that kind of repression and restraint, but they're so painful! I was really glad to get out of them on the last day!"
Jane Eyre is released on August 11.
This is an excerpt from a story featured in the August issue of FILMINK on sale now.
Photo credit: Wasikowska at the 2011 Sydney Film Festival premiere of Jane Eyre, courtesy of Getty Images/Ryan Pierse
