Paquin — who just recently tied the knot with “True Blood” co-star Stephen Moyer in an intimate Malibu ceremony — chatted with WWD about on-screen wedding rehearsals, breaking boundaries and raw meat.
Paquin plays Lila, a prim, privileged New England girl celebrating her wedding night with her eccentric tight-knit group of college friends. The hitch? Lila’s groom-to-be (Josh Duhamel) is the ex of her maid of honor (Katie Holmes). Naturally, drunken mayhem ensues.
“On the surface, she’s got it all together: she’s marrying the perfect man; she’s got the perfect house; she’s very in control of everything,” says Paquin of Lila. “And over the course of that weekend, you see it crack, crumble and completely fall apart.”
Do you see Lila as a likable character in any way?
Anna:She likes what she wants when she wants it and she’s probably stepped on a few people on her way to get there. But she’s not a terrible person. She loves her friends and it doesn’t come from a horrible place — she’s just quite controlling.
You’ve said the idea of planning a wedding “scared the s–t out of [you].” Was shooting this film fear immersion?
Anna: Lila and I have pretty much nothing in common as far as the bride gene, so it was kind of entertaining. I’d actually never been to a wedding [at the time of shooting]. So it’s all kind of a slightly foreign world to me.
After three seasons on the show, where you obviously take many physical and emotional risks, has there been anything you’ve said no to?
Anna: Very few things. And most of them involved the raw meat statue last season [part of a pagan ritual in the medieval demon plotline]. I’m a little squeamish about touching raw meat. [Paquin is a former vegetarian.] When I was basically supposed to body slam the meat statue, I have to admit that I let my incredibly gifted and wonderful and brave stunt double do it.
So has this show made you realize where your boundaries lie?
Anna: As it turns out, I have very few boundaries when it comes to what I will or will not do. On camera at least. Because ultimately, it’s not me. And I know that’s what every actress says, but it’s true — you’re just playing a character. I’m sure loads of those big action-star men at home are nice, normal family men who actually don’t shoot or beat up people.
Read the complete interview at Wwdmedia.com
I would have been squeamish about body slamming a raw meat statue, and I’m not a vegetarian. Anna is very forthcoming in this interview, and that is always refreshing.
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