FAMKE JANSSEN
The X-Men star talks caffeine boosts and dancing the night away.
What’s the first thing you do when you arrive on set?
Usually, it’s trying to get coffee. We start at these random hours, very early in the morning, so it’s all about surviving, getting through the day, and making sure I’m awake. Then you have to go through hair and makeup, and get your wardrobe on. Every day is different. That’s the exciting part about being an actor; different locations with different people. There are always so many surprises because nothing ever quite seems to work out the way anybody anticipates it will. It’s very fun and unpredictable.
What do you take with you on set?
If I cannot find a good coffee, I have this tiny little mini-Nespresso. You can make one cup. All I need is hot water. Usually, that’s the backup. I always have vitamins with me just to stay healthy. I drink buckets of water but I have a container to refill so I don’t have to use plastic. [And I have] My script, which usually by the time I start filming already looks like it’s been through a few wars.
Hot or cold lunch?
I eat a lot of salads. So cold and some protein with it. I know that on set we have that type of food – I call it prison food – that gets slapped on the plate, it’s warm and you’re not entirely sure what you’re eating. I don’t eat that, no.
Do you ever sleep on set?
I never sleep. I mean sleeping is really rough for me to begin with. But between our hours of filming, the time difference when I travel, and the excitement or anxiety that comes with prepping, I usually get very little sleep. For now, that’s okay because I have to look kind of wrecked and tired.
Phone or no phone?
Phone is handy. Always. Actually, now I have two because I have a UK phone while I’m here and then I have my
New York phone, so I feel like a pimp or a drug dealer.
Have you ever stolen anything from a film set?
No, but I’m going to steal this top!
What’s been your most embarrassing moment on set?
I can think of many, but one involves coffee. You get a trailer when you work on set. One of the ADs on a project said: “Okay, this is your Winnebago.” It has white carpet and everything [inside it] is white. I walk in with a big thing of coffee and I trip over the steps. It goes flying everywhere. All over the white carpet. I’ve done that over actors – throwing my coffee over actors in my introduction to them – so it usually involves some clumsy thing on my part.
What’s the longest day you’ve ever spent on a film set?
It’s probably on one of the X-Men movies, somewhere between 16 and 18 hours. Our hours tended to be very long.
Best wrap party?
I did a film in Boston called Monument Ave. We didn’t just have a wrap party. We had a beginning party and a middleof-shoot party. We had a party for every occasion. That one was fun. I worked with Ava DuVernay on When They See Us based on the Central Park Five story. That shot in New York and we had a fantastic wrap party. I danced all night.
What has it been like working on the set of in London?
The Postcard Killings
Very compressed! I didn’t have the luxury of being here throughout. I had to come in and try to do everything in a short period of time, which is tough. There are so many emotional scenes for Valerie. To pile all of those on, I’m emotionally exhausted, but I’m really enjoying working with everybody. AL
ETA | OUT NOW / THE POSTCARD KILLINGS IS STREAMING ON PRIME VIDEO.
‘WE DIDN’T JUST HAVE A WRAP PARTY. WE HAD A BEGINNING PARTY AND A MIDDLE-OF-SHOOT PARTY’