MAKING MAGIC
She may have reached new heights of fame casting spells and fightingg aliens on screen in her latest roles, but actor Katherine Waterston’s priority is a job well done.
She may have reached new heights of fame, but actress Katherine Waterston’s priority is a job well done.
After a long day battling villainous creatures, vanquishing evil, saving lives and whatever else the fantasy and science fiction worlds have thrown at her, it’s no wonder Katherine Waterston finds it hard to switch off after a day on set.
The American actor has been working non-stop this year, notably playing lead roles in two mega films, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – the first in a new fantasy series by JK Rowling – and Aliens: Covenant, the second chapter of the Aliens prequel series, shot in Australia and due out next year.
“Because it’s so exciting and mentally stimulating to be at work, I sometimes find it difficult to quiet my mind at the end of the day,” she says, also revealing that acting in make-believe movies presents a challenge of its own. “I was talking to another actor who is
“ULTIMATELY, SOMEBODY HAS HIRED ME AND EXPECTS ME TO DO MY JOB”
currently shooting a sci-fi film and we were discussing how exhausting it can be to look at things that are not in front of you, reacting to something coming towards you that isn’t there,” she explains. “I think we are using a different part of our brain that we don’t normally use.”
But long hours and adrenalin overload are of little concern to Waterston, who can’t remember a time when she didn’t want to act. Growing up in an artistic family – her father is Oscar-nominated actor Sam Waterston, her older siblings are also actors “and I come of a family of creative people – my grandmother and my uncle are both painters” – the 36-year-old has established a successful career on both stage and screen. She recently appeared with Kate Winslet and Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs, while her role in 2014’s Inherent Vice, alongside Joaquin Phoenix, brought critical acclaim.
But given Alien’s cult following, and the obsession with the wild imaginings of J.K. Rowling (who makes her screenplay debut with Fantastic Beasts, neither a prequel nor sequel to Harry Potter), Waterston’s fame is set to explode. So how does it feel carrying the weight of fans’ expectations?
“I didn’t even think about it!” she responds with a laugh. “If I were to allow that pressure to enter my mind when I was working, I wouldn’t be able to do my job. I actively ignore that, shut it out, and think to myself that it’s wonderful that there are people out there who are excited we’re making more of these films, and try to forget about the possible criticism and judgement that will come with it. For me, ultimately, somebody has hired me and expects me to do my job.”
The likely media scrutiny to follow is similarly something she chooses not to dwell on. “I don’t think anybody loves it but I also it comes with the territory,” she reflects. “Maybe I’ll look back on this time and think: ‘You were really unprepared for that’, but everyone I know who remains healthy in this business doesn’t let it get to them. It’s a strange thing, but at the same time I don’t think anyone can scrutinise me as much as I scrutinise myself, you know what I mean? We’re all our worst critics anyway.”
Waterston’s passion for her craft is clearly her touchstone. She’s happy to have a brief breather between projects at home in New York right now, but says it can be hard coming off a job that was especially enjoyable. “I’ve been away for most of this year and that can be tough, but it’s also sort of a luxury to just go from job to job because you don’t have to suffer that kind of period of loss or mourning when a job is over,” she says.
Shooting Ridley Scott’s Aliens: Covenant in Sydney is a memory that still lingers. “It was my first visit to Australia and it was incredible. I really miss it. I love the lifestyle and everyone was so friendly. I learnt how to surf there. Not very well, but I took to it right away, although I was a little bit concerned about the sharks.”
Fantastic Beasts, set in 1920s New York but filmed on a huge studio set in London, was another experience she savoured, her role as Porpentina, a witch, offering an opportunity to inhabit a multilayered character. “What’s so amazing about Jo’s [Rowling’s] writing is that she doesn’t write black and white, one-dimensional characters. They’re complex and rich, so really fun to play,” she says.
Asked what she loves most about what she does Waterston groans. “Ugh,” she begins. “You know what that makes me think of? This line in Almost Famous when William finally, finally, finally, at the tail end of the movie, gets to sit down with the lead singer of the band for his interview, and asks: ‘What do you love about music?’ Russell replies: ‘To begin with … everything.’ That’s my answer too: everything.” Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is out November 17. Aliens: Covenant is set for release August 2017.