‘It’s very hard to listen when there’s shouting’
Loving star Joel Edgerton lauds tender spirit of Jeff Nichols’ film
Australian Joel Edgerton is always up for a challenge, especially if it means collaborating with filmmaker Jeff Nichols. Edgerton co-starred in Nichols’ fantasy thriller Midnight Special, so he didn’t hesitate when the writerdirector asked him to test his skills as one of the leads in Loving.
In the movie, Edgerton, 42, portrays Virginian Richard Loving, the white husband of Ruth Negga’s Mildred Loving, who’s black. Under Virginia law, their 1958 union was criminal but a historic 1967 U.S. Supreme Court ruling reversed it.
The narrative profiles the couple’s ups and downs that saw them arrested, jailed, forced to flee their home state and then return from Washington, D. C. to appeal their case. Edgerton talks with Postmedia about the film: Q What was your performance starting point?
A We had Nancy Buirski’s documentary (The Loving Story, 2011), which was a complete road guide to how to create an impression of the two of them. Q Was that the focus?
A I feel like the performance of a real person has to go beyond mimicry, otherwise you end up just concentrating on a walk and a funny accent. Q What was the constant?
A The road map was Jeff’s screenplay, and his detailed and lovely observation and a portrayal of a relationship. Q How did you manage the seamless interplay?
A It wasn’t about overtures of love and speeches and false declarations, or billowing curtains ... it’s about the space between two people often unspoken — a constant dance of you lead and I’ll follow. Q Was Mildred the strong one?
A Mildred was the one who was standing on her tiptoes looking over the fence going, ‘It’s naive to think that we can go backward, so how do we go forward?’ Q Do you believe Richard was the strong, silent type?
A Yeah, he was big and sturdy, but she was the one who really kept them together and kept thinking of the strategy of how to move forward. Q This is your second film with Nichols. What’s the appeal?
A I love a filmmaker who cares about character, because we’re all human beings. It’s also a job made easier because Jeff hires great people.
Q Do you think Loving will resonate with modern audiences?
A I hope so. The movie is a nice recollection and invitation into the lives of two simple people who were judged and treated badly. That allows for a good conversation when it comes from a gentle place. Q Why? A It’s very hard to listen when there’s shouting. Q What does the Loving theme mean to you? A I’ve managed to get through 40-something years of my life without really experiencing significant injustice. That’s a big take-away for me. Q Lots of Oscar talk surrounds the film. Are you excited?
A I’d be crazy and dishonest to say it doesn’t tickle the ego a little bit for all of us. But I’m very careful because I bought tickets to my own parade, internally, once before, and it didn’t happen. Q What’s next for you?
A It’s a movie called Bright with (Suicide Squad director) David Ayer and Will Smith. We’re shooting in Los Angeles. It’s a cop movie with a science-fiction element. Q Any plans to work with Nichols again?
A I keep bombarding him with texts that ask, ‘What are we doing next?’