Damsel in distress, minus the distress
Things have been happening for Brie Larson since her best actress Academy Award last year for her star turn in Room.
The opportunities have been much bigger than the independent Canadian co-production that earned her the Oscar.
The 27-year-old won the coveted female role of Captain Marvel, who will be introduced in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War followed by an upcoming solo blockbuster aiming for a 2019 release.
And she plays photo-journalist Mason Weaver in Kong: Skull Island.
A confident Larson, ensconced in a hotel in Los Angeles, offers her thoughts: On the experience of shooting the Kong creature feature: “It’s less about a particular scene than the experience as a whole,” says Larson. “It was like running in an obstacle course.” On the energy required: “It’s taxing on the body. I’ve experienced mental drain on movies in the past, but this was physical. It’s amazing what your body can do.” On how she prepared: “(The studio) got me a trainer, and I had trained before when I did Room. For Room, I had to get wiry and small. (Kong) was about being strong in my body.” On what it’s like to be in the palm of Kong’s hand (by way of green screen) for one scene: “My Kong was a tape mark. There was like a foam pad I had to lay on. I don’t really know much more than that.” On portraying a different kind of Kong damsel, this one not-so-in-distress: “That’s one of the reasons I did this. I wanted to turn this allegory on its head. We’re in a different time. We’re ready to see a different type of female hero.” On playing a combat photographer: “I had taken photography classes years ago and knew how to develop film.” On filming at exotic locations in and around Hanoi: “The people were really nice. I feel we travelled every few days. We got to see a lot of different areas. The food was so good, clean and fresh.” On playing Captain Marvel in the upcoming production: “The whole thing feels so big and secretive. I’m too scared to talk about it.” On playing a superhero part usually associated with a male: “Women have their own set of skills that are worth exploring on screen. You don’t have her do all the same things a male does. I want to explore how women lead and how that is different and unique. On where she keeps her Oscar statuette: “Oh, that’s a secret.”