HOWARD GOES FOR GOLD
Jurassic World star enjoys playing ‘inherently flawed’ character
The mega-hit Jurassic World changed things for Bryce Dallas Howard.
After the sci-fi flick scored at the 2015 worldwide box office, she was less likely to be remembered as the daughter of Oscar-honoured actor-turned-director Ron Howard.
Even better, the 35-year-old mother of two kids now selects roles she wants to do rather than hopes to do. That included a part opposite Robert Redford in last summer’s remake of the Disney classic Pete’s Dragon.
Her latest is a co-starring effort opposite Matthew McConaughey in the dramatic adventure Gold. McConaughey plays Kenny Wells, a hustling speculator on the make, trying to find gold in the jungles of Indonesia. Howard plays Kay, his coarse girlfriend, who tries to support with him through his scheming ups and downs.
Just a month before heading to London for the Jurassic World 2 shoot, Howard shares her thoughts on Gold:
Q Why did you pick the Gold part?
A It was interesting for me to get into this, because the mindset was different. I had just finished Jurassic World and Pete’s Dragon.
Q Did you need a change?
A I really had this desire to act in an adult piece where I am immersing myself in an atmosphere that is inherently flawed.
Q Is Gold a cautionary tale?
A (Laughs) The motivation of the movie is not to contain a moral message, but to reveal pathology. That was something I was craving as an actor.
Q Did you get into the Kay look?
A It’s important. I have big hair. And this girl loves her curls. Everything is a bit snug and there is an earthiness to her.
Q She seems to be a good fit for McConaughey’s balding, overweight Kenny. True?
A Oh yeah. When I arrived on set as Kay and saw Matthew’s Kenny, I said, ‘My hair could be a lot bigger.’
Q What do like about Kay?
A My favourite thing about my character is the description in the script. It says Kay’s pants are too tight, but only because she’s so happy.
Q Anything else?
A Kay has two jobs, and is likely supporting (Kenny) but that’s the reality she’s living in, and she’s probably at peace with that.
Q Is Kay stronger than Kenny?
A He does keep coming back to her. There is a singularity and clarity to her, and a contentedness with the choices she’s made.
Q Did you get along with McConaughey?
A I had seen him work with my dad. I was a teenager on set when he did my dad’s (film) EDtv. So I knew he was a great guy and a family man, and I knew I would have fun working with him. And I did.
Q Did you have a crush on him back in 1998?
A Sure. Matthew was in his late 20s, his romantic comedy sweet spot.
Q Do you enjoy playing such diametrically opposed roles?
The motivation of the movie is not to contain a moral message, but to reveal a pathology. That was something I was craving as an actor.
A I’ve been doing this the whole time I’ve been acting. In college (New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts), I’d go from edgy avant-garde to street theatre stuff. There would always be this darkness and then light.
Q And now?
A Yeah, I’m still really drawn to both.
Q Are you preparing for Jurassic World 2 in London?
A We’re figuring it out now. The kids are coming out for their breaks and during the summer.
Q Do you like to keep organized?
A It’s always important to organize things when you’re preparing for work in the trenches.
Q What should we expect from the Jurassic World sequel?
A I think it’s going to be even more intense.