Photo: Courtesy of Tri Art Film.
I can’t tell you how much I loved this film. It was so affecting, I think I stopped breathing in a few of the scenes.
“Thank you! I was really drawn to the script, especially after working with the director, Lisa Langseth, on Pure. Many women go through [postnatal depression] if they have a family, but it’s still a very taboo subject; I’ve never really seen it portrayed on screen. I mean, I didn’t even really know how it would work just by reading the script. I would end up laughing just two, three pages straight after some extremely moving, horrific scene. I was quite amazed at how Lisa was able to bring it all to the screen.”
I’m not a sap at the movies, but the tears were on overdrive. Do you remember the first film that made you cry? I mean, really bawl…
“The Lion King — as difficult as it is to say! That was the first film that I saw in the theater, when I was six or seven, and I even begged my babysitter to take me for a second time. I was bawling over it….and I still am. These days, I’m becoming more and more like my mom. I remember when I was a kid, I hated the fact that around Christmas, you gather in school and you sing songs, because my mom was always crying in the background being totally moved and touched. I was like, 'Aghhh — I don’t get it.' And, now, I find myself crying less and less with actual, horrific things and more when I am touched or happy.”
Your mom is a longtime stage actress. Did you catch the acting bug early?
“I lived in two homes — with my mom. When we didn’t have a babysitter, I would accompany her to the theater. I loved being there. It’s a very nice context for a child to grow up in and to play. I remember the adults would let me be a part of rehearsals and ask of my opinions. Sometimes, as a child, you remember walking into a room and everyone treated as if you were a kid — but in the theater, that never happened.”
I wonder if you’re inclined to these slightly manic, passionate characters because of your upbringing in drama and theater.
“Yes, because I want to explore things within myself. I’m drawn to roles that scare me. I only use my own emotions as my tools, but also, you want to do things you haven’t done before.”
I’ve heard you’ve been bouncing from movie set to set for the past few years. Do you travel with any lucky charms?
“I don’t travel with anything, because I haven’t had a home in nearly three years!”
Where’s all your stuff?
“It’s amazing — I started off having storage in both Stockholm and London. I still have things in L.A.; I still have things in Denmark. The thing is, I started to like how I’m not attached to material things anymore. I have two pairs of black jeans, I have my favorite blazer, and I have a couple of Acne T-shirts. It’s nice when someone can pick up the phone and say, ‘Can you be here tomorrow?’ and I can say, ‘Yeah, I just have two bags.’”
So, how long is your stay here in Marrakech?
“I’m actually going to stay until Wednesday, because it’s my first vacation this year. I’ve been here once before, and I had the best experience with a Moroccan friend. We stayed in amazing riads; we visited places in the medina where there were no tourists; we went to villages in the Atlas Mountains with just a shitty Range Rover and our hiking boots. It was great.”
Mads Mikkelsen, your coactor in A Royal Affair, has said that you have a “gift from heaven,” which is that the camera loves your face. Why do you think that is?
“I, as most girls do, wake up, look in the mirror, and see flaws. You try not to, but it’s human nature. But, it’s interesting when I’m making films, especially with the films I’ve been making with [this director]; I want to be emotionally naked and raw. If you strip me down, I can be this way in front of a camera, more than I dare myself to be in real life. If I really dig deep down emotionally, I don’t care about the way I look — and that’s a relief. Whereas, when I see a photo from a red carpet, I’m like, ‘Ugh, look at that angle!’ I never do that with film. I’m going to be meet Marion Cotillard tonight, who is one of those actresses who is completely true to her roles. That’s the kind of actress I want to be. I think that’s what makes you able to connect and be loved by the camera.”
Who are some other actresses you admire?
“Oh, there are quite a few. Tilda Swinton, Isabelle Huppert, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lawrence, and Michelle Williams.”
All right, shall we put the rumor mill to rest? Are you, or are you not, dating Alexander Skarsgård?
“No, I’m not dating Alexander Skarsgård. [laughs] He’s a sweetheart, and he’s a friend of mine. But, we are just friends.”