Just like the headline reads, The Guardian sat down and interviewed Mary about her film Smashed. Below are some highlights from the interview. Be sure to read the FULL interview by clicking on the link above:
“I really didn’t have any fear about the humiliation factor,” she says. “That was something I was excited to get the opportunity to explore. My fears were about pulling it off.” Her extensive research included attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for several months. “I came into it very quietly: I didn’t say I was an actor. If they asked me to speak, I’d tell them I had come to learn about AA. I never pretended to be anything I wasn’t. But I also didn’t want to stand up and say: ‘Hey guys – I’m making a movieee! Anyone wanna tell me their story?'”
Her empathy for the character is unwavering, whether she’s rallying herself unconvincingly for her pupils or staggering down the street after waking up on a discarded mattress. One particular scene stands out: Kate’s breakdown after being refused alcohol in a convenience store. The scene ends with her sobbing as she urinates on the floor. “Most of the work in that scene is done before you get on set,” she explains. “It was all to do with Kate reverting to a point in her childhood when she wanted something really badly but couldn’t have it. As a little kid, you’ll try everything. You go from cute to cross, you start throwing things and then you burst out crying. She’s reaching back to that.”
Also, I’ve added a new pic of her from the interview into the gallery.
