Too much sandalwood for a woman withherface.
The Swans,premiering on FX today.
Watts exclaims over a Zoom interview.
Photographed by Carin Backoff,VogueAustralia, January 2021 / Trunk Archive
I mean, come on.
Every word is just delicious.
Just as delicious as that script?
Naomi Watts as Babe Paley.
The looks, of course.
Not for the school run or the dog walk, anyway.
I cant wait to see it!
Naomi Watts as Babe Paley and Tom Hollander as Truman Capote.
And all I can think is, Oh, boy, I hope you actually like it.
How did the project first fall into your lap?
I mean, come on.
Diane Lane as Slim Keith and Naomi Watts as Babe Paley.
Every word is delicious.
So it was one of those moments where I was just pinching myself.
It could not have been more fun working with him.
He really brought some high-level art into the room.
Having grown up between the UK and Australia, how familiar were you with the Swans?
Well, you know, Babe was pretty precious.
But that was the fun of it.
The women of that time were raised purely to be good wives and not much else.
And with that comes a lot of work and sacrifice.
Youre always on show.
Everything was planned within an inch of its life.
When it came to her accent and mannerisms, was there much to go on during your research process?
Were you even thinking about mimicking her, or was there a certain spirit you were trying to channel?
I couldnt mimic her voice and her movement because there was nothing availableonly on the page.
So that I had to make up.
And in terms of the movement, it was sort of the same thing.
Otherwise, it was all very gentle and careful.
I think you lose the in-between moments when youre always in that kind of loop.
And I think that brought on panic, especially when Trumans betrayal took place.
Because then she had no one.
Her husband has betrayed her over and over again and left her feeling lonely.
And she was absolutely raised to be a good wife, nothing more.
And so where isshein that picture?
I think that was only recognizable to her towards the end of her life.
What was it like to be working alongside this cast of incredibly talented actors?
Was there a real sense of camaraderie on set?
We were bonding all the way.
It must have been fun playing around with the humor in the script as well.
You all get to deliver some real zingers.
Oh, itssofun to be bitchy.
We couldnt believe some of the dialogue.
There were definitely some crack-up moments.
And then Tom just floating all over the place, creating magic before our very eyes.
Every single take, he would do something different and take us by surprise.
There are some fabulous outfits in there too.
And I would get texts from Lou all the time saying, What do you think of this color?
What do you think of this fabric?
The whole thing was incredibly fun.
You get so into the clothes, but theyre really part of that specific experience.
And you say, Oh, can I havethis?
Oh, I wantthat.
like, can I go home with a few pieces?
Every now and again, youll be able to reinvent something and wear it a different way.
Not for the school run or the dog walk, anyway.
The tides are changing, theres no question.
And so I gave everyone a box and said, I hope you dont mind me sharing this.
But I think everyone was just grateful, whether or not they wanted to talk about it.
Thats everyones own business.
But I think it comes with a certain sense of relief.
You know, half the population will go into menopause at some point.
So why act as if its a secret?
Why not just talk about it?
And to speak to the Hollywood part of it, I got my big break quite late.
In Hollywood, a womans career lasts until youre 40, and thats it.
And I was like, Why?
What do you mean?
Its just so absurd that were reduced to that.
Were not here to be just one thing.
And the stories we tell should reflect the lives of older womentheyre just as relevant.
Not really, no.
And thats totally fine.
Ive never really been scared of that whole thing.
I feel the same as I did in my late 20s, when I finally felt fully formed.
I do get some aches and pains here and there in the morning.
But I say lean into it.
Im excited to play the old lady because I love what I do.
I love being part of a story and working with great filmmakers and great writers and actors.
And that makes it easy to love what I do.
Feud: Capote vs.
The Swanspremieres on FX on January 31.
