44 FGM Wednesday December 21 2011 | the times Times2 arts artsfilm

American soap opera SantaBarbara in 1984, but “there wasalwaysan endeavour to do film”and The Princess TheWrighttimetoshineagain Bride provided her with the “amuse-bouche”she desired. Herfirstmarriage to Dane film, “but it wasaf***ingnightmare. It Witherspoon, a SantaBarbara co-star,

Thekidsare grown EUTERS waseither,‘Mummy, Iwant to be with proved short-lived: “Isuddenly /R my friends’, or ‘Mummy, please don’t thought: ‘Whoah, youhaveyour whole up andthe divorce go’.” lifeinfront of you.’Ithought we would There was“no sense of competition” be together forever.Ibelieved in the from SeanPenn is CARLO ALLEGRI with Penn, whom shestartedseeing fairytale: that’s whyIresponded to The afterhedivorcedMadonna in 1989 and Princess Bride so completely.Iwouldn’t history.Robin whose film career went stellar during saytoothers don’tbelieveinit. It’s out their relationship.“Iwas only there.” frustrated when Iwas pregnant. There And with Penn? “I don’twant to put Wright is readyfor wasnooutlet forme, and we are energy that in the contextoflove. You’re fields —which Iknow [she puts on a infusedwith afeeling. Is that love?It’s herclose-up, she Californian new-agey accent] sounds, what we title as love.It’safeelingyou like, soooo spiritual —but we are.” gravitateto, amagnet pullingyou to the tells Tim Teeman One regret is that shewas offeredthe other person.”Why wasthe leadingfemale role in Anthony relationship arollercoasterof he didn’t stop making Minghella’s The EnglishPatient,but was separations and reuniting? “I don’t...” films, Robin Wright insists pregnant with Dylan and would have Wright looks stricken. “I’m hesitating in an airless, windowless startedshowingasfilmingprogressed, because the words don’twork forme room in Sony’s NewYork so sheturnedthe role down. “That was anymore. Idon’t want to fall intothat Whymarry? headquarters, “it wasjust devastating, but Kristin [ScottThomas] cliché of ‘I wasinlovethen Iwasn’t’. It’s abeautiful that only three people saw wassomuch betterfor the part. Ididn’t You’re infusedwith something, you them”. The actress’s career feel envy,but an appreciation of grow apart, you’re infusedwith another fortress,but Sflashedbright in The another actor’swork.” thing, yougrowapart. Iwould use the Princess Bride and Forrest Gump (for One of the best piecesofadvice came words ‘definitely never boring’to Idon’tneedit which shegainedaGolden Globe best from the “wonderful”Minghella. describe our marriage. It wasexciting supportingactress nomination), then Making his film Breaking and Entering, and difficult. Ispent mostofmylife workouts twodaysaweek and has been forsome time shebecame better shewas strugglingwith ascene and he with this person.” “in and out of therapyall my life”, known forher turbulent 21-year toldher gently,to“play”: arevelation. Are they still friends? “Mm-hmm,” having a“propensitytoemotional relationship and 14-year marriage to “What we do is heavy,intense and shesayscautiously.She is “connecting waves: deep crevicesand high peaks. Sean Penn, which ended in divorce emotional and actors are heavy,intense with”rather than “dating” someone Whycan’t Ijust hover? Ican spend lastJuly. and emotional beings —but he was new.Would shemarry again? “Marry? hours, days in the crevices, never too The Wright stuff: NowWright,45, is “back in the right,we’re literally ‘playing’.” No.” Shesmiles. “But never saynever. long, never in bedslittingmywrists. For top left,The Princess game”: lastyear in alead role in The Wright wasborninDallas: her Whymarry?It’sabeautiful fortress, but me, there are twoemotions: one feels Bride, Wright’s Conspirator,about Abraham Lincoln’s mother Gayle wasasalesdirectorfor a Idon’t needit.” good and one doesn’t. Choose the one breakout role; above, assassination, then alongsideBrad Pitt cosmeticscompany, her father Freddie Wright thinks rolesfor older that feels good.” The Conspirator; left, in Moneyball,and now with Daniel apharmaceutical executive.They actressesare improving, thanks to Of the future, Wright “wants alot”: to The Girl with the CraiginDavid Fincher’s adaptation of Helen Mirren, MerylStreep and direct“desperately”, to play a Dragon Tattoo The Girlwiththe Dragon Tattoo,in Julianne Moore, although “I hatethis rock-and-rollstar “who’s adrugaddict which sheplays the publisher of the f***ingageingthing. Iwakeupand type, likeJanis Joplin”, to do a“great magazine Craigworks forand his think: ‘I didn’t have that wrinkle comedy with someone hysterically sometime lover. Of the film’s infamous Actors areheavy yesterday.’I’m sittinghere and my face funny”.LikePenn, sheisanactivist, anal-rape and torture scenes, Wright andemotional — feels tiredafter anight drinkingtoo campaigningfor the brutalised says: “Was it graphic? Absolutely.Did it much champagne, likeI’m marinating.” population of war-decimated eastern makemesquirminmyseat? Youbet.” butwe’re literally Hasshe had work done? “I did Botox Congo. She“fluctuates back and forth” But,she shrugs, sceneslikethis are once and Icouldn’t move my forehead, about her mortality, “only because I’m common in European films such as ‘playing’ it waslikebeinginavice. Isaid: ‘Can asocial smoker. Idon’t want to give it Irreversible,“less so in Hollywood”. youtakeitout?’ It wastoo much. The up,but Ithink I’m goingtohaveto. ‘But Wright is abeguilingmix of candid and divorcedwhen shewas 3and Wright trick is to have the mostminuscule Ilikeit’,she says to herself. ‘Yeah, but private,ofsharpobservations and remembers her father cryingashis wife amount.”Would shehaveplastic you’ll die of cancer’. scatteredthoughts. Shedeploys droveaway with Wright and her older surgery? “No, the idea freaks me out. I “But Icould walk out of here and get brilliant,pitch-perfect British(poshand brother Richard “westuntil the ocean lookatthose facesand they all lookthe hit by abus.”Wright laughs and shrugs Cockney) accents; her stepfather is stoppedus”.Wright’s mother has said same. Hmm, Isit here todayand sayno, gamely: she’ll takeher chances. from Wilmslow. that shehas misrememberedthis scene. but ...” The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo opens Gone is the tumblingblondehair that Wright remains close to her father but Sheruns, does yoga and has intensive nationwide on Boxing Day Wright sportedinThe Girlwiththe is recently estrangedfromher mother: Dragon Tattoo;now it’s featheryshort. “I would liketorepair it. Youcan Tall and beautiful, sheisdressedin imagine the regret if she...” black high heels, whiteGap shirtand Wright wasa“stupid idiot”atschool, grey woollen flaredtrousers and a “barely gettingthrough,”she says corset-likebreastplate, both by Gucci. harshly.“Iwasn’t smartacademically.I “I don’thaveany regrets,”she says of probably had some form of dyslexia.” her professionally subduedyears. “I Shewas “verywithdrawn, had only one wasn’t quiet in my creative world.”Still, friend. When you’re the shygirl, the sheconcedes, the likes of Moneyball perception is ,‘Who do youthink you and Tattoo,aswell as the forthcoming are?’,that you’re abitch, when the Rampart,oppositeWoody Harrelson, realitywas Ipainfully shy, in my shell. I “allows youmore access to more had atough exterior and softinside.” projects, bringingyou to the attention Shehad “older boyfriends from the of directors and producers who get-go”:at14, they were 18; “when Iwas wouldn’t normally think of you. It’ll 20,Iwent out with athirtysomething; open some doors afterIclosedthe door at 25,a40-year-old. They were more to be amother [todaughter Dylan sophisticated,mature, discerning, Frances, 20,and son Hopper Jack, 18]. thoughtful.”(Penn wasonly six years “Itwasn’t apremeditated thought — her senior.) ‘I’m goingtostopmycareer in Shewanted to be aBroadway dancer, mainstream films’—it justwasn’t a but at 15 wasspottedbyamodel scout priority. The children were my world. in SanDiego. “The mostdevastating Beingaparent makes youlookatyour thingistobethat age in an industry authentic self much fasterthan you where youare justaspecimen of would normally.Havingchildren is like beauty. Youget lots of attention from takingatruth serum. We all men, but mostofthem just want to f*** unintentionally screw up our children: you. There’snoroom foryou to feel it’s alearningcurve.” special, to find confidence, because of There were timesinthe schoolyear the constant objectification.” or holidays when she’d trytomakea Wright joinedthe daytime