00:00 [Music]
00:06 Oh Melanie, hello, how are you?
00:07 Hello, good, how are you?
00:08 It's good, thank you. It's good to see you.
00:10 Good to see you.
00:11 Thank you.
00:12 The Tattoos of Auschwitz, it's a different kind of Auschwitz project.
00:17 I mean there are still so many. It's a different kind of one.
00:21 Do you want to explain to us why it's a bit different to what's out there or has been out there?
00:26 Well I think one of the things that makes it different is that it contains within it a love story,
00:32 a true story of two people who met while they were in the camp
00:36 and then went on to have a life, married together and had a child as survivors of the camp,
00:42 which is a pretty extraordinary story.
00:45 And then also it's an adaptation of Heather Morris' huge best-selling book,
00:51 but they've done this interesting thing where they've included the character of Heather in the adaptation
00:57 and shown her interviews with Lali, who was the survivor who she interviewed.
01:03 So they've included that as well, which was an interesting thing.
01:07 Call me Lali.
01:09 You're looking for someone to write your life story.
01:12 [Music]
01:17 So this is a love story.
01:19 And you yourself play Heather.
01:20 I play Heather, yes.
01:21 And Heather Morris is a real person.
01:24 And I'm just intrigued when I speak to actors, when there's a pressure of having a real person there,
01:31 is it more of a pressure or less of a pressure?
01:34 Because you can speak to Heather, you can gauge stuff from Heather, and that informs your performance.
01:40 Or when it's a blank canvas, you can just kind of go off it or do whatever you want.
01:44 What is kind of your preference?
01:46 My preference is a blank canvas, honestly.
01:48 Because then you can just kind of--it comes from here and you're just like, oh, there's that person.
01:53 This is what she's like.
01:55 It's tricky.
01:56 I mean, it's one thing, obviously, if you're playing somebody who's very famous.
02:00 Like I got offered a movie where I would be playing someone who was, like, very, very famous.
02:05 And I sat with it and I was like, I don't think I can do it.
02:09 I just don't--I think--I was sort of trying it on, like I was trying on a dress.
02:14 And I was like, I don't know if this is, like, aligning within me in a way that doesn't feel like caricature.
02:21 And so it feels irresponsible to say yes to this if I can't make it feel like it's coming from my body.
02:28 Sure.
02:29 But it's a different thing with someone like Heather who, like, is in the public eye.
02:34 You know, she goes on book tours and stuff like that, but is not a person that the whole world is going to go, oh, I know that person.
02:41 So there's a certain amount of wanting to be respectful to her and wanting to play a person who she recognises as herself.
02:49 And she said she does and she feels good and that her family members have said, oh, yeah, that feels like you.
02:56 But you're also making it up a little bit.
02:58 Yeah, of course.
02:59 And did you--I'm assuming you met with Heather to--
03:01 Yes.
03:02 Yeah, yeah. And how was that?
03:03 Like, was she open to--
03:04 It was great.
03:05 Yeah, she seems very lovely.
03:06 She's so fun.
03:07 Yeah.
03:08 She's having the time of her life, you know.
03:10 She promised to Lali that she would get his story on the screen.
03:15 It was what he always wanted.
03:16 They would always talk about casting and she promised him and it's happening.
03:21 And I just think that's such a beautiful thing.
03:24 How did you meet Gigi?
03:25 I was out with Birkenau Tattooist Tattooier and I tattooed her number of her left arm and she tattooed her number in my heart.
03:37 How did the role come to you then?
03:40 I can see why a cast of director would think of you when they wanted to cast Heather.
03:44 There was a warmth there that you exuded in all your roles.
03:49 How did the role come to you?
03:50 What was that conversation like?
03:52 I just got an email saying, here's a script, let us know what you think.
03:58 And I think I got all the episodes at once and I thought, I think I have time to read one.
04:04 And before I knew it I'd read three of them and then I was like, this is a good sign.
04:09 When you can't stop reading, it's a good sign.
04:13 And we get to hear your accent?
04:14 I know, there's a part of me that's like, it feels weird to act with my own accent.
04:21 I bet, because you do American quite a lot, don't you?
04:24 All the time.
04:25 Has there ever been a moment where you've come in and been like, can I just do mine using an accent?
04:29 And they're like, no, it's got to be American.
04:31 No, there was one time where a director said, why don't you just do your American accent,
04:36 I mean your New Zealand accent for this.
04:38 And I said, will it not be confusing that there's just a New Zealander, it's never explained?
04:42 He said, no, no, no, I think it's going to be fine.
04:44 So I did the movie with a New Zealand accent and then in post-production he said, it's confusing.
04:52 The notes we've been getting are that it's confusing.
04:55 So I had to go in and dub the whole movie with an American accent.
05:00 It was just time consuming more than anything.
05:02 It was time consuming and also my mouth moves differently when I'm doing an American accent.
05:07 And it's a director that I love, love, love and would do anything for.
05:11 I've worked with him a million times over.
05:13 But he was in the booth and his only notes were, I'm so sorry.
05:18 Okay, take one.
05:20 I'm so sorry, next scene.
05:22 Like he just apologised.
05:24 You share your screen time with Harvey Keitel.
05:28 I mean, firstly, had you worked with him before?
05:30 No.
05:31 No, first time.
05:32 First time.
05:33 That meeting, because obviously it's a very, he is giving one hell of a performance.
05:39 And he's tapping into some emotions and you're there responding to that.
05:44 And there's that amazing line where you say, early on, where you say, I don't want to write, I want to listen.
05:49 And I think that really sets the tone for this show and your scenes with Harvey.
05:55 How intense did that get, I guess, sitting opposite Harvey with him delivering this amazing performance?
06:01 I love that line because Heather's so, and she did say that.
06:06 And the thing I love about it is that she was so anxious that she was doing something wrong
06:11 and she didn't know what she was doing.
06:12 She'd never written a book before.
06:14 But then she had the confidence to say, actually, this is my process,
06:17 which I think indicates that it's a natural thing for her,
06:21 that it's something that is coming from her soul.
06:25 And I just thought that was so smart.
06:27 She's just like, no, I just think I want to listen to you.
06:30 You want to write this down?
06:32 I think I'd just like to listen.
06:35 The body of work that precedes him, I was just, there's so many movies.
06:41 You can't even count.
06:43 And I also was looking back on it and I was like, gosh,
06:46 how many times he's worked with directors before they were big.
06:52 You know, Jane Campion, he did the piano, and I knew who Jane Campion was,
06:57 but the world didn't.
06:59 That's a really interesting point, actually.
07:01 Yeah, there's a lot of instances of that in his filmography where I was just like,
07:05 wow, that's pretty, that's good taste.
07:08 Every time I open my eyes, I am still there.
07:12 So this series I do with The Independence called Go To Bat,
07:15 and it's basically a celebratory series designed to shine a light on hidden gems
07:19 or just something that was underrated upon release.
07:22 And when I came up with this idea, I spoke to a friend and they said,
07:26 you know who your perfect guest would be? Melanie Linsky.
07:29 And here we are, literally not even a year on.
07:32 So this is great.
07:33 Thanks to you, a friend.
07:34 Basically, I want to ask you, before I wade in with my views,
07:38 I mean, there's a wealth of credits you could pick from,
07:41 but is there any kind of film that you look back on and you think
07:43 didn't get its due at the time of release?
07:46 It's so sad how many.
07:49 I love how you're like, you're the perfect guest because you've had so many.
07:53 That's not true.
07:54 No, but it's true though. It is true.
07:55 I was just like, oh God, there's so many.
07:58 Well, to be honest, there are some films that did get the due,
08:01 but I feel like maybe your performance, it's better than maybe the main performance.
08:07 No offence to Hayden Christensen, but Shattered Glass, I think you'll obviously--
08:10 Oh, he's so good.
08:11 --he's so good in it.
08:12 But you are--
08:13 I think at the time, people weren't going, look at this performance.
08:16 Yeah, because everyone was like, excuse me, who's that?
08:19 And it's Peter Sarsgaard.
08:20 I mean, true.
08:21 That's what happened with that movie.
08:22 That's true.
08:23 And he was-- I mean, every moment of working with him, I was just like,
08:27 when can this happen again?
08:28 Yeah.
08:29 I'm obsessed with him.
08:30 He is a legend.
08:31 And I need to see his Memory, the most recent one.
08:34 I know, I haven't seen that either.
08:35 He won a little award at Cannes, didn't he?
08:37 He did.
08:38 We love that.
08:39 I could cry.
08:40 I love the-- I don't feel at home in this world anymore.
08:43 When I first watched it, I was like, why is no one screaming about this film?
08:46 Why do you feel that that didn't get the due-- it deserved at the time?
08:51 I don't know.
08:52 It was such a funny one, because it won Sundance.
08:55 It did win awards, yeah.
08:57 It won the grand jury prize.
08:59 It's the only movie I've ever been in that's won the grand jury prize at Sundance.
09:03 It's a huge deal for independent movies.
09:05 It's the main thing you hope for.
09:08 So we were all just like, oh my god, yes.
09:12 And then it just kind of like--
09:14 So maybe it's at a time when Netflix was-- I feel like now, maybe it would do much better.
09:21 I think it was their first sort of foray into awards.
09:26 I remember them saying, oh no, we're not going to submit it to Sundance.
09:29 And Macon had to fight for it.
09:32 And they weren't really-- they just were like, we're going to put it on Netflix.
09:37 So he had to say, can it not be a Sundance movie and a Netflix movie?
09:42 And there was a whole discussion.
09:44 And then they were really behind it.
09:46 I'm not letting you shoot anyone.
09:50 Anyone else.
09:52 I guess it's any directors or indeed actors who--
09:57 I bet you've cultivated many friendships with many brilliant co-stars.
10:01 But is there any kind of event in the past, like a project you worked on,
10:05 where you felt that you needed reassurance or you were feeling particularly low
10:11 and an actor shone through when you most needed it?
10:14 And you've kind of always thought, that's a good egg.
10:18 Oh god, there's so many good eggs.
10:21 It's like-- it's almost impossible.
10:24 I mean, I did a movie when I was 21 with Catrin Cartlidge,
10:29 who is no longer with us.
10:32 But I mean, the definition, like a beautiful human being
10:37 and the kindest, funniest.
10:40 So she was like an angel in my life.
10:45 Peter Sarsgaard was one where I just--
10:48 it also was just so fun to work with him.
10:51 And I'm just like-- every time I see him, we're like, we should do something.
10:54 And I just-- praying to the movie gods or whatever.
11:00 Juliette Lewis was pretty amazing.
11:04 That first season of Yellow Jackets was hard.
11:07 It was COVID and we all had to do a quarantine.
11:11 I was quarantining with a two-year-old without my husband.
11:15 - Oh, digging deep. - Yeah.
11:18 And she's just so energetic and so kind.
11:23 And yeah, she was really-- she was great.
11:27 What do you think, like if you could--
11:29 I'm going to ask you to tap into your career again, I'm sorry.
11:31 No, it's fine.
11:33 If you had to pick three projects to tell a person who was not familiar with you
11:38 but is now via Yellow Jackets that kind of you think tracks your evolution
11:45 to Yellow Jackets, which would you pick?
11:48 Oh, this is an impossible question.
11:50 I know, we've a few minutes to go. I'm very sorry.
11:52 I know. Gosh.
11:54 I mean, I do think I Don't Feel at Home in This World would be one of them.
11:57 Yeah.
11:58 Because that's a similar kind of like rageful, seemingly quiet person.
12:08 Maybe Togetherness because there is-- I think working on Togetherness,
12:14 I got very confident because there was so much trust with the Duplass brothers
12:19 and I got to improvise a lot and I improvised on Yellow Jackets sometimes.
12:23 Thank you to the writers, very gracious of them.
12:29 Oh my gosh, I really don't know.
12:32 It's hard, isn't it?
12:33 It's so hard.
12:34 I think those are two good answers.
12:35 I think they're two good answers.
12:36 Maybe something like The Informant perhaps because it's just kind of
12:41 a kind of wild person again that you're playing.
12:44 One last question, I'm very sorry to--
12:46 Yellow Jackets, what can we expect from season three?
12:48 Oh my god, here's what's going to happen.
12:51 I don't know.
12:52 No?
12:53 They've given me like-- they actually have given me some secrets.
12:57 Don't worry, I'm not going to probe you for them.
12:59 It's fine.
13:00 One of them--
13:01 [laughs]
13:03 --upset me.
13:04 Oh no.
13:05 Yeah, but it's all-- it sounds crazy.
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