In light of the release of the eight-part Netflix series “Ripley,” Dakota Fanning delves into her character Marge’s opportunistic nature, reflecting on her character’s depth, her character’s chic and understated costumes, and her own exploration of equally dark projects in the future.
Q: I heard that Steven Zaillian wanted you for ‘Ripley’ because he loved you in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’. Is that right?
A: That’s what I heard. He saw that and then wanted to chat with me about this. I was obviously familiar with this story and the character of Marge, and so I read the scripts and they were truly some of the best scripts I’ve ever read. Steve is so brilliant, and his vision for the show… I didn’t really even think about it. I just said, “Yes, I’ll do whatever he wants.” It was a dream to be a part of it.
Q: What about the scripts captured you the most?
A: His writing is so nuanced, and the scripts are brilliant in that they’re actually very simple. They leave a lot of space for the actor, and especially the actors who are not playing Tom Ripley, to figure out their role in the story. A lot of the time, the characters are saying one thing, but there’s so much more underneath, and the intention behind what they’re saying is sometimes the complete opposite of what is being said.
So as an actor, I knew it would be a great challenge to modulate a performance based on what’s not said, and I was really excited by that. Steve and I created a great dialogue between us and figured out who Marge is, what she knows, when she knows it, when she’s suspicious of Tom, and when she believes him. Then we did some takes where you kind of flip that on its head and see what happens.
This is a real character study at its core, but it’s also a cat-and-mouse game, and I felt lucky to be playing a character who does go toe-to-toe with Tom. He’s so skilled at what he does and most of the characters are in the dark about who he really is and what he’s doing. Marge is certainly in the dark too, to an extent, but she also knows that there’s something off and isn’t afraid to tap into that. Andrew and I relished getting to explore that rivalry.
Q: Marge’s ambition is also front and center in this retelling. Was that important to you?
A: I loved that. Marge has some ulterior motives as well. She’s kind of using this situation that she’s found herself in to her benefit a little bit, too. I think she genuinely does love Dickie and is invested in him in a pure way, but you do see a little bit of her opportunism come out as well. And again, that similarity to Tom really pisses him off. She’s getting in his way and marching on what he sees as his territory.
Q: I’d also love to ask you about the costumes. The Talented Mr. Ripley is one of the most stylish films ever made, but Ripley takes a much more subdued approach. What does Marge’s less feminine and more pared-back style in this series say about her?
A: With Marge, we start with lighter layers and then, by the time we get to Venice, it’s coats and sweaters and everything is black and navy. It’s kind of like her armour in which to battle Tom. But if I had to pick one favourite piece, it’s probably Marge’s swimsuit. It’s grey plaid and old fashioned, and it’s really unglamorous but there’s actually something very chic about it in its simplicity.
We wanted to make sure the costumes felt natural, wrinkled, and a little bit oversized, to show that Marge wants to be taken seriously. She’s focused on practicality, and I think that speaks to what kind of woman she is in this time period.
Q: She definitely feels ahead of her time. Finally, now that the show is about to come out, have you given much thought to why this particular story has been retold so many times? Why are we so endlessly fascinated by Tom Ripley?
A: I’m still trying to figure it out. As a society, we have this general fascination with grifters and con artists, but with Ripley, there are just so many layers to him. This is an exploration of people and what they’re capable of; of the haves and have nots, and how circumstances can change people. And especially in this telling, you get a real deep dive and a bigger window into this character than we’ve seen in the past. Andrew’s brought something completely different to the part that no one’s ever seen before.
Q:You have quite a few similarly dark projects coming up after this. Can you talk me through them?
A: I’ve got The Watchers coming out this summer, which is directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan, the daughter of M. Night Shyamalan, who’s a producer on it. I had a great time filming it in Dublin last year—it has this supernatural Shyamalan vibe. And then I have the Netflix mystery series The Perfect Couple, directed by Susanne Bier, with Nicole Kidman. It’s a true ensemble piece and a big family story, and we got to film on Cape Cod. It felt like summer camp. And I’m filming the horror movie Vicious at the moment—TBD, but it’s been great so far.
Source: Vogue.com
Pictures: Netflix
