Mia Wasikowska Video Interview On 'Jane Eyre,' Michael Fassbender

Mia Wasikowska, the Australian actress best known for her star-making role in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, stars as the iconic titular character in Jane Eyre with Michael Fassbender. Wasikowska believes that her greatest challenge in taking on the role was to make it her own so the audience could connect with such a well-known character. “She’s a character that has lived for many generations, so when you think about how old the story is, it’s a real testament to her character; people still connect with her now,” Wasikowska told Uinterview. “With Jane, people already have an idea of who she is – they really know her character. So there’s an obligation to hopefully deliver so that people will connect and believe you as her.”

Wasikowska prepared for the character by reading the book so she could immerse herself in the role and the language. “I did a lot of research, and I read the books again and went through and underlined things I thought were important to remember,” she said. “I looked at a lot of visual references as well. I like to really understand who they are. And I made sure I was comfortable with the language, because it’s not a language we really use anymore – very poetic and lush.”

Wasikowska's chemistry with Fassbender was immediately apparent, which made her acting in the film an easier process. “I think that we got on so well from the beginning, and when you get on with someone where you have to have that same kind of relationship in the movie — half your work is done. So it really helped,” she said. “And we also had a similar way of working, and we were able to counter the intensity of the material and the drama of the material with a lot of fun; we were able to use that and channel it into the scene."

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Q: Hi Mia. This is Raven from San Francisco. Jane Eyre is such an iconic novel. Were you intimidated at all by taking on this role? - Raven Keller: A: She’s a character that has lived for many generations, so when you think about how old the story is, it’s a real testament to her character; people still connect with her now. With an original character, the audience takes what you give them. With Jane, people already have an idea of who she is – they really know her character. So there’s an obligation to hopefully deliver so that people will connect and believe you as her.
Q: How did you prepare for the role? - Raven Keller: A: I did a lot of research, and I read the books again and went through and underlined things I thought were important to remember. I looked at a lot of visual references as well. I like to really understand who they are. And I made sure I was comfortable with the language, because it’s not a language we really use any more – very poetic and lush.
Q: Also, could you please tell us what it was like working with Michael Fassbender? - Kathy Horsfall: A: I think that we got on so well from the beginning, and when you get on with someone where you have to have that same kind of relationship in the movie – half your work is done. So, it really helped. And we also had a similar way of working, and we were able to counter the intensity of the material and the drama of the material with a lot of fun; we were able to use that and channel it into the scene.
Q: Hi Mia. It’s Kathy from Colorado. I was wondering if you could share some funny stories from the Jane Eyre film set. - Kathy Horsfall: A: Oh, so many! We just had a lot of fun. Yeah, I can’t remember, but there was definitely a lot of laughing. It made it very easy.