Dollhouse

Olivia Williams shot to Hollywood prominence when she was handpicked at the age of 28 by Kevin Costner to star in his post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie The Postman. It’s fair to say that film didn’t go on to do great things, but thankfully for the British actress, and us, she did. Notable for roles in The Sixth Sense and the brilliant Rushmore, Williams has become just as recognisable for her screen presence as her continuing theatre career. Now she has leant her talents to Dollhouse where she plays the cold and mysterious Adele DeWitt.

I spoke to Olivia this week about Dollhouse and the trappings of Hollywood.

What drew you to Dollhouse? Were you always a fan of Joss Whedon and sci-fi in general or was it something in the character that pulled you in? I’m sorry to be a disappointment, but I was a sci-fi virgin before this experience. The only way I knew Joss Whedon’s name was because there was something on after Buffy the Vampire Slayer that I used to want to watch, so his name was the last thing I saw emblazoned on the screen. So when my agent said he wanted to speak with me I was interested, but didn’t realise quite what an honour and an event that it was going to be. Then I spoke to him on the phone and he was extremely interesting, funny, charming and most importantly flattering. And he offered me a job, which goes down very well with actors... and I took it. I was somewhat tentative about cold British baddy, but then he told me what I got to do in around episode 8 or 9 and I was like that’s really cool, yes I’d like to do that now please.

Was the whole Brit with a stiff upper lip thing already a part of the script? Yes, in order to operate the company she has to be extremely high powered, extremely business like, and to be able to manage a pretty chaotic situation with an iron grip. So yes, I think it’s necessary, not just a cliché, for her to be like that. But he [Joss Whedon] said it’s also extremely necessary for her to have an observable subtext of being morally troubled by what she does, and to be a lonely person. So those two things are a cherry on top for an actor. Alright I’ll do cold and British if you let me do morally troubled and lonely.

If you could have specific skills or personality traits implanted in your mind, as in Dollhouse, what would they be? Patience. A huge chunk of the Dalai Lama’s personality.

Your job in Dollhouse as Adele is to recruit new ’dolls’, if you could choose anyone in the world to recruit, who would it be? Well if I was answering in character it would have to be someone very beautiful and talented who had really screwed up their life so much that they had to get away for five years. We could suck her talent out and give it to other people.

The Postman was your big break in Hollywood... [Laughs] Up to a point. Yes I wouldn’t have done anything I’ve done subsequently without that film. I’m eternally grateful to Kevin for plucking me out of obscurity and what it shows is that regardless of hideous reviews and cruelty about a film one can survive... it’s gratifying. I loved it. I had a fantastic time doing it. Actually that was originally an interesting sci-fi novel and quite a good one as I understand. The concept, the whole post-apocalyptic setting, wasn’t quite as absurd as it might have sounded. It’s an underrated film I think.

It must have been weird going from London theatre and British TV to suddenly being directed by Kevin Costner. It was utterly surreal. It was like being kidnapped by aliens in many ways. I decided to just completely be open to that entire experience. I thought ’if I don’t enjoy this then there’s absolutely no point in doing what I do because this is going to be the most fun.’ I got to ride in helicopters and on horses, and act on top of the tallest dam in North America, extraordinary things. I learnt everything I know about film acting because Kevin was starring and producing and directing, so every shot he would watch back on the monitor and expect me to watch it with him. He taught me about film, I knew nothing about how films were put together. So I owe him.

As an actor did you feel it was essential to go to Hollywood? Did I feel that the move to Hollywood was necessary? It’s not a choice. There are people who buy a ticket to Los Angeles and get out at the airport and find an agent. But I didn’t want to become a movie actor. There was never any snobbism attached to it at all, I just didn’t watch many films and didn’t think that anyone would want me to be in their films, it was completely off my radar.

There are times in the subsequent fifteen years when I have gone out to LA because you have to keep your profile there up to a certain level in order to keep getting work. It’s a bit like goldfish going round in a bowl. You could have been working very hard for years but they don’t know who you are unless you’ve been in a blockbuster movie.

The only way it seems to works for me is at a highly inconvenient moment in my life they say we want you in this movie and I fly out and do it. Usually someone more famous has dropped out and I get the job. There’s no hint of bitterness when I say that, it’s served me extremely well as a career plan.

Do you prefer performing in strict drama or the more fantastical productions such as Dollhouse? The thing that I absolutely love that I don’t get to do very often is comedy. But it’s tough when you have a reputation for, and have been told I’m actually quite good at, scary posh people. I did a play at the National [Theatre] called Happy Now. One of the greatest kicks of my life was making an audience full of people laugh and laugh and laugh. We did one fantastic episode of Dollhouse where everyone got high on some crazy contact drug, and just the opportunity to muck about is something I’d like to do more often.

You can imagine in your job it’s just nice to flex your muscles in a lot of directions. I’ve done a lot of crying in films and I’ve lost a lot of husbands over the years. That’s why Dollhouse was so much fun because it was exploring a type of work I’ve never done before.

Could you ever see yourself signing on for a major science fiction franchise such as Star Trek or Batman? That’s what my husband and I had to when we decided to do Dollhouse. That’s what it feels like. I turned down a couple of other series because the circumstances were wrong. Shooting in Hawaii was one of them. I can’t imagine spending eight months of every year in Hawaii, I don’t know if I could face that. I love the variety in my job. The most fun and the most I’ve learnt has been on projects like The Postman. So I love keeping my options open, I love what comes along because it broadens your horizons and it broadens you as an actor.

Okay, final question, which I have to ask because I’m a real fan. One of the films which brought you to prominence was Rushmore; was it as much fun to make as it looked? Absolutely... I think Rushmore had the strongest effect on my career. As far as anybody who loves film is concerned and whenever I’m cast or have an interesting interview it will be because the person is a Rushmore fan. I told you I wanted to do more comedy and the carrot scene in that where Bill Murray offers me the carrot... just watching him, being around him when he was being Bill Murray was an absolute thrill. And Jason Schwartzman was then a gorky and charming fifteen year old boy. It was great and a very informative experience.

My favourite scene is the one in the lift when Bill Murray has two cans of coke and two cigarettes. It’s one of the most beautiful portrayals of melancholy.

I love the first scene where Bill Murray is by the pool with a fag in his mouth.

[laughs] I was there that day. The day he jumped in the pool.

So yes is the answer. It was definitely a character forming moment in my life.