Interview: Lily-Rose Depp on Pushing Boundaries and Unlocking Ellen in Robert Eggers’ ‘Nosferatu’ [VIDEO]
“It’s a side of human existence that fascinates me,” remarks Lily-Rose Depp on the multifaceted emotions and complex psychology that have defined the characters she has portrayed to date. “Every character I’ve played has called to me in that way. I like the challenge, too. I feel the more emotionally complex a character is, the more it’s going to push you outside of your comfort zone.”
2024 has boasted some of the best performances of the decade thus far, but none match the revelatory work from Lily-Rose Depp in Robert Eggers’ definitive vampire horror Nosferatu. While Depp has practically been in the public eye since birth – the daughter of actors Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis – and garnered attention from her breakout performance in HBO’s controversial series The Idol, it’s safe to say the formidable starlet hadn’t been given the credit she deserved as an actor. This all changes with Nosferatu, in what can only be described as the fearless arrival of a brave new acting talent. Depp plays Ellen Hutter, wife to Nicholas Hoult’s Thomas and victim of a curse placed upon her as a child by Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård), wherein she has involuntarily pledged herself to the monster. It’s a performance that adheres to Depp’s mantra of pushing the boundaries of her comfort zone as she turns in an unbelievably fierce, emotionally complex, and visceral piece of acting with impeccable accent work to boot.
When asked what drew her to Nosferatu, it was Eggers’ visionary and genre-defining work that first appealed to her. “I wanted to work with Rob, no matter the story,” explained Depp. “I’m always astounded by his actors and what they do led by him. I was excited to abandon myself to that process.” Depp added, “I thought it was special how central my character and her perspective were in telling this story. It’s a perspective that we haven’t really gotten to see as profoundly in past iterations of this story.”
Indeed, Ellen’s character in Eggers’ adaptation of the iconic vampire story serves as a reclamation of its bold and provocative yet, at the time, unjustly condemned female protagonists. This approach gives Depp the opportunity to explore the subtextual strength, agency, and emotional freedom inherent in the Ellen/Mina character, turning that subtext into text.
Check out our full interview with Lily-Rose Depp above, where the actress elaborates further on the way the film speaks to human anxieties surrounding mortality, the physical work she did in performing Ellen’s possession by Orlok, and her favorite performance in a Robert Eggers film.
Nosferatu opens only in theaters on Christmas Day from Focus Features.
He is also a regular contributor and podcast host at The Playlist and now the lovely folks over at AwardsWatch. A versatile media journalist Griffin has interviewed some of the industry's leading creatives, reported on breaking news, and attended film festivals and other exclusive industry events.
Griffin is the world's biggest Nolan fan (eat your heart out Ryan), loves James Bond, and has some of the wildest takes out there...like seriously, he's the weirdo who actually loves The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
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