From Hermonine Granger to notorious jewel thief Alexis Neiers, Emma Watson dished on how she prepared to encompass the strange creature that is Alexis Neiers for her role in Sofia Coppola’s Bling Ring.
In an interview with Rookie Magazine, Watson said she watched the reality show, Pretty Wild starring Neiers, to get the full effect of Neiers’s antics.
“A lot of the material in the movie was based on an article which was based on a reality show, which we all know isn’t real life,” she told Rookie. “I wasn’t trying to impersonate her — she just inspired the character. I watched 'Pretty Wild' so many times to try and get her into my brain, though. It gave me anxiety. How do you watch it?”
Watson even revealed what she wore to her audition: “For my audition I went out and bought hoop earrings and this crazy hat like the one Alexis wears when she goes to see her lawyer, and I put on tons of bronzer and a fake tan — I just went full-out, and had the best time doing it. ’Cause it’s really the first time I’ve had to play someone who’s a real character, someone just so different from me.”
While the characters in Bling Ring are based on real people who have done some pretty embarrassing things, Watson said Coppola portrayed them in a non-judgmental way.
“She never tells the audience how they should feel about these characters, which I think might be quite unsettling for people who want to be told, “We should hate these people.” She made it so true to life, it almost feels like a documentary,” she said.
Watson’s portrayal of Neiers did not go unnoticed by the reality show star. According to E!, she tweeted about the role: “it’s trashy and inaccurate.”
Are you going to see Bling Ring?