The actress tells THR that her character is simply misunderstood. "She’s had her heart broken and she just takes her revenge by turning Barnabas into a vampire and locking him in a coffin," she said.
S-x scenes are typically an awkward experience for actors, but Eva Green said that her on-screen fling with co-star Johnny Depp in Dark Shadows was actually a relief from her regular acting work.
“It was lots of fun because in other films all of the actors are dreading it,” Green told THR. “But that one was kind of a little break, because most of our scenes are intense – love, hate – but it was like a dance, like Ken and Barbie making love.”
In Dark Shadows, Green plays Angelique Bouchard, a former chambermaid who curses Depp’s character to an eternity as a vampire after he rebuffs her love. Their gymnastic lovemaking aside, Green explained that she enjoyed the challenge of making Angelique sympathetic while also embracing her over-the-top vindictiveness.
“I tried to find the reason why she’s doing evil things,” Green said. “She’s misunderstood – she’s had her heart broken and she just takes her revenge by turning Barnabas into a vampire and locking him in a coffin.
“That’s what we all do when we’re upset,” she said with a laugh. “She’s damaged, but quite a bit mad – obsessed with Barnabas.”
Green said that she also enjoyed her collaboration with costume designer Colleen Atwood and director Tim Burton on Angelique’s look, which begins to change as Barnabas re-enters her life. “In ‘72 she looks perfect,” she said. “It’s all too perfect, like a mask. And then when Barnabas reemerges in the 70s, she starts freaking out because he’s her weakness.
“She can’t control all of this and so she starts cracking up mentally — and also physically.”
Watch the video above for more insights from the actress on bringing Burton’s adaptation of the cult TV show to life. Dark Shadows opens nationwide Friday, May 11, 2012.
