‘Bones And All’ Star Taylor Russell Says She Knew Nothing About Film: ‘I Didn’t Know The Subject Matter’
By .
Taylor Russell didn’t know she was signing up for a cannibal romance.
The actress revealed to Deadline that she joined the project without any prior knowledge on its subject matter.
“I didn’t know the book, I didn’t know the subject matter, I didn’t know anything at all,” she said, adding she didn’t think she would land a lead role. “I kind of felt — and still feel — that it could have led to anything. It could have just been a small role, and by the grace of whatever is looking out for me in this world, it was not a small role. That was a good and pleasant surprise.”
The film is based on the novel of the same name which follows Russell’s character, Maren Yearly, a teenage misfit in the ’80s who discovers she has a taste for human flesh. She embarks on a quest to find her mother and discover more about this underground subculture. She meets another “eater” played by Timothée Chalamet and the two begin a dark romance.
READ MORE:
Timothée Chalamet And Taylor Russell Ate Maraschino Cherries And Dark Chocolate During ‘Bone And All’ Cannibalism Scenes
Russell said that she was convinced to come onboard due to director Luca Guadagnino’s enthusiasm as a filmmaker.
“He’s a real leader, Luca. He’s somebody who’s so specific in what he’s looking for. At the same time, he’s also open to being changed every day. There’s a malleable sense to him that, I think, is just innate to who he is. He has that beautiful blend of knowing where he wants to get to but not necessarily knowing how he’s going to get there,” she praised. “That’s the sweet spot where all of us want to live, but it’s definitely where he resides.”
She continued, “Being around that every day is scary at first, but you learn how to trust yourself and trust your choices. I had a lot of support in the jumping off of the cliff into the abyss. I didn’t feel like I was alone.”
The actress also generously praised her Oscar-nominated co-star, Chalamet, over how generous of a scene partner he was.
READ MORE:
Timothée Chalamet Wants It Darker In ‘Bones And All’ Trailer
“Timothée is also somebody who’s very available,” she said. “He’s always looking for another way to do a scene, or for a way push it further, to squeeze all of the beautiful, creative juice out of it. Working with him in that way, you never really feel like there was anything left undiscovered. You feel great at the end of the day, because you’re like, ‘OK, I’ve done everything that maybe I would’ve wanted to try there, because the actor across from me is pushing himself to the same degree that I want to push myself.’”
As for the budding actress’ next steps, she’s entering the field of comedy next with indie film “Mother Couch”.
“It’s about a mother who will not leave the couch,” she explained. “Ellen Burstyn’s in the film, so is Ewan McGregor, and a whole other slew of incredible actors. I’ve never done a comedy before, so I’m feeling very pushed in a great way, and I feel very unsure of if I’m going to be totally treacherous in it. I’m in the middle of filming it, so it’s hard for me to fully dissect it yet.”
