Ben Wheatley’s adaptation of Rebecca arrived on Netflix October 21, and it is lavishly faithful to the original novel. Daphne Du Maurier’s classic Gothic story is a mix of romance, horror, and mystery – but above all its remembered for its iconic characters and location.
From the young ingenue to the withholding widower to the sinister housekeeper, Rebecca is full of archetypes that can still be recognized today in high and lowbrow drama alike. Ann Dowd plays the particularly memorable role of snooty Mrs. Van Hopper in latest adaptation, and the actress spoke to Screen Rant about how she tried to find the interior life of a woman determined to be an empty shell.
Can you talk to me about your first impressions when you got the script and started reading through it? What jumped out at you?
Ann Dowd: Well, of course, I had strong memories of the novel from my childhood. And the story, the script, rang true immediately. I thought it was beautifully written. I didn't want to put it down; I wanted everyone to leave me alone so I could just stay with this beautiful story.
I loved Van Hopper, because I'd never played a role like that. I didn't know her world at all. I was so intrigued about jumping in there. Everything appealed; the writing was wonderful and I loved Ben Wheatley.
Can you talk to me about the collaboration process of working with Ben?
Ann Dowd: I love him, he is totally down to earth. He's very funny, and he doesn't separate himself from the actor. It's together. If he wants something different from what you're doing, he just says it. He is tremendously skilled, that's obvious.
He's a true filmmaker; he loves it. And you can just see a mile away that he's having the time of his life. In between takes, you have conversation and connection. I can't say enough about him; I just thought he was fantastic.
Let's talk about the relationship between Mrs. Van Hopper and Mrs. de Winter. How do you view their relationship? Or how did you view it in the book, and did your mindset at all change after getting into the role onscreen?
Ann Dowd: I have to say regarding my memories of the novel, what remained are not the specifics of the novel, but the haunting nature of it and that it was a love story. So, I had a very vague connection there.
But poor, sweet Lily James is so lovely and so perfect. And the thought of treating that poor girl the way Van Hopper treats her... She's an appendage; she's an object that I was kind enough to include in my life. What matters is how I look. Am I aging? And if I am, I'm going to fix that. My hair, and I don't want that dress, and who I'm going to have lunch with. Whose table am I going to sit in?
It's all exterior. There's no interior monologue, except unconsciously of, "I'm not enough. I don't matter. I have nothing real to do in my life, so it's all going to be about appearance. And that girl better help me; I'm doing her a favor, and she's annoying me." And, of course, the major betrayal of, "How dare you?"
I imagine Van Hopper had dreams herself of somehow finding a way into that man's life, where he would never let it go. You know how it is, when you're lonely and you don't really have anyone, and your imagination and your wish and desire [precede you].
And the way Lily plays her - even though Van Hopper could care less how the girl's feeling, there's still some awareness of how this is a kind of pure creature who doesn't come with a lot of baggage. Well, she does; her past, of course. But she's curious about the world, and she's curious about how her life will play out. And that's something I think that kind of stays in Van Hopper's mind a bit. Like, who is this girl, aside from the fact that she's not doing a good enough job? What is it about her that's kind of striking and kind of scary too?
To Van Hopper, it's like, "Wait a second here. Don't for a minute think you're anything but a servant." Because you aren't anything. But you are, aren't you?
Lily James is phenomenal. What impressed you or surprised you about her performance and working with her?
Ann Dowd: She's immediately accessible, and she is present, and she's humble. She comes in hoping to do her very best. She's prepared; she's got beautiful manners, perfectly ready for this role. What a pleasure. That's what I have to say about her.
Your character is very wealthy and from a very specific time period. How did those traits shine through for you?
Ann Dowd: It's funny. I was a little terrified, I'll have to be honest. First of all, I'm going to join the Brits, of whom I think very highly. Can I do it? That world was not familiar to me. I never was attracted to socialites with a ton of money and no real purpose discovered by them about their lives.
But my son had read a tremendous amount of novels and autobiographies of people of that sort, and he taught me a tremendous amount. Somehow the notion of money not being an issue at all, and one's purpose in life and one's work just irrelevant - and those Americans that sort of speak as if they're British, but they're not... Everything's false, you know? Everything's exterior, exterior, exterior.
Of course, it's very fun to play that once you feel you have your sea legs, you know what I'm saying? The costumes and the hair and the makeup, and the people in that crew were phenomenal - and everything, the whole situation there. I can't say enough about them.
Van Hopper really feels like the leader of a pack, in a way she speaks with other socialites/ How does she make herself stand out from other players in the film?
Ann Dowd: Well, I think that's the thing about her. She's highly competitive, and I always think that comes from a profound insecurity, and some sincere loneliness. I felt for her, honestly. Because at the end of the day, who has she got? When the makeup comes off, and the clothes come off, where is she? Who is she?
I think the effort to stand above, to be louder, to be funnier, to be amongst people with whom she can have the upper hand - she chooses her friends that way. Although the desire to be in de Winter's company is so huge, and he's beautifully played by Armie Hammer. I love him, such a lovely person and a wonderful actor. I can't say enough about him either.
[She's] just wanting to matter. And when the insecurity rises, do we do? We put others down. We dominate and we make fun of people. We travel with gossip. What gossip have I heard? What do I know? What's the latest? It's a sad life, but she has a lot of energy and a lot of intention of staying around and being current and being important.
What was it that you wanted to bring to the role that may have not necessarily been on the page?
Ann Dowd: Well, I hoped - although I don't know if I was successful - one always hopes, with someone like Van Hopper, who does all the things you and I just spoke about. Where is the human being inside that is, in fact, lonely? Can we have a glimpse that this comes from somewhere that a human being can relate to? So those watching can relate to it.
That's what you hope always to bring to someone like Van Hopper. She could be a caricature; she could be that mean woman with tons of money and not a shred of intelligence or kindness in her. You're hoping to have moments of, "She's actually a human being."
Where did you shoot most of this? Everything looks so grand.
Ann Dowd: Oh my God! These place that we turned up at. Sometimes, it's early in the morning and I don't even know where I'm going. Then you arrive and you think, "Okay, wait a minute here. This is spectacular."
I don't know what to say about France. The south of France, I don't know what to say. My husband came with me, and we were just like, "Woah. Is this real?" The whole thing's remarkable.
Being unreal locations, I'm sure that helps inform your performance.
Ann Dowd: Yes, it surely does. How about that bedroom of hers? Come on now. The whole apartment, I thought, "Really, someone could actually live here?" I can't even move, I might break something up. But then, of course, attempting to feel like it's the most natural thing in the world to live under those circumstances. It was tremendous fun, and challenging, and I loved it.
You spoke very fondly about your memories of the novel. Can you talk to me about the novel? How much of the emotion you got from reading it translated when you read the script?
Ann Dowd: Yes. When something is beautifully written, and there are actual human beings that are written, they stay with you and you don't even know it. Because I didn't think a lot about it. I remember being very moved by it, and "Oh, my God, who are these people?"
You think you're walking into a lovely love story, and this poor girl is so nice. She's got this man who's a very decent man, who lost the wife and this and that. Whoa, whoa. Then it becomes something else, or something in addition. It's those haunting memories of love story, of trauma, of loss, of sinister attachments as with Kristin's character. You don't think of it, and then I read the script and - didn't at all come up again? How intriguing and compelling the story is. And then thinking of the people who are going to play those roles, and who's going to direct it. Wow, how privileged you feel to be a part of it.
I know we spoke very briefly about Ben, and this isn't a typical film you'd expect from him. What made his direct directing style stand out to you?
Ann Dowd: I loved his - I don't know what phrase you would use. I don't know if the Brits would use this phrase. He had a working class, "we're all in this together" humor, feet on the ground, real desire to do this. That is so infectious, and it's so important, because he's the parent in the room. He's in charge. And when you see that kind of zeal, and that kind of energy, you can talk to him. It's just like, "You and me, we're in it together?" That's gold.
Armie Hammer's performance was out of this world. How does Van Hopper feel about Maxim de Winter?
Ann Dowd: I think if she had her way, she would have married him. A woman who's lonely and getting older and older, who's no longer relevant - I think she dreams of that extraordinary man in her fairytale world, in her mind. "He'll see that I can offer him something in life." It's huge. He's magic, and he's the solver of all problems. And suddenly this little, poor nothing takes him.
I think the amount of rage and grief, as misplaced as it is, that woman took a long time to get over it. You know what I'm saying? The nerve of her, and then just so used to going back to loneliness. That, "I'm nothing, and I never was and I never will be. I hate everyone and they hate me." And that's it.
