Napoleon was a big trust fall for Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby.
The two actors — who play Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine de Beauharnais, respectively, in the upcoming Ridley Scott-directed epic historical drama — spoke with Empire magazine about their open communication on set, which extended to consent about unscripted physical interactions.
“She said, ‘Look, whatever you feel, you can do.’ I said, ‘Same thing with you.’ She said, ‘You can slap me, you can grab me, you can pull me, you can kiss me, whatever it is,’ ” said Phoenix, 48.
To that end, the Oscar winner said he and Kirby, 35, “had this agreement that we were going to surprise each other and try and create moments that weren’t there, because both of us wanted to avoid the cliché of the period drama.”
“And by that I mean moments that are well-orchestrated and designed,” Phoenix added.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
Joaquin Phoenix in Napoleon (2023).
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Joaquin Phoenix Conquers Europe and Falls in Love as Napoleon in First Trailer for Ridley Scott’s Epic
As Empress Josephine, Kirby is slapped by Phoenix’s emperor in an unscripted moment, as they “were using the real words from their divorce in the church,” she explained to Empire.
“When that happens, you can faithfully go through an archival re-enactment of it and read out the lines and then go home. But we always wanted to surprise each other,” the actress shared.
With that approach, “We encouraged each other, demanded of each other, to challenge ourselves to shock each other in moments,” Phoenix said. “And that’s what came out of that, that moment.”
For Kirby, the scene was an example of how she and Phoenix could truly trust each other, to the extent that they could “go to the dark places together” as they portrayed the doomed couple.
“It’s the greatest thing when you have a creative partner and you say, ‘Right, everything’s safe. I’m with you,’ ” she said.
Scott, 85, released two films in 2021: The Last Duel and House of Gucci.
An official synopsis for the upcoming film describes it as a “spectacle-filled action epic” that follows the real-life Bonaparte’s rise to power and fall before his eventual death in 1821 at age 51.
“Against a stunning backdrop of large-scale filmmaking orchestrated by legendary director Ridley Scott, the film captures Bonaparte’s relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his one true love, Josephine, showcasing his visionary military and political tactics against some of the most dynamic practical battle sequences ever filmed,” the synopsis reads.
Napoleon is in theaters Nov. 22, before streaming globally on Apple TV+ at a later date.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education