Dan's Hamptons Interview

It's been something of a banner year for Keri Russell. On Valentine's Day in New York, the 31-year-old actress, perhaps still best known for playing the title character on the WB show Felicity, married her longtime boyfriend, Shane Deary, a contractor. She gave birth to her first child, River, a son, in early June. And her film Waitress, directed by the late Adrienne Shelly, was a surprise indie summer hit. On November 21, she'll star as a cellist, opposite Terrence Howard, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and Robin Williams, in the magical family drama August Rush, which also happens to be the closing film at this year's Hamptons International Film Festival. Tell us about August Rush. It's a fairy tale about an orphan, played by Freddie Highmore, trying to find the family that he knows is out there. He happens to be a musical prodigy, and there are a lot of musical aspects to it. I play his mother.

What drew you to the project?

I just really connected to it. I'm always touched by stories about finding the place where you belong. It just got to me. I wasn't a parent back then, but now being a parent, the movie gets to me even more. It's so emotional.

It's directed by Kirsten Sheridan, the daughter of Jim Sheridan (In the Name of the Father, In America), right?

Yes, and of course her dad's exceptional. But Kirsten is very much her own thing. She's around my age and it's incredible that she was running this huge movie. She's this tough, cool Irish girl. She had a baby a month or so after I did. This is her first big American thing. It's the first time the film community will be seeing her work.

Were you surprised that Waitress turned into a summer hit?

I thought it was a great story from the moment that I read it, but it was such a surprise that it did so well. It's surprising in a great and important way that small films made for that much money, which is not a lot, can be successful. But that's kind of the way it's supposed to be, isn't it? Waitress shouldn't be an $80-million blockbuster that gets seen by everyone. Yet it's reassuring and refreshing that these smaller films that are more at the core of things can be made and still be successful.

How did August Rush compare in terms of size?

I know it was made by a studio [Warner Bros.], but I'm not sure how much it was made for. It wasn't a Mission: Impossible-size movie. It's on the smaller scale.

Both Waitress and August Rush were made by women directors. Any particular reason that happened?

I've worked with my fair share of women, and the fact that the last two movies I acted in were made by women is kind of a coincidence. It's so specific to the person that you want to work with. There are certain people you get and others you just don't.

Do you have any thoughts about why it's so hard to find movies directed by female filmmakers these days?

I don't know why it's so hard. I think it's kind of like any business or trade. It starts off as a man's world and then slowly women creep in. I'm a part of this organization that Adrienne Shelly's husband started, and one of the main goals is to raise money to help fund female filmmakers. An interesting statistic I'll give you is that women can break through on their first film, but they have a really hard time raising money for their second film. Women have a hard time staying in the game. Part of the mission of the Adrienne Shelly Foundation is to change that.

How does it feel moving from smaller projects like Waitress to bigger projects such as August Rush and MI:3?

It's kind of the way the business goes. It keeps you on your toes, and it's also good to shake things up. Just when you get cozy with this fancy trailer and nice catered meals, you go make something like Waitress where you shoot in 20 days, get it done, and drive yourself to and from the set. Plus, everyone's there because they really believe in the project. You're there because you really like the story. There's more room for interesting characters. Making Waitress, we didn't have any money and so we'd only get one or two takes a scene. In a big movie, sometimes you get more takes, but you also have to wait for the giant crane to load across the street.

How was shooting August Rush in New York?

New York is definitely a character in the film. It's so nice to see so much of it on-screen. I'd been gone for a long time traveling and I was so excited to be home. I was living in the [West] Village, and we'd shoot in Washington Square Park and I'd lug my cello on my back. It was great-I loved it.

Do you still live in the Village?

We've moved to Brooklyn. I don't want to say on the record exactly where, but I very much appreciate the community. I like the Farmer's Market. I like all the babies.

Did you have to learn to play the cello for the role?\

Yes, I did. I had a wonderful cello teacher and they're very difficult pieces I had to play in the movie: Bach and Elgar. I took maybe, like, a year of piano when I was 9 and faked my way through folk songs. I've never played anything this hard.

Couldn't they have just used special effects?

Thank you! That's what I said! The cello is not a simple instrument, but I do think that having a respect and appreciation for it aided my cause with the character. I do find it to be a very beautiful instrument. The sound the cello makes, the reason it's such an emotional instrument, is that it's tone is the closest sound to the human voice.

How has your life changed since you and your husband had River?

Everything has changed. I don't even know how to put it into words. Every single moment changes. We love our little guy very much. It's impossible to remember what it was like before.

Do you have any major projects on the horizon?

I'm definitely reading stuff and hoping that I can find something worth traveling and leaving my family for. I'm hoping the right thing comes around. But nothing exquisite has passed my desk.

Is it hard to find something exquisite, as you call it?

There are a lot of projects out there that are interesting, but everything has to be aligned. The thing you love the most, well, maybe they don't think you're right for it. And now, with my family, there are so many practical things to consider when choosing a job.

Do you spend much time out in the Hamptons?

I wish I spent more time out there. The part I love the most is Montauk. One of the first times Shane and I hung out, we drove out to the Hamptons. It was a winter day and we walked out to the beach.