October 2007 | blackfilm.com | features | WE OWN THE NIGHT: An Interview with Eva Mendes

WE OWN THE NIGHT
An Interview with Eva Mendes, continued
By Brad Balfour

October 14, 2007

How was it working with director James Gray?

EM: He is unbelievable. He is [one of] my favorite. He pushed me everyday. And just when I thought that a take was good enough, he would say no, and he kept pushing me, and I'll give you an example.

One day I was talking to him and we were talking music, not even talking about the characters. I told him about one of my favorite pieces of music, Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata."

It just brings me to tears. It's an experience every time I hear it. And so a few weeks later, right when we were about to shoot a really dark scene, what do I hear but [to the tune of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata"] "dum dum dum, dum dum dum."

Not only did it get me to the place where I needed to be at...it was just so...James Grey.

He pays so much attention to detail. He loves his actors and he'll do whatever it takes to get them to their place and I respect that.

Were you familiar with James' earlier work?

EM: I loved "The Yards." I was very familiar with his work and I really wanted to work with him, although I said no to him over a year because I loved his script, but it was too much of a "girlfriend" role.

I said to him, "You know I love this, but it's a bit too "victimy" for me. I'm kind of prancing around wearing cute clothes."

But he was so adamant and said "I promise you that I will make this better. Once I get you and Joaquin in and we work on developing the characters." And I said, "Thanks, but no thanks."

But then he came back to me a year later, and I thought: "This dude...there's got to be something special about him if he's pursuing me a year later." So I said yes, not totally convinced that I was making the right choice.

I have tell you though, hands down, that it's my favorite experience. My deepest experience in my acting career. I'm thankful to him now.

That having been said what did you do to get into character—wear some sort of perfume, or listen to some music that would tune you into this character?

EM: "Blondie" was one of group. I knew a lot of her popular songs but I didn't really know her early punk stuff. That was really cool and I did a little bit of the "New Order" stuff and the "Morrissey" stuff versus the "discoey" stuff. And so the music a big, big, big thing for me.

The perfume stuff I didn't get into because Joaquin doesn't like perfume very much. He told me once in a conversation, and I don't know if this is true, but we were just hanging out one day, so I made a mental note to self, never wear perfume. Sometimes I do that. Some people's noses are so sensitive so...

And how was it working with Joaquin?

EM: Unbelievable. He held my hand all the way. He supported me. Thank god we're friends to this day. I really felt eternally grateful. When you're being really tested and challenged, it's good to have your buddy right next to you. That's invaluable. He's my buddy, he's like a brother.

Did you get to hang out with Mark at all?

EM: No, and I'm so bummed about it! Because we didn't have any scenes together. But me and Mark are trying to find something to do. I would love to do kind of like a "True Romance" with Mark and get gritty, because he's a fantastic actor.

Did you talk with Robert Duvall much?

EM: I did! Robert loves the Latin ladies.

Did you tango with him at all?

EM: No [laughs], I would never embarrass myself like that.

You have made a point about not falling into the conventional roles that are often imposed upon you, and other Latina actresses; since you have gotten into producing (her first short, "Live!" debuted at The Tribeca Film Fest 2007) did you learn something from this film that you could apply to your future production efforts?

EM: I'm not looking to be the next Brian Grazer or anything. It's more of like, when I read a script, and there's a great female character and I'm wondering why it's not being made, I think, if I can help I'll attach my name, make some calls, and send some letters. That's what producing is for me. It's not for some extra-credit or anything. It's to get these stories told. There a couple of stories that I'm dying to tell, and have just been hard to get off the ground. I thought acting was difficult, try producing and selling. I just tried to sell a show and did pitch meetings for the first time. And I was like "That was the worst week ever!" (laughs) It was so hard. It was just awful. It's just terrible.

Basically you're pouring your heart out to these studio executives with stone faces.

EM: Well, actually no, they weren't stone faces. They were really nice, they laughed and all. But it's very hard to keep your integrity when you're saying something like "Please buy this just because I like it." It was very strange; I never want to go begging of course. And when they don't get it, all you can say is how can you not get it? I do a lot of that in my acting, but it just seems a little less obvious. Do you know what I mean?

What's the film?

EM: It was a T.V. show, it's not even worth talking about because they all passed so...[laughs].

Can you talk about it anyway?

EM: Sure okay [laughs]! I'm so over pitching. But anyway, it's about a Los Angeles mayor, a Mexican-American guy, who has a daughter. He moved into the mayor's mansion and, because he lost his wife in a car accident a few years back, he moves his mother in with him. And she becomes the first-lady mayor. And of course there are so many other great mayor characters, that interact with everybody. And you have the
mom who is totally old school who says "Why can't we do it this way?" Or "Why can't we do it that way?"

The little girl is totally precious...God you can tell that I'm over it [laughs]. But it's very Norman Lear. It's very smart. When I see shows like "All in the Family" and "Good Times," I wonder why we don't have shows like that anymore?

I was watching "Good Times" the other night on "Nick at Nite" and it was hysterical, of course. They were talking about socio-political issues that were so deep, and still relevant to this day. Where are those shows today? I just don't understand. Right now they're all
wanting another "Supernatural." But where are those shows that are hysterical, but are also talking about the socio-political things that are going on? So that's my big rant.

Well you can make the mayor a ghost.

EM: Yeah! Or maybe a really hot chick [laughs].

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