BAZ BAMIGBOYE: From Miss Moneypenny to a drug addict, Naomie's hardly playing to type
Naomie Harris is playing a haggard drug user in a new film. But she'll be hurrying back to London in time for Monday's royal premiere of Bond film Spectre, with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in attendance.
'I'll be going from crack addict to red carpet glamour,' she told me.
She joked that she better be sure to remove all traces of make-up, and any prosthetics, from her time shooting Moonlight In Florida.
'The woman I'm playing has got addiction bad, so I will look ravaged,' she told me when we met in the rooftop Rumpus Room at the Mondrian hotel in London, before she travelled to work with director Barry Jenkins on early scenes (she'll film further footage in a few weeks).
Naomi Harris joked that she better be sure to remove all traces of make-up, and any prosthetics, from her time shooting Moonlight In Florida
She said director Sam Mendes asked her if she wanted to take a typewriting course. Her voice rises just a notch. 'I said: 'No thank you, Sam.'
Naomie told me she promised herself she'd never play a crack addict. 'I'm really aware of black stereotypes and I want to portray positive role models,' she said. But she was struck by the power of the screenplay for the film, which is being produced by Brad Pitt's company Plan B.
Her Miss Moneypenny (first name: Eve) in Spectre is much more socially acceptable. Eve is more independent and feistier than when we first met her in Skyfall three years ago (although she gets less time in the field).
'Moneypenny was a bit green, first time round,' she agreed.
All her scenes were shot in the UK, while Daniel Craig took in Mexico, Rome and other locations. 'She does come out from behind her desk,' Naomie insisted.
She said director Sam Mendes asked her if she wanted to take a typewriting course. Her voice rises just a notch. 'I said: 'No thank you, Sam.'
But she was happy to be a homebody on Spectre because she'll scoot around the world to promote the film. Besides, she had clocked up a lot of air miles when she starred in the film adaptation of John le Carre's espionage novel Our Kind Of Traitor.
And if she doesn't see as much action in Spectre, she does at least get to kick ass in the commercials she shot for the Made For Bond RX100 IV camera and Xperia Z5 smartphone created by Sony technology.
She demonstrated how interesting (she calls them 'amazing') the devices are to operate.
Her Miss Moneypenny (first name: Eve) in Spectre is much more socially acceptable. Eve is more independent and feistier than when we first met her in Skyfall three years ago
All her scenes were shot in the UK, while Daniel Craig (pictured) took in Mexico, Rome and other locations. 'She does come out from behind her desk,' Naomie insisted
The screenwriters and Mendes have gifted Naomie with what's arguably Spectre's best sight gag — which I won't spoil here. The line that goes with the scene happens to be one of her favourites. 'It's called life, James. You should try it sometime,' is the comment she delivers to 007 over the phone when he, well, interrupts her.
Actually, life and how to live it is what she's been working on.
'Have I got the right work-life balance? I would say no,' she says; but she puts that down to the peripatetic life of a jobbing actor.
Harris is good in Bond — even though we don't see enough of her in the film, which goes on general release on Monday: the same day as the Royal Film performance which will raise money for the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund.
At the premiere, at the Royal Albert Hall, Harris will catch up with fellow Spectre co-stars Lea Seydoux and Monica Bellucci.
She must be beyond tired of the term 'Bond girl' I say. She fixes her gaze on me. 'I'm one year away from being 40, and Monica is 51. And so I think we're women, aren't we? Bond girls is a bit demeaning.'
She added: 'I get called a Bond girl, but I'm Moneypenny. It's different.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3285585/BAZ-BAMIGBOYE-Miss-Moneypenny-drug-addict-Naomie-s-hardly-playing-type.html#ixzz3pbKl2pQF
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