Written Interview with Actress Tessa Thompson about the film Hedda

(Image courtesy of Prime Video)

1. Let me ask you, Tessa. To begin with, you have an extraordinary relationship with Nia DaCosta, especially since their shared interest in film. I mean, hearing you talk about each other, I get the feeling you'd be ready to fight for her at any moment. What do you think?

TT: Absolutely. Getting to know Nia has been an incredible experience. I met her at the Sundance Film Labs, an institute that's basically a summer camp for filmmakers. She had her first feature film, "Little Woods," that she wanted to make. I was there, simply donating my time. I didn't think we'd make a film together. On the third day, she asked me, "When I make this film, will you make it with me?" She didn't ask, she just said it, and I said, "Of course." And that's how our collaboration began, and now it's been 10 years since I met her. And it's been an extraordinary gift.

When he told me he wanted to work on an adaptation of Hedda Gabler, I didn't imagine he meant he wanted me to play Hedda. He's always brainstorming with me. And I thought it was extraordinary. But, to be honest, I didn't really know why. It's a story that has captivated audiences for centuries. She's certainly a character who has captivated me. But I didn't understand what cinematic imperative it was to retell it in this day and age. And only when I read his first draft of the play did I truly understand what he wanted to do with it: deconstruct it and reassemble it.

2. What were the specific challenges of this project as an actress and filmmaker?

TT: God!

Well, one of the production challenges was that we were due to start filming, and two days before, the strike happened. We thought it would only last a couple of weeks, but it ended up being a double strike and lasted quite a while. That was one of the challenges in keeping it afloat. We had already moved into this amazing housing estate, wallpapered it, and, you know, brought in a lot of hairspray. And a lot of animal-print staircases. So one of the challenges was convincing our collaborators and the owners to keep the house decorated, because otherwise we probably wouldn't have been able to make the film.

That there's something to kind of push against, and also, you know, there's so much sort of, I would say, excavation of what it is to repress one's, you know, fundamental desires and humanity.

3. Did you watch Henrik Ibsen's original play just before filming?

TT: Thank you. I love that question. Just before we started filming, I saw a production of A Doll's House. I saw Jessica Chastain play Nora, and I loved watching her. It was the first Ibsen play I ever read, and that's how I fell in love with Ibsen at 16. It was very special to be able to see it right before we started filming. But since I'd never seen a production of Hedda Gabler, I was incredibly curious and eager to understand. I think, for me, it was also as if we were breaking Hedda's established rules, and I wanted to know exactly what those rules were.

You really get to see people creating things in real time. There's nothing siloed. And that was such a joy for me, having come from the theater. It felt like being home in a way, which was really nice.

(Thanks to Prime Video for the opportunity)