I don't personally do that many castings. But I did get involved in "The Bad Batch," because we couldn't think of an actress that was a 3-D embodiment of the character. But when I saw Suki Waterhouse on tape, I knew she was 'it.' And I can't describe that any more than to say that I never had to really express to her the the ideas that were on the page, she just instinctively embraced it. She was Arlen, and I didn't want to f**k it up. Her instinct was just it.

Ana Lily Amirpour

Categorized in : Thinking Character Instinct

As an artist, and for me personally, my biggest fear is categorization. I hate the idea that I would become someone who says that "this is what I do and now that's what I am." What I really feel like is an explorer. I want to continue exploring my brain cave and see what's there, you know? And I don't want to just stay in one cave.

Ana Lily Amirpour

hate artist brain

I believe that every character I create is in their own film, that happens to overlap with the main film. There are complete and real characters, even though we only spend only a little time with them. In the approach to what those entities are, that always appeals to an actor. What are they, since they are going to embody this character?

Ana Lily Amirpour

real character believe

There's something to me with categorization - it stops you from thinking about the thing that is actually happening.

Ana Lily Amirpour

thinking

Whenever you anticipate something - like, "it's my highly anticipated whatever" - you are probably going to be disappointed. I wish we could all Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind ourselves every time we went to the movies and not know anything about anyone.

Ana Lily Amirpour

sunshine wish mind

If you become a star known for one thing, that becomes your thing, and you don't want that, on some DNA level.

Ana Lily Amirpour

I'm trying to figure out a way to find comfort in my life as a human. I'm trying to be good at being a human being. You get chopped up. Someone breaks your heart, you lose your job, you get disappointed, someone dies in your family. Life chops you up, and you have to go on.

Ana Lily Amirpour

comfort heart trying

I do feel that in modern society that still is the best way to survive. Whatever it is, just keep doing something, because complete stillness or inactivity is more like death than death.

Ana Lily Amirpour

modern-society modern stillness

Works like 'Brave New World' and 'The Handmaiden's Tale' develop their atmosphere from a movement or a revolution, as if the world has ended and has come out to this other side. When I wrote 'The Bad Batch,' I thought that the world outside the gates that confine the 'bad' characters is simply our world today.

Ana Lily Amirpour

brave-new-world atmosphere character

I only noticed this after I had finished the film 'The Bad Batch,' and watched it again a few months later... Arlen, main character, is kind of like a shark because she keeps on moving forward. I do feel that in modern society that still is the best way to survive.

Ana Lily Amirpour

kind character moving

The history and baggage of certain actors and characters - it goes into the movie and becomes part of it. If Keanu Reeves wasn't Keanu with all the things that make him Keanu, it wouldn't be the same for him to come in and become his Bad Batch character The Dream. It's kind of meta or next-level interesting for me.

Ana Lily Amirpour

dream character interesting

When I came up with the concept of 'The Dream,' on the surface he just seemed like another creepy bad man or villain. It had to be played by someone larger than life, but not malicious. And Keanu Reeves is that person to me, and he was The Dream like I wanted The Dream.

Ana Lily Amirpour

creepy dream men

Music is one of my big orgasmic meters. I need it, I love it. I'm so happy when people bring it up because I love it. I need it.

Ana Lily Amirpour

music-is people