We’re early yet in the awards season, but one name has emerged out of the many would be contenders as the closest thing to a sure thing. Forget Daniel Day-Lewis and Cate Blanchett and even Javier Bardem. If you’re looking an early Oscar front-runner, it’s Amy Ryan.
Yes, thanks to a scene-stealing turn as a mother of questionable skills in Ben Affleck’s directing debut, “Gone Baby Gone,” the New Yorker has earned prizes from the New York and Los Angeles Film Critics Associations, the National Board of Review, and just last week, a Golden Globe nomination.
I met up with Ryan at a West Village coffee shop recently to talk about the part of a lifetime for the actress and why she’s filled with excitement and terror all at once.
MTV: Can you take me back to the audition for “Gone Baby Gone”?
Amy Ryan: I had just happened to go out to LA for pilot season like every other New York actor panning for gold. I met [Ben] and we read one scene. And he said “Where in Boston are you from?” And I said, “Uh, New York.” And he said, “You’re hired. You’ve got the job.”
MTV: How did the script read at first?
AR: It was wonderful. And [Helena] on the page was the most exciting, the most dynamic, the most complicated. I couldn’t believe she kept coming back. I knew it would be a movie that got a lot of attention because of Ben. And I knew someone else was going to get this part and do great. So it was thrilling to get it. I went in bedraggled. The girl next to me was cute as a button with the cutest little skirt on! I was like, “Oh, L.A.!” [Laughs.] In theory I’d like to look like that too but it’s not going to happen. [Laughs]
MTV: It must be something to have Ed Harris scream in your face like he does in the film.
AR: We were doing a rehearsal of that scene on the couch where he’s interrogating me and screaming into my ear. Ben’s like, “Okay that’s good” and then he brings me behind that wall and he’s like “Oh my God, Ed Harris just screamed at you! That was so awesome! Alright, get back in there!” He knew how cool it was. He was like rubbing my shoulders.
MTV: It seems like the film goes out of its way not to judge your character.
AR: Ben said we can’t make her just evil because it’s too easy and we’ll let the off the hook. But if we show the audience this woman who’s struggling then we’ll keep them. A lot of it was in the writing.
MTV: When you wrapped did you have a sense that you had hit it out of the park?
AR: [Laughs.] I knew I kept up. I didn’t know if it would add up. I had never watched dailies before, not because I have a thing about it, more because I’d never been invited. [Laughs.] But Ben would show me stuff between takes. He was so encouraging along the way. So I knew at least I had done what he wanted me to do. He was happy with it.
MTV: This whole awards season thing must feel especially surreal for you.
AR: It’s surreal. But it’s what I always hoped would happen so it feels familiar. I’ve imagined it. Neighbors of mine who weren’t so friendly now say hi. People now have a frame of reference for me. I guess it’s surreal but it feels familiar because I’ve dreamed it.
MTV: Is anything about this time scary or is it all good?
AR: The scariest thing now is the power of choice. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to match this and in some ways I probably won’t. I’m sure Phil Hoffman was probably like, what do I do after “Capote”? I do feel this pressure of making really good choices and I don’t know how to do that. I was lucky that the next job happened to be for Clint Eastwood. It used to be just about working and gaining experience and getting health insurance. Now it really matters.
MTV: Well, working for Eastwood is a good start.
AR: It’s a wild thing to suddenly be at the adult table at Thanksgiving. It’s a very cool thing.
