Although her role
is often upstaged by the film’s three leads, played by Naomi Watts, Sean Penn
and Benicio Del Toro, Melissa Leo, as Del Toro’s wife Marianne, gives what might
be 21 Grams’ most assured and humane performance. A character actor for
two decades, working frequently with director Henry Jaglom, she’s probably best
known for the role of Kay Howard, the tough tomboy cop she played for five
seasons on Homicide: Life on the Street.
In person Melissa Leo is nothing like Kay or Marianne. She’s not an emotionally
insular detective or a lower-class woman trying to keep her family together at
any cost. In fact, she comes across as genuine, with a well of vulnerable
emotion below her surface the way many seasoned actors possess. What she lacks
in name brand recognition she makes up for in steadfast professionalism and a
commitment to identify with her characters. Her role as Marianne became a very
personal experience for a multitude of reasons.
“I prepared for this role probably the 20 years of my working life as an actor,”
she began. “I did not become an actor to be on the covers of magazines. Even to
be in moving pictures. I became an actor because it was something as a child I
knew I understood. Now as a grownup I can look back and say, That’s what we need
to do with our lives. We need to find that thing that floats our boat and we
know we understand – then we find our life’s path there. I’m not in it to be a
movie star. I love it. I love putting on somebody else’s clothing. Going to
another time. Being in another place. Pretending.”
In 21 Grams, Melissa’s character Marianne partakes in what might be the
film’s most controversial actions. While the picture is filled with flawed
individuals – some wallowing in drugs or planning to commit murder – it’s
Marianne’s actions by cleaning her husband’s car after a hit and run that mark
her as both an unsympathetic character, yet at the same time possibly its most
sympathetic.
Melissa explains, “It’s a hard life. That’s the character. She’s better off than
she’s ever been in her life at the opening of this movie. This is the best she’s
ever known. Can you get your mind around that? They’ve been to hell and back,
and she wants to keep going. It’s not perfect, but if all you know is hardship
and struggle a glass of water can look nice.”
As for her character’s actions, “It’s no moral issue for her. And if it is a
moral issue she’s doing the right thing. Her family. It’s about the family. It’s
about that unit. Without Jack she’s a single parent. Exactly where she has tried
so hard not to be. She doesn’t make a choice – she does what she has to. When we
come up against things in our lives that are the big things, we don’t know
what’s the right thing to do. What we know is what our gut tells us we have to
do. And that’s what I know about Marianne.”
“I identify with her on one level. And on another I don’t even know that I could
delve into what I’d do in that situation. You can’t stand outside and judge and
decide. I have no idea what I would do. What an actor does is take themselves
and the character and find a way to make it be one person. So on one hand she
couldn’t be farther from me, and on the other, of course she’s me. When my
brother saw it he went: ‘Oh…I know that side of you!’”
Melissa makes a point of explaining that she’s made a career of playing varied
characters and that she doesn’t like to draw dots between them. That said, she’s
quite thankful to have received the role of Marianne. “It’s what I’ve done
throughout my work. This is an independent film. I’ve got several independent
films that are in cans that nobody has ever seen. I’ve played a lot of
characters before Kay, after Kay. That’s what I do. I’m a female character
actor. I’m not in that luxurious position where I am picking and choosing
projects to shape a career. I’m taking what I get. And this was a gift. A very
serious gift that landed in my lap.”
The process of getting the role, however, was not an easy one. She hesitated
before speaking, then cautiously began: “The process for me was an unusual
audition, where I was asked to go on tape and talk about myself. I had seen
Amores Perros (Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu’s previous film), and I had been
given this script to read. I had an idea of what it was. I gave the high times
of my life, I gave the low times of my life. I just talked directly to the
camera, sent it out to California.”
Melissa paused for a moment, then resumed, “Somewhere in this process the role
became another actress’ role. Her name is Katrin Cartlidge (Naked,
Breaking the Waves), and she died. And she died before they started
shooting. Which is when they came back again and were still interested. So I
flew myself to California. They again wanted something on tape and I said, No, I
think I need to be in a room with this man and be face to face with him. So I
flew myself to California and read with Benicio and Alejandro. And I got the
role.”
There was another pause as that well of emotion cracked the surface. She then
finished, “I realized, not even at the time, but after having seen the film –
and my first impulse was not to bring Katrin up because any disrespect I would
wish to steer clear of – but to me, there’s something in it. That’s what the
film is about. It’s about: how do you carry on? And, had not I, or someone
stepped in, this vision couldn’t have been realized. I can’t begin to describe
the reality of that inside me.”
Copyright 2003 Jamie Stuart
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