Interview Jennifer Jason Leigh: "Working with Tarantino has rekindled my passion"

Miss Leigh, your new series "Lisey's Story" is also about the relationship between three sisters who you play, Julianne Moore and Joan Allen.

Sibling relationships are rarely an issue in film and television, right?

That's right, and that's why I was so interested in this project. For me there is little that fascinates me more than the dynamics between siblings. Probably also because I'm one of three sisters myself. The roles that siblings play in their relationship to one another are so exciting. And differently, depending on whether you are the youngest, the oldest or the middle child. There are not many people you have known from birth or at least from early childhood, which is why these relationships are so unbelievable. I think it is really not uncommon for one's own personality to develop primarily in relation to or in opposition to one's siblings.

Besides Moore's heroine, you only play a minor role in this story.

Is that actually the bigger challenge as an actress because you have less time to make a character your own?

It can actually be like that at times.

Sometimes you only come to the set for a few days for a supporting role, meet only a few people and hardly really become part of the team.

You are practically gone again, as soon as you have overcome your nervousness and found yourself on site.

But there was no question of that with “Lisey's Story”, if only because we worked on the series for months.

It also helps if the figures are worked out as clearly and precisely as in this case.

And when you can find familiarity as quickly as I and my series sisters Julianne and Joan did.

The director Pablo Larraín stated that you, above all, provided the necessary humor and a good mood during the filming when the camera was not on. Is this your way of dealing with stories and roles that are particularly tough on the kidneys emotionally or psychologically?

At least I find a little humor to be quite helpful most of the time. A certain ease at work often makes it easier to open up emotionally at work when the camera is rolling. Playing the opposite of what you personally feel is often particularly easy. So when I have to really hate someone in a movie, it often helps if I really like them. However, all of this cannot always be presented as sweeping truths. Each role takes a different approach, and each character has an impact on how I approach them. With Darla, who is blessed with bile humor in “Lisey's Story”, humor was definitely the order of the day.

Her parents both worked in Hollywood, and you started acting as a teenager.

Has your passion for this job always remained the same?

My satisfaction with my job changes from project to project.

So much depends on the role you play and the people you work with.

Some shoots are so great that you don't want them to stop.

And with others you look at the shooting schedule every morning and can hardly wait for the next day off.

But even with them I am happy to be able to work at all.