Stay up to date with notifications from TheĀ Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Eva Green is so done with playing 'the girlfriend'

'I want to be as equal as a man'

Jess Denham
Monday 26 September 2016 13:22 BST
Comments
Eva Green, here in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, has had enough of stereotypical 'girlfriend' roles
Eva Green, here in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, has had enough of stereotypical 'girlfriend' roles

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Eva Green is done with ā€œplaying the girlfriendā€. So much so, in fact, that she has resolved to turn down any script lacking a female character that is ā€œequal to the manā€.

The French actress is best known for playing Daniel Craigā€™s ā€˜Bond girlā€™ Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale but is now fed up with the stereotypical love interest role.

ā€œI donā€™t want to be the woman in the script where it goes, ā€˜Thereā€™s a beautiful, mysterious womanā€¦ā€™ā€ she told news.com.au. ā€œJust, OK, forget it. I think I would feel unhappy. Some people play it very well but I want to be as equal as a man, you know what I mean? Itā€™s nice not to play the girlfriend. Itā€™s exciting to be other.ā€

Green, 36, will next be seen teaming up with Tim Burton once again (she first worked with him on 2012ā€™s Dark Shadows) for Miss Peregrineā€™s Home for Peculiar Children, in which she plays a woman who can transform into a bird.

ā€œI had a lot of fun playing her like Mary Poppins on speed,ā€ she said. Best of all, there is no love interest in sight.

Hereā€™s what some of Greenā€™s acting peers have to say about taking those ā€œher indoorsā€ roles:

Maisie Williams

ā€œThere are a lot of roles that come in that are ā€˜the girlfriendā€™ or ā€˜the hot pieceā€™. It will say ā€˜Derek: intelligent, good with kids, funny, really good at thisā€™ and then it will say ā€˜Sandra: hot in a sort of cute wayā€™ and thatā€™s all you get.ā€ - Evening Standard, August 2015

Michelle Rodriguez

ā€œI have such a strong sense of self, there are certain lines I just wonā€™t cross. Iā€™m really picky about the parts I choose. I canā€™t be the slut. I cannot be just the girlfriend. I canā€™t be the girl who gets empowered because sheā€™s been raped. I canā€™t be the girl who gets empowered and then dies.ā€ - NJ.com, March 2015


Emily Browning

ā€œI have read a lot of scripts where the girl is just there to be the girl. It is an issue for me. Itā€™s not even about ā€˜strong, female charactersā€™. People think that means badass girls with guns - which is really fun to do sometimes - but itā€™s just about women being portrayed as real humans. Real, complex, interesting humans.ā€ - The Independent, September 2015

Naomi Watts

ā€œI would be given back all my studio muscle provided I used it to beat another woman senseless and get so turned on by that thrashing that I would have to have urgent sex with my 60-year-old male costar whose buttocks were to be played by a gymnast. Iā€™m still deciding whether or not I should take that job.ā€ - Elleā€™s Women in Hollywood awards, October 2011

Miss Peregrineā€™s Home for Peculiar Children arrives in UK cinemas on Friday 30 September

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in