"Variety" Rooney Mara talks to Steve Carrell

Translation: Little Bud

Proofreader: His Royal Highness Don Juan Ah Nuan

After their respective groundbreaking film roles — Rooney Mara played the grim hacker Lisbeth Shaland in Dragon Tattoo Girl, and Steve Carell guided John Dupont in Fox Hunter — the two actors brought a completely different performance this time. In Carol, Rooney Marla plays a young girl living in the 1950s who is shy and sensitive and involuntarily falls in love with Carol, played by Kate Blanchett, while Carell is passionate at the center of "Big Short", showing a character who has profited from the recent property crisis.

Rooney Marla: Tell me, what made you want to play that role?

STEVEN CARRELL: The script is great, and the theme is based on the 2008 financial crisis. Everyone knew about it to a greater or lesser extent, but I hadn't read the original "The Big Short", so the subject completely piqued my interest. I felt that it was closely related to current events, and it was actually terrifying, because until I officially started digging into this aspect, I didn't know that there was so much information that I didn't know anything about. And apparently this allowed me to work with Adam McKay again — I've known him since the 'eighties, we worked together in Second City — and I think the attraction is hard to resist.

Rooney Marla: Do you feel that after acting in the movie and reading the original book, you have a complete understanding of what happened and where things are going?

STEVEN CARELL: No, I don't know anything. Just learning the relevant terminology made me feel uneasy because I didn't understand the industry. My dad was an engineer, not a Wall Street elite. So these are completely foreign to me.

Rooney Mara: It's like playing a doctor and you have to use the doctor's jargon.

STEVEN CARRELL: That's right. Not only that, but Adam was a director who encouraged improvisation. So it's not enough to just familiarize yourself with the lines and understand their core content, you need to know more so that when he asks you to play on the spot, you can satisfy him – even if it's not good, you have to pretend to some extent. So, what drives you to take on [your role]?

Rooney Mara: It wasn't the character itself that attracted me. I love the character, not to mention that it's so different from the characters I've played before. But to be honest, the real reason was actually that I wanted to work with Kate Blanchett, and I learned that Todd Haynes was directing the film — two things that were so overwhelming to me that it didn't matter whether I had read the script or not. Of course, the important thing is that this is really an incredibly moving script and a beautiful love story. It's very different from all the productions I've been involved in before. I wanted to show my softer side in this way.

STEVEN CARELL: I think the script is very concise and crisp, without any mud and water. I personally love movies like this, where they leave something for you to figure out for yourself, rather than breaking up all the details and letting you chew it up.

Rooney Mara: Probably one of the best things is the space between the words, the silences, and the subtle differences behind the silences. It's a matter of letting the audience use their brains, but it also leaves room for them to imagine. It is true that the film is about the love of two women, but it is still quite imaginative to shoot.

STEVEN CARELL: It's a love story, but it's also compassionate — very humane.

Rooney Marla: Probably the opposite of your movie.

STEVEN CARELL: Yeah, in The Big Short, you might have to dig a little deeper to find these people or something. One of the important things I made when watching movies is that you listen to people very carefully from beginning to end in movies. And I've been keeping a close eye on you, trying to figure out what's going on in your heart.

Rooney Mara: Privately, a lot of people tell me that.

STEVEN CARELL: It's fascinating. There's an old saying, "If you want to be noticed, you have to whisper." "Sometimes, it's the most subtle things that can break through all the noise and bombardment. I think your performance is like that, very delicate, I really can't miss a second. How did you do it? Aren't you already tired of being asked this kind of question?

Rooney Mara: What's the problem?

Steven Karel: For example, "What did you prepare for this role?" ”

Rooney Mara: Oh, I hate that.

STEVEN CARELL: I see, how can I answer that.

Rooney Marla: Besides, why would anyone want to know? Don't they want to just watch a movie and leave it at nothing else? My personal favorite performances are, without a doubt, the ones that make me confused and unable to guess what they do or do. Of course, knowing the secrets behind the actors may sound really appealing, but it's best to skip it.

STEVEN CARELL: I totally agree.