Vanessa Kirby: the Journey of an Extraordinary Career
Renowned for her diverse and impactful performances, the English actress has recently taken on one of her most demanding roles, portraying Empress Josephine in Ridley Scott's film, "Napoleon."
Text by SARAH CRISTOBAL
Photography CELESTE SLOMAN
Styling BRIE WELCH
It's early November when I meet Vanessa Kirby in a private club on the Lower East Side in New York. The actors' strike is still in full swing and therefore we cannot talk about the film "Napoleon" by Ridley Scott, due out at the end of the month, where Kirby plays Empress Josephine. The actress, 35, originally from Wimbledon, cut her teeth as a stage performer, starring in classic productions of “All My Children,” “Ghosts” and “A Midsummer Night's Dream” in a small but renowned theater of northern England. In 2014 she starred in shows at the National Theater - where she was Queen Isabella in “Edward II” - and at the Young Vic where she was Stella in “A Streetcar Named Desire”, alongside Gillian Anderson and Ben Foster.
Kirby says her formative years on stage have allowed her to develop a musculature that informs both her physical performance and the roles she considers taking on. Seeking parts similar to Shakespeare's heroines and Ibsen's feminists, she came to embody a number of substantial characters. Citing Judi Dench and Helen Mirren as examples of the careers she most admires, Kirby prefers delving into the human condition rather than just playing a pretty face. “When I was starting out, the scripts were mostly female trophy-type roles,” she says. «I really like actors like Jack Nicholson, who are really alive and chaotic and convey the idea of being dangerous». As proof of this inclination, just think of her performance as Princess Margaret, for which she won a BAFTA, in Netflix's “The Crown”.
The actress spent time with the princess's former ladies-in-waiting and read everything she could to understand and channel Margaret's powerful energy. The vividness of her character - slipping a cigarette onto her dinner plate because she didn't like the food, or forcing people to stay at a party by playing the piano until five in the morning, when she decided to leave - was thrilling for Kirby. When it comes to the current season, he admits that he is excited to watch it. Her performance as a mother who has a tragic home birth in director Kornél Mundruczó's “Pieces of a Woman” also earned critical acclaim, in the form of the Coppa Volpi Award for Best Actress at the 2020 Venice Film Festival and an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in 2021, thanks in part to her 30-minute birth scene, shot in a single take. How do you approach your research? “Self-discipline is a big thing,” Kirby says. “The preparation process is everything to me.”
For “Pieces,” this meant spending time with midwives and even witnessing a live birth. She is currently preparing for Ron Howard's thriller “Eden” , in which she plays a German woman suffering from multiple sclerosis. «I would say that I am disciplined, mostly out of fear, because I would be so afraid of going on set and not knowing what I am doing». In a later conversation, after the SAG Aftra strike was over, Kirby says that stepping into the role of Empress Josephine: «It was a strange thing. She was a mystery. It was suggested to me that she was truly mercurial and would change depending on what was asked of her. It was stimulating, I had never met or researched someone more enigmatic and elusive than Josephine." In a recent interview with Empire, Phoenix described their arrangement: "(Kirby) said to me, 'Look, whatever you feel, you can do.' I replied, “The same goes for you.” She said, “You can slap me, you can grab me, you can pull me, you can kiss me, whatever it is.” So we agreed that we would surprise each other and try to create moments that weren't in the script, because we both wanted to avoid the cliché of the period drama. And by this I mean well-orchestrated and designed moments." When asked about this pact, Kirby responds: «I think actors create a container in which you can play all the things you need. You have to be united in everything you do, to be able to explore really difficult situations. Their relationship was an unconventional and controversial one. She became famous for this."
Kirby's portrayal of Josephine is so convincing that Ridley Scott, a " go big or go home " director if there ever was one, has committed to releasing a four-hour-plus version of the film on Apple TV+ that further delves into Josephine's story. “We shot so much over such a broad era that there was so much extra footage,” says Kirby. «I leave it up to the teacher to decide» . After Kirby filmed “Pieces of a Woman” Covid put everyone in isolation. In her vulnerable post-film state and partly inspired by her experiences preparing for “ Pieces , ” Kirby founded a production company, Aluna Entertainment, with her sister Juliet and director Lauren Dark, with the goal of highlight stories through a female lens. Their first project as executive producers is “Thunder,” a film by first-time Swiss director Carmen Jaquier, which has just entered the Oscar race for best international film. When filming on “Napoleon” wrapped in the summer of 2022, Kirby flew to the Glastonbury Festival.
«I don't think I stopped dancing for four days. It's the best cure for anything in life." As this interview goes to press, Kirby is starting to prepare her red carpet looks for the “Napoleon” premieres. With the help of her stylist Karla Welch, we will see her in McQueen, Valentino, Saint Laurent... The jewels will be by Cartier, a brand for which she is an ambassador for high jewelery and the La Panthère perfume. Just for a perfume commercial last July he did an advertisement in the jungle of Mauritius and swam in very murky waters to imitate a wild panther. Kirby reserves his free time for War Child, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children living in conflict zones. She approached the organisation after spending time in Africa studying the effects of civil war. «I've always felt a little strange, because acting is a very particular journey. I was missing something in life that went beyond the work I was doing."
After raising money and developing a relationship with War Child organisers, Kirby began travelling with the organisation, volunteering in refugee camps in Syria, Iraq and, most recently, Ukraine. «It changed my life because it's one thing to read about these areas in the news and feel emotions, but it's another thing to physically be there. When you sit with families and listen to their stories about what they've been through, it makes you reevaluate your whole life." She recently left London to move in with her American boyfriend, Paul Rabil, a former professional lacrosse player and co-founder of the Premiere Lacrosse League. He's just put the finishing touches on their new home in New York and is still trying to figure out how to be at peace with the noise from the venue below. They will return to the UK for the holidays. “I need to be away so much and I miss weddings and important events. Christmas has always been my time to be with my friends and family." He might prepare a roast, his signature dish, and toast to a year of success. Your favorite party cocktail? «I would say a good Martini».
HAIR Jenny Cho
MAKEUP Jo Baker @ FORWARD ARTISTS using BAKEUP
MANICURE Gina Edwards
CREATIVE CONSULTANT Mariana Suplicy
DIGITAL TECH Roy Beeson
PHOTO ASSISTANTS Nathan Martin, Ian Rutter, and Spyder Sloman
STYLIST ASSISTANT Kelsi Amberson
LOCATION The Mansion at Ideal Glass Studios
