Backstage Interview Transcript | 81st Academy Awards
Achievement in costume design
CATEGORY: Achievement in Costume Design
INTERVIEW WITH: Michael O'Connor
FILM: "The Duchess"
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Q. Hi, Michael. Congratulations.
A. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Q. You've done the film. Talk about what this award means to you and what it's going to do for your career.
A. Well, I'm sure it will do great things for my career, but you just the truth is you do not ever realize you're going to get this. Never. So even now it's just kind of amazing and I just think and hope that it just opens more doors. And you can be more particular, not that I haven't been in the past about the work I've done. And so I don't know.
Q. Hi, and congratulations. You made it quite clear at the BAFTA's (inaudible) working with Keira Knightley and the other actors. How important was it to work with those actors and how closely involved were they for the costumes?
A. You know, you can't do a film like that that looks like that and as subtle as that without the actors on board, because you've had to do a lot of research before. They don't know all the back story. They don't have to know that because they're dealing with other aspects of it. So the first time they have any inkling of what's going on really on the film is when they're with you, so you have to work with them, talk to them about what your plan is, why they should look like this, particular moments why they should look so grand.
Why they should look sort of grand at moments when they don't want to look grand, and just keep relaying the plan to them and you know Ralph is terribly particular about the way these costumes are. Anyone that's really worked with him, they know that Ralph will be interested in the smallest millimeter, where waist coats and breeches and coats flare and things like that. Likewise, with Keira wanted to know the back story because I think she felt it helped her with her work.
Q. Michael, greetings from Canada. Congratulations.
A. Thank you. Thank you.
Q. Coming into this evening's award you were perceived by some as a favorite. Did you think that? Did you believe that? And subsequently, did you sleep last night?
A. Yeah, no. Of course I got to sleep. I don't think I don't know because until this film, I've done films before but none of them have ever been nominated for everything. So suddenly, around September time, someone asked you for an interview and then it goes on. And then it goes on and on and on. People who have been nominated before will know that process, so every single aspect has been new to me. So you don't know if someone says, I think you're going to win, that someone personally close to you, obviously, is hoping that you'll win. But I didn't think I was going to win because I thought other films were going to win.
If I could just say (inaudible). So to 1970s, if you look at REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, see how well those costumes are done that Albert Wolsky has done, they're so beautiful. You've got that massive range of THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, you've got the incredible costumes in AUSTRALIA. (Inaudible)
Q. Thank you so much. Congratulations.
A. Thank you so much. Thank you, everybody.
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