Melanie Lynskey has never shied away from complicated roles instead, she seems to be drawn to them.
Honestly, the thing that attracted me initially was how well-written the scripts were.
I couldn’t put them down.
I wanted to see what happened next.
Then, also, I felt moved by a lot of aspects of her personality.
I felt like I knew her on a cellular level.
I was like, “I understand this person.”
Yes, she’s a very unusual character.
Since “Candy” is based on true events, did you research your character first?
Did you know anything about her, or did you learn anything about her?
It’s a very easy read a really good book.
That was a great resource.
He answered every single question.
So you went into the shoot knowing quite a bit about your character.
Yeah, so much.
She could have had her a pick of anybody.
And I loved that.
Your debut film role was actually as a teen murderer in “Heavenly Creatures.”
That was also based on true events.
What’s it like being back in the true crime space and in pretty much the opposite role?
I know; it’s really interesting.
I’ve never played a murder victim before.
I haven’t done anything like this.
Being the victim of that, it’s interesting.
Working with her co-stars in Candy was deeply rewarding
What was it like working with Jessica Biel?
How did you figure out how the dynamics and relationships between your characters would unroll?
It’s all in the script.
The scripts were so detailed in all the moments.
Robin [Veith] is a writer who knows how to let the awkward moments and the silences breathe.
She knows how to write actual human dialogue in a way that’s fascinating to play as an actor.
And Jessica is somebody who is surprising I was always taken aback at the choices she was making.
It was always something that felt fresh and interesting.
She was very in the moment.
She’s all of that; she’s so talented.
I really loved working with her.
The other interesting relationship is the relationship between Betty and Allan Gore.
What were your thoughts about that?
What was it like trying to portray that relationship?
It’s really heartbreaking.
She was doing her best, but she was married to somebody who was not an open person.
I felt for everybody involved in the story.
It was a pleasure.
This interview was edited for clarity.
