WHEN Julia Stiles signed up to act in The Bourne Identity in 2002, little did she know that she would be appearing in two other Bourne series, The Bourne Supremacy (2004) and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007).
Although the Bourne series revolves around trained assassin Jason Bourne (played by Matt Damon), Stiles is thrilled that her character Nicolette “Nicky” Parsons this time around is meatier than in her previous appearances. “In the first Bourne, my character was almost barely in it. A secretary or clerical worker, she was really young and over her head. What’s great about that is that it pays off now because she’s been around since the beginning so she knows what Jason Bourne was like before he got that name, and before he went to the training.
“She has also seen how the operation has become corrupted so by the time we get to Bourne Ultimatum, she’s really changed. She wants to get out of the CIA and doesn’t believe in it anymore. She gets much stronger by the third one,” explains Stiles in a recent phone interview. Stiles’ film career has both included commercial and critical successes, ranging from teen romantic comedies such as 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) to dark art house pictures such as The Business of Strangers (2001). While she may not have a lot of lines in Bourne Ultimatum, she’s not complaining.
“That was one of the things that I really enjoyed about the film. A lot is communicated but not with words. I think Paul (Greengrass, director) left it up to me and Matt to communicate a lot just with looks between each other and facial expressions which I enjoy. “I think a lot of movies have too much speaking. This is a different kind of film and I think that’s characteristic of this kind of world. There is a lot of fear, paranoia and secrecy so these characters really have to be quite quiet mostly. Their faces reveal more than their mouths,” explains Stiles.
Could this be reflective of the actual CIA?
“You know, I have no idea really. I think we can only know so much about the CIA in terms of what we read in the newspaper.” It’s a secret agency so it’s a covert operation. I think it’s really difficult for anyone to know what really goes on behind the scenes.”
Although she enjoyed working on the Bourne series, Stiles has yet to find her dream role. “My dream role would be something transformative where I could really change the way that I look and behave. Or something that I could get lost in. “I would love to do a movie in a different time period. For me, it’s not so much about a specific role but a variety of different roles,” said Stiles.
However, when it came to talking about her co-star Damon, Stiles was all rhapsody about him. “Working with Matt was terrific. He’s such a nice guy but it is also very refreshing to see that he’s remained humble and hard-working. His career has really taken off since the first movie that he made. He really is so dedicated to his work as well as to his family.
“When we made Bourne Identity, people questioned the idea of him being an action star. Now, he’s the signature of this series. The series thrives on the fact that he’s playing Jason Bourne. You couldn’t really imagine anybody else playing Jason Bourne.” That said, Stiles was quick to say “Paul Newman!” when asked to choose a leading man that she would like to work with. “It’s just too bad that he (Newman) doesn’t do acting that much anymore!”
When producer Linda Obst commented that “Stiles was turning into the next Meryl Streep”, Stiles flipped! “That’s very nice. Linda was the producer that I worked with when I was 17. That was very nice of her to say that. I don’t know if I agree with her but that’s very flattering! “Meryl Streep is a terrific actress. She’s so versatile. She can do comedy, drama and does a number of accents really well. I do admire her and aspire to be like her.”
Like most actors who go from acting to directing and eventually producing, Stiles, who once directed a short film called Raving, plans to take that road some day too. “I really love directing and would like to make a feature film. If anything, it would help in my acting. When I went to the set of Bourne Ultimatum after I finished Raving, I had a totally different perspective. I was much more inquisitive.
“I asked Greengrass a million questions and went into the editing room to watch them work. So yeah, I would like to direct a feature film but I’ve got to find the right story first.” Stiles is currently producing a movie based on an adaptation of a book. “I also just finished a film called Gospel Hill with Angela Bassett and Danny Glover. It’s about racism in the South and the history of slavery in the United States. I think that should come out in the next year or so,” she said.
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Between Us (2012)
