“Thor” star Tessa Thompson charmed a packed audience during a screen talk at the BFI London Film Festival on Monday, reflecting on her varied career, from Marvel blockbusters to intimate indie dramas, including her latest project “Hedda,” which premiered at the festival.
The actor was particularly effusive about his experience on “Thor,” describing director Taika Waititi as “a huge baby, just, he’s like a baby with a bank account.” Thompson praised Waititi’s childlike approach to filmmaking, noting that “it’s terrifying” and “he should be stopped,” in the most loving way possible.
She had equally complimentary words for her co-star Chris Hemsworth, calling him a “muscle baby, a very big infant” who has “no inhibitions” and “just does everything you know, to laugh and discover, so he’s a pleasure to work with.”
“It’s so silly to make these movies sometimes,” Thompson said. “The mechanism of making these films requires a place of pure imagination, you know, where you just play like a child.”
Thompson explained why she pursued the Marvel role: “I really wanted to do a movie like that, because I’m not sure I could do it, and I really want to know if I can do it. And it was so much fun. It really, really freed me.”
The conversation also touched on Thompson’s latest project, “Hedda,” marking another collaboration with director Nia DaCosta. Thompson plays the title role in DaCosta’s contemporary adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler,” produced by Thompson’s Viva Maude company.
Thompson spoke candidly about her challenging role: “I really enjoy doing things that terrify me, I really enjoy it. She noted that few women of color have played Hedda in the past, although she stressed that was not the reason the film was made.
“I realized that I’m not sure I would have had the opportunity without a filmmaker interested in putting people like me at the center of a frame,” Thompson said.
The actor praised DaCosta’s vision of making Ibsen “accessible”, aiming for something that “is really dynamic, has its own kind of fun and enjoyment and is delightful”. Thompson added: “The idea of presenting something that might not be for everyone, but there might be a whole new generation or a whole new group of people who are suddenly like, Ibsen, who is this? Ibsen felt really sexy and fun to me.”
Thompson also spoke about his first collaboration with Ryan Coogler on “Creed,” describing how the director “really approached it with a very local, independent filmmaker spirit” despite it being a major studio film. She and Michael B. Jordan improvised extensively, with Coogler recording voice notes that were incorporated into the script.
When asked if she watched herself on screen, Thompson admitted, “It’s not my favorite, but I’m getting better at it.” She revealed that she used to squint her eyes whenever she appeared on screen during premieres, even though the production forced her to become more objective.
The actress emphasized the importance of the Meisner technique in her work, particularly the emphasis on listening and responding to scene partners. “Words are overrated, just like dialogue and speaking are actually overrated when I think about the character,” Thompson said. “So much is communicated silently and so much is left unsaid.”
“Hedda” continues its festival journey after its premiere in London.
