The Austin, Texas native discusses Infamous.
Moviegoers may get a distinct sense of déjà vu this week with the release of the Truman Capote biopic Infamous. Like its predecessor, last year’s much-lauded Capote, Infamous chronicles the renowned author’s arduous quest to complete his seminal work, the true crime masterpiece In Cold Blood. It was a journey that took him from the posh townhouses of Manhattan high society to the humble farmhouses of rural Kansas, almost destroying him in the process.
Headlining an all-star cast is Sandra Bullock, who plays Capote’s close friend and confidant, To Kill a Mockingbird author Nelle Harper Lee. Accustomed to having her name above the marquee in blockbuster films like Miss Congeniality, Infamous marks the second time in recent years that Bullock has worked with an ensemble cast. The first was last year’s surprise Best Picture winner, Crash.
“There’s a greater support system.” Bullock says of ensembles. “[You have] the freedom to interact with people, to play off of someone, to have other actors giving you material that makes you look better is a great relief. When you’re by yourself a lot of the time, you have to rely on yourself. It makes for a lot of insecurity a lot of the time. If an actor throws you something, it’s more fun to react.”
Of course, any discussion of Infamous can’t ignore the elephant in the room, namely the film’s Oscar-winning counterpart, Capote. When asked about Catherine Keener, who played the Nelle Harper Lee role in the other film, Bullock laughs off notions of any rivalry.
“We both knew we were making the film and we were both excited about our roles because they were so different, written so differently,” says Bullock. “I think Catherine’s fantastic. It was never brought up until we started doing press. Catherine and I laugh about it.”
The intense period of Capote’s life was certainly intriguing enough to warrant two films. “You could do five more films on this time and people’s understandings about what happened during this time and you’d have five completely different films in addition to these two,” says Bullock. “I loved the aspect of approaching the event from different points of view.”
Though she researched the role extensively, Bullock stopped short of actually contacting Lee out of respect for the notoriously private author. “I never would have crossed that boundary,” says Bullock. “She doesn’t want to be met… I admire her enough and have enough respect for her to give her her privacy.”
Bullock admits that she was more than a little scared to take on the role. “I kept asking Doug (McGrath, the writer/director), ‘Why do you want me to do this? Why? Do you need funding for the film?’” she recalls. Ultimately, it was McGrath’s dedication that reassured her. “If this man has spent four years of his life writing this story, I don’t think he’s gonna screw it up by asking someone to be in the role that will take the story down.”
Bullock’s next project is Premonition, which, like Crash and Infamous, was made with independent financing. She describes Premonition as “a Hitchcockian thriller, a scary film that doesn’t rely on things sliding out of the woodwork.”
Though she intends to return to comedy, don’t expect any more Miss Congeniality sequels. “Are you crazy? No,” responds Bullock when the subject is broached. “We did one and two and I’m very satisfied with those.”
Infamous opens in New York and Los Angeles on October 13th.