Naomie Harris: Natalie Dormer: 'Wasp' twists motivated by childhood trauma
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer said their movie The Wasp, in theaters Friday, derived its plot twists from a backstory of childhood bullying.
Harris plays Heather, an unhappy wife who contacts her old classmate, Carla (Dormer), with a criminal plan.
"I was interested in a script that explores the lasting legacy of bullying," Harris, 47, told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. "Most people don't think that bullying has a lasting legacy, but I think it really does."
Heather trusts Carla with the violence in her plot, which should not be spoiled, because of their childhood experiences. Dormer said victims of bullying need not turn to violence as adults, but the motivation made sense to her.
"We are all capable of extreme behavior, extreme violence maybe if put in a certain set of circumstances," Dormer, 42, said. "In that way, it's a really good psychological exploration."
Harris said she was bullied as a child. She believes a concerted effort towards healing is necessary to overcome bullying.
"I think it has a huge impact on children when they're experiencing it," Harris said. "Without a lot of healing, it can go on to have a huge impact on them as adults too."
The script by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm also appealed to Harris because of its ability to shift allegiances. The more Heather reveals about her plan, the more the audience is meant to question who the story's hero is.
"That's just so much more true to human nature and how life unfolds," Harris said. "We're always trying to anticipate life but actually it leads us into directions we never saw coming."
As for Heather's surprising plan, Harris believes her character was working on it for years before the film begins.
"I think she's been stewing on this idea for a good five years," Harris said. "It's just grown and grown and grown."
The film includes flashbacks to Carla and Heather in school as it gradually reveals what happened in their childhood. Leah Mondesir-Simmonds plays young Heather and Olivia Juno Cleverley plays young Carla, who filmed their scenes before their adult counterparts.
Dormer said she first met the young actors during rehearsals. Then, director Guillem Morales showed her pivotal scenes to motivate her adult performance.
"Watching their two young performances really informed me for the backstory of what Naomie and I were playing," Dormer said, adding that filming the children first ensured "young Carla's memory matched what I was imagining in my head."
Harris briefly shares the screen with Mondesir-Simmonds in the film's transitions to flashbacks. Harris said she related to her younger counterpart.
"I was a child actress as well," Harris said. "I remember what that was like but they're way more professional."
Harris began her career on British TV series like Simon and the Witch and The Tomorrow People. As an adult, she was Oscar-nominated for her role in Moonlight and played Moneypenny in three Daniel Craig James Bond films.
Dormer got her start in 2005 but counts the series Game of Thrones, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels and two-part Hunger Games finale movie among her credits. She said both hers and Harris's names helped secure financing for The Wasp.
"It's important to find these beautiful, intimate projects," Dormer said. "It's a privilege for Naomie and I to be able to help secure faith and finance in order that stuff like this gets made."
Harris concurred that it is a privilege to be in a position to help secure financing in the film industry. She is judicious about which independent projects she selects.
"You want to put your name to something that's meaningful," Harris said. "I'd rather wait until I find projects that I'm super passionate about, and they are rare."
When it comes to James Bond, Harris does not know if her services will be required as Moneypenny again. Craig wrapped up his run with No Time to Die and the search for a new Bond leaves Harris in the dark.
"I have no idea what's going to happen," Harris said.
