In 1978, Stephen King wrote “The Stand” (“Dance of Death”), a novel about a post-apocalyptic world, in which only five percent of the population survives a pandemic. Does it sound familiar to you? Forty-two years after its publication and after two failed attempts, this comprehensive novel has been transformed into a Starz Play television miniseries, which will premiere tomorrow, January 3 (translated in Spain as “Apocalypse”). . With a cast full of stars, “The Stand” stars Whoopi Goldberg, Alexander Skarsgård, Greg Kinnear, James Marsden and one of the actresses of the moment, Amber Heard, who plays the character Nadine Cross.
For the performer, 2020 was a terrible year, not only because of the pandemic that limited her work, but also because of the war she has in court with her ex-husband, actor Johnny Depp. It is worrying that the actress has become one of the most despised stars on social networks for her confrontation with him. In fact, in the same week, an interview of his published on YouTube received 280,000 “I don’t like it”, in a movement organized by the actor’s fans. However, she remains positive, excited to promote “Stand” – one of her favorite books – and does not wrinkle in the face of adversity, although, yes, she did not allow any questions about her ex in the interview.
In the midst of the pandemic, “The Stand” premieres. Was it planned?
Not at all. I recorded the show before the pandemic happened; and we finished four days when the authorities decided to detain us. It was shocking. Our story is based on a global pandemic that wipes out most of the planet’s population. The consequences reveal the best and worst of human beings, it is a final battle for the survival of our species. It is not just about survival, but about creating a new society that looks the best of human beings. The surprising thing is that the series, which has been trying to air for years, has its premiere right now.
Is it true that you admired the novel and stayed behind its character for a long time?
Yes. I’ve loved this book since I was a kid. It always meant a lot to me, because I was a lonely, strange, unsociable girl. In those years, books were my only friends and I was like that for a while. The “stand” has a very special place in my heart. When I met Josh Boone, who wrote the screenplay adaptation 10 years ago, we talked a lot about the novel. In my career I have learned many things, and one of them is to always trust the “weirdos” of the genre when it comes to horror, fantasy or science fiction. Josh is a super weirdo who loves these things and I’ve been waiting for him to call me for the character since the studio approved the production of the novel adaptation.
Nadine’s character is iconic What was your attitude when you performed it?
Stephen King managed to describe a story brilliantly, in which the characters who live in it do not represent good or evil as general ideas or concepts. What makes Nadine interesting is her complexity. A woman too artificial if we had chosen to represent her from a fantastic perspective. That being said, she is seductive.
You have to believe in seducers …
Life is more fun if we let ourselves be convinced by the seducers and maybe justify them because we identify with that archetype. A seducer can also be vulnerable, seduction and vulnerability are not mutually exclusive. I don’t feel that, as a woman, I have to apologize for being vulnerable or justify myself as a seductress. Nadine is both a seductress and a survivor. There is a lot of ambiguity in it, but it happens to any human being. It is difficult for all of us to find love, because society may not be kind, it isolates us, but we must fight against the alienation that pushes us to hide.
Alexander Skarsgård is a great devil …
It’s perfect for this character. When you see him, you realize that no one else can play that role. It represents the demon that inhabits us, the one that acts through the lowest impulses, not out of charity, but out of selfishness. I think it’s a role we all need to identify with. King’s book is a struggle between good and evil, between the best and the worst living human beings; the battle between our flaws and our strengths is at the heart of the plot and what makes the characters so dynamic.
Mera from “Aquaman” and Nadine from “Stand” are very different, she seems to have a soft spot for the ambiguous characters.
They are totally different women. I think the audience considers me a vicious woman and I don’t know why. “Aquaman” was an escape for me, because I ended up playing for the first time a woman who does not use her feminine forms to evoke evil forces (laughs). Nadine is a character with a lot of psychological baggage. It took a lot of preparation, honestly; I studied how people behave when they are abused, and Nadina’s journey made me understand people who come out of cults.
Nadine is presented as a character capable of predicting the future. Do you believe in destiny?
I don’t believe in anything I have no evidence of or can’t understand, but I think it’s important to remember that Nadine lives in Stephen King’s world; hyperrealistic and surreal.
If you were to take stock of 2020, what would you say?
It has been a difficult year for everyone, but in order to survive you have to adapt. The more we evolve as human beings, the more likely we are to survive and thrive in life.