简介：JuliaOrmondwassweptofftoHollywoodtobecomeastar-butsomehowitdidn'thappen.Nowshe'sinLondontoappearinDavidHare'snewplay.ShetellsHarrietLanewhyshecameback Fiveyearsago,thesmartHollywoodmoneywasonJuliaOrmondbecomingthenewJuliaRobertsorthenewMegRyan.Instead,shewentoffatadifferentangleandbecamethenewGeenaDavis.LikeDavis,OrmondenjoyedaspectacularlaunchinHollywood,buoyedbygallonsofpublicityrocketfuel:adazzlingascentswiftlyfollowedbyatumblebacktoearthattheendofablackenedstick. ThereissomethingratherHilaireBellocaboutJuliaOrmond'sstory,somethingalittlecautionary.Orrather,therewouldbeifshewouldonlyplayalongwithit,castherselfasTheFallenStar,orTheGirlFromSurreyWhoThoughtSheWasAudreyHepburn.Butoneroleshe'ssimplynotinterestedinisthatofvictim.'Forsure,youdon'tbelievethegoodstuff,'saysOrmond,referringtothehullaballoothatsurroundedherin1995whenLegendsoftheFall,FirstKnightandSabrinaallopenedmoreorlesssimultaneously.'Imean,thegoodstuffisjustinsane-wacky.Ifyoudon'ttakeittoomuchtoheart,itdoeshelpwhenthenegativestuffhits.Andyouknowthenegativestuffiscoming.It'sgotto!Whatcomesupmustcomedown.' Articlecontinues -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andit'strue:shedidknowitwascoming.At29,Ormondhadn'tsubmittedrapturouslytothestarmachine.Thereweresacrificesshedidn'twanttomake.On-setadmirerscalledher'formidable'and'flinty'and'honest';unnamedsourcesgrumbledabout'attitude'.Lookingbackatherearliestinterviews,conductedamidaswarmofexcitablemovieexecsandpublicists,withsuperagentMichaelOvitzhimselfonhandtofetchherglassesofwater,younotearichseamofho-humscepticism.'Theyseemtobeverysurethingsaregoingtobeasuccess,'OrmondtoldVoguein1995.'I'mnotbeingnegativeaboutit,butI'mhedgingmybets.' Certainly,thetimingwasunfortunate.LegendsoftheFall,wheresheplayedtheloveinterest,wasquicklyfollowedbyFirstKnight,ahilariousturkeyinwhichatrumpet-sleevedOrmondwasGuinevere,tornbetweenSeanConneryandRichardGere.ThencamearemakeofSabrina,inwhichdirectorSydneyPollackmisguidedlysteeredherintoAudreyHepburn'sballetpumps.ThoughsheknowsSabrinawasamistake,Ormondhasnoregrets.'ItwasafantasticlearningexperienceandOK,IgotslammedbecauseIwasn'tAudreyHepburn...butyoucouldhavepredictedthat,really,ifyou'dopenedyoureyeswideenough.ButIwashungryforthelearningexperienceanddidn'tfeelsecureenoughtosayno.Youneedtobebloodysecuretosayno.' Sheknewshewaslucky,butshealsoknewshewasoutofherdepth-notwiththeacting,butwiththestuffthatsurroundedit.'TheoddthingformeisthefocusonlookswhichhappenedintheStates.I'dalwaysfeltthatwasnotgoingtobeastrongpoint.Thatmademefeelverydisturbed,becauseitneverseemedtobeabouthowmuchhardworkwasinvolved.Ever.Itwasabout..."hazeleyes".Itdoeshelpifyoucanbrushthatstuffoff.' Billedbythepublicistsasaningénue,Surrey-bornOrmondwasnosuchthing,andthismayhavesavedherbacon.Afterdramaschoolandanadvertforcottagecheese,shehadspentadecadeasajobbingactorintheUK,carvingoutastrongreputationonstage(in1989,she'dwontheLondonCritics'AwardforBestNewcomer,inChristopherHampton'sFaithHopeandCharityattheLyricHammersmith)andtelevision(inparticular,asadrugaddictinTraffik)beforelandingLegends. 'Ifounditallveryscary.Thisfairytalegetsbuiltaroundyou-asifyou'vebeenwalkingthroughthestreetsandthenSydneyPollackseesyouandgoes,"I'llputyouinsomething!"Whenreallyyou'vegonetodramaschoolandrepandthenyou'vecometoLondonandgonetoauditions...andyou'veworked,solidly,foryears.Butthatallgetsforgotten.AtfirstIwasabitindignantaboutit,andthenIrealised,"No,that'swhatpeoplewant,sothat'swhatisgiven."Butit'snotinyourcontrol.It'sjustwhathappenstoyou,andthat'swhat'sfrightening.' Theroles,ontheotherhand,wereagas.IntheUK,'I'dseemedtoplayalotofpeoplewho'dslittheirwristsorcutofftheirhairorshotthemselvesordiedoftheplague.Andifyoudoanythingfortoolong,itstartstolackedge,tobecometooeasy.Easyisthekissofdeath.AndsoformewhatIneededwastogetmyheadoutofmybottom,andsotogooffanddoFirstKnight-gallivantingaroundonahorse,withacape,andknightsinbluecorduroy-wasquitefun.' SoOrmondgallivantedforabit,airingherfamous,transfixingsmileasrequired('Youwatchherjusttowaitforittohappen,'wroteonejournalist),andthen...vanished,atleastfromthemainstream.Steppingofftheredcarpet,shetookbiggerrisks.AdoomedfilmversionofMissSmilla'sFeelingforSnow,directedbyBilleAugust.Athree-hourRussianepic,TheBarberofSiberia,directedbyNikitaMikhalkov.Whenshewaswhite-hotshe'dbeenofferedtheHolyGrailofmovie-staraccessories,herownproductioncompany,andOrmondactuallydidsomethingwithhers,makingadocumentaryaboutBosnianwomeninSerbiandetentioncamps,andworkingwithHaroldPinteronaKarenBlixenshortstorythatshehopestodirect.LastyearshemarriedanAmericanwhoworksine-commerce. Forhernexttrick,she'scomingbacktotheLondonstageforthefirsttimeinnineyears.AttheRoyalCourt,inabreakfromrehearsingDavidHare'snewplayMyZincBed,OrmondlooksveryLondon,verytheatre.She'swearingablackjersey,chinosandnavyflipflops,andherhairisrathertangled,asifithasn'tbeenbrushedfordays.Nomake-up.Herfacehasmorecharacter,moreshade,thanIwasexpecting.Youdofindyourselfstaringather,justsoyouwon'tmissthewildenergythatsurgesacrossitwhenshelaughs. Ormondhasn'tturnedherbackonfilm(themaritalhomeisinLA,andThePrimeGig,acomedyco-starringVinceVaughnandEdHarris,isinpost-production)buttheHareprojectwastoogoodtomiss.Whatswungitforher?'ThefactthatDavidhadwrittenitandDavidwasdirectingitattheRoyalCourtanditwasanewthree-hander.Plus,it'sabrilliantplay.I'mnotmakinganycommentonhowweexecuteitorwhatweachievethroughdoingit,butreadingit,it'saphenomenalplay.' Sincethere'ssomesortofunofficialembargoaboutMyZincBed,neitherOrmondnorherco-starsTomWilkinsonandStevenMackintoshwillspelloutwhatactuallyhappensintheplay,otherthansayingthatit'saboutanentrepreneurwhorecruitsayoungpoettojazzuphisinternetempire.Ormond,whoplaysElsa,theentrepreneur'swife,saystheHarescriptoutshoneeveryfilmscriptthatwascomingherway.Inanycase,she'dbeenkeentogetbacktotheatre. 'Iride,'saysOrmond,whohasawaywithanalogies,'anddoingtheatreafterdoingfilmisabitlikedoingdressageorshowjumpingafteryou'vebeenoutforendlesshacks,havingjustawildoldtime.You'reputthroughyourpacesinadifferentway.Andit'snotthatgoingoutforahackiswrongorbad,Icertainlydon'tviewitasthat;it'sjustthatthere'ssomethingaboutthedressage,beingputthroughyourpaces,thatmakesyoubetter.' Yes,shefeelsthestakesarehighthistimearound.'IfeelthatDavidtookariskwithme.Ihaveasensethatbystartingoffinthetheatreandgoingofftodofilmsyouareseentoselloutinsomeway.Idon'tholdtruckwiththat,butyoucan'tstoppeoplefromfeelingit.SoIthinkpeoplearealittleguardedaboutme.Oh,God!It'sneverjustaboutthepiece.Somethingelsealwayswashesoverit.' She'sanxiousthatherowntrajectory,herownreputation,shouldnotobscureHare'swork.Whensheadds,'Butthen,mysenseisthatthat'sallsomethinginthepast-I'veescapedit',shesoundslikeshereallymeansit. •…