With only a few months remaining until her film "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" makes its much-awaited theatrical debut, rising star Rooney Mara was chosen to cover the November 2011 issue of Vogue magazine.
The 26-year-old actress posed for an elegant spread shot by Mert Alas
and Marcus Piggot while interviewing for the publication's latest installment alongside her movie's director, David Fincher.
During her conversation with Vogue, Miss Mara touched on a number of topics ranging from the much-talked about topless movie poster in which she appears alongside co-star Daniel Craig to false assumptions that she's a trust fund baby because her great-grandfathers founded the NFL franchises of the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants.
Highlights from Miss Mara's interview are as follows. For more, be sure to visit Vogue!
On the public's response to her topless movie poster:
“There’s a certain way people are used to seeing nude women, and that’s in a submissive, coy pose, not looking at the camera. And in this poster, I’m looking dead into the camera with no expression on my face. I think it freaks a lot of people out.”
On her version of Lisabeth Salander compared to Noomi Rapace's Swedish portrayal:
“One of the things that make our version that much more heartbreaking,” says Mara, “is that even though I am playing a 24-year-old, I look much younger. I look like a child.”
On her change in looks since taking on the role:
“Before, I dressed much girlier. A lot of blush-colored things. Now I literally roll out of bed and put on whatever is there. I have really enjoyed being a boy this last year.”
On being a loner and how it helped her with playing her character:
“I am very slow to warm. I’ve always been sort of a loner. I didn’t play team sports. I am better one-on-one than in big groups. I can understand wanting to be invisible and mistrusting people and wanting to understand everything before you engage with the world.”
On her dislike of the stigma that she's a trust fund child:
“I don’t have a trust fund. I grew up in a little cul-de-sac in the suburbs and went to public school. I went to Costco on the weekends. When my great-grandfathers founded those teams it cost, like, $500. My dad is one of eleven children. I am one of 40 grandchildren. What bothers me about the whole trust-fund thing is that it sort of presumes that everything is handed to you. And if there is one thing about my family that I do identify with, it is that everyone is extremely hardworking. Also, the people whom I grew up with all did things they really loved. And I think that’s an important lesson.”
On putting education before acting:
“My sister started acting professionally when she was twelve, but I wanted to go to college first.”
On the media circus sure to surround "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" upon its release:
“That kind of fame is not something I ever wanted for myself. It just so happens that this huge, gigantic monster of a film came around that also happens to have the most incredible character that I ever could have dreamed up. But my fear with a movie like this is the kind of exposure you get from it. I think that can be death to an actor. The more people know about you, the less they can project who you are supposed to be. It’s unfortunate that you really only get one shot at that. After this, I won’t be able to be that girl again.”
“That kind of fame is not something I ever wanted for myself. It just so happens that this huge, gigantic monster of a film came around that also happens to have the most incredible character that I ever could have dreamed up. But my fear with a movie like this is the kind of exposure you get from it. I think that can be death to an actor. The more people know about you, the less they can project who you are supposed to be. It’s unfortunate that you really only get one shot at that. After this, I won’t be able to be that girl again.”
