Kelly MacDonald interview, The Upcoming
Although Kelly MacDonald has often been at the side of stories, her presence an actress is never forgotten. After playing supporting roles in eminent films like Trainspotting and No Country For Old Men, as well as the HBO series Boardwalk Empire, the Scottish performer has finally landed her first live-action leading role in Puzzle. She plays Agnes, an insulate, Catholic housewife whose existence centres on cooking and cleaning for her husband and two sons. After discovering a talent for completing large jigsaw-puzzles, she begins to develop her own independence and begins to question her life – risking her relationship with her family.
The Upcoming was thrilled to chat with MacDonald about the film, which opened this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival. We discussed her character, how the cast bonded with cooking rather than rehearsals and whether she thinks the presence of more female-led movies means the industry is changing.
You play the main character, Agnes. What can you tell us about her?
Agnes is a very ordinary woman. She’s a wife and a mother, and has a very small world. It’s basically her family and the church, and nothing else. Nobody really pays her much mind. This story is about her finding that she has a voice, an inner world that starts to bubble up and leak out.
