At midnight, Hedwig, the world’s most famous snow owl, invited us to tea at her ostentatious owlery at the top of the Tower of London. We discussed her new role in Zack Snyder’s latest epic, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.
Street: What’s it like working with a cast of all owls instead of all wizards? Hedwig: It was much more difficult. As you know, I’m a classically trained actor. Most of these owls don’t even know who Dame Maggie Smith is! I struggled a lot throughout production, and Maggie was definitely a source of comfort for me. She really went through the same thing when she was playing a cat in Harry Potter That was actually her, you know; she’s that good of an actress. Learning to work with Crookshanks and Mrs. Norris wasn’t easy for her. They are really more of an — ahem — nouveau riche crowd.
Street: This role is extremely physical. What did you have to do to prepare? H: A woman by the name of Jackie Warner helped me prepare. She was recommended to me by Sir Ian McKellen, who worked with her to prepare for his nude scenes in King Lear. Shhh! Don’t tell him I told you that! She has a show on television, actually, called Thintervention. I worked with a Bowflex, which was difficult because I don’t have any thumbs and because I couldn’t reach the handle bars. It’s a real problem for owls. I’m working with legislation right now to try to stop discrimination against owls in fitness. I’m also donating money to a non-profit foundation that manufactures wee Thighmasters that conform to an owl’s legs.
Street: You’ve worked with many directors over the years. Who was your favorite? H: Alfonso Cuarón, the director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, wings down. His work on Y Tu Mamá También has been a huge source of inspiration for me. I actually reached out to Diego Luna in preparation for my sex scene in Owls of Ga’hoole. He gave me a lot of great advice and recommended some great Salma Hayek movies. Unfortunately, the scene was cut.
Street: Can you discuss this film’s soundtrack? H: I’d rather not, actually. I submitted pieces from Mahler in suggestion for certain scenes. Speaking of classical music, I’m great friends with Yo-Yo Ma. But anyway, the soundtrack turned out to be mostly Creed and Lifehouse bollocks. Absolute rubbish.
Street: What’s it like to see yourself in slow-motion and 3-D? H: Being in 3-D is something I have dreamed about since I was a downy owlet. Add with that the slow-motion sequences, and … I don’t mean to be crass, but I definitely had an orgasm at the premiere. Woo! I haven’t felt like that since I saw Malcolm McDowell push his droogs into the river in A Clockwork Orange! I know him, by the way.
Street: What can we look forward to from you in the future? H: I am looking forward to working with the Royal Shakespeare Company this season. Also, I will be guest-starring on the new season of The Secret Life of the American Teenager.
Street: How did you prepare for your death scene in The Deathly Hallows? H: I’m a method actor, as you know. Hedwig’s death requires being hit by a curse and then falling from a great height. I prepared by shooting myself point blank in the chest with a taser, while on the branch of a giant Sequoia tree. Daniel Day-Lewis, an actor I’m quite close with, went through a similar process when preparing for My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown. He coached me throughout the process and just kept saying: “Do it for the Oscar.” It took quite a toll on my body. I can only turn my head 350 degrees now. Those final 10 degrees are something I’ve sacrificed for my art.
