Samantha Morton Talks About Not Working In the Year Since THE ODYSSEY and Getting Fired From the Movie HER
Two time Academy Award nominee Samantha Morton (Sweet and Lowdown, In America, Minority Report) played the role of Circe, a witch and goddess on the island of Aeaea, in Christopher Nolan’s epic summer blockbuster The Odyssey, but after filming her part a year ago, the actress says she has not been able to book a job.
“I haven’t worked for a year since making The Odyssey,” Morton said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, noting that she has “really good agents and a manager.”
She continued, “But at the end of the day, I’m 49. I do believe I’m a good actor, [but] there are other good actors out there. Do you know what I mean? So, the politics of the industry has changed massively.”
Her scene didn’t take up much of the film, but it was impactful and memorable, and hopefully it leads to more visibility for the Golden Globe winner. Morton is gracious about the lack of work, but she has faced heartache in her career before. She went on in the interview to talk about being replaced in Spike Jonze’s film Her.
“I have to say, I think my version of Samantha was very… she’s English,” Morton said. “It was just very, very different. And I think Scarlett Johansson has a beautiful voice. She’s incredibly evocative.”
The 2013 film revolved around Theodor Twombly, played by Joaquin Phoenix, who develops a relationship with the voice assistant. Morton read Samantha’s lines on set with Phoenix, but they were replaced with Johansson’s voice in post-production.
Morton recalls she was “sad,” adding, “It does hurt when you’re fired from something or before it. I don’t know. What I’d have wished for was another chance in a booth to do an American accent. But I think, you know, Scarlett Johansson! I mean, come on.”
Though Morton hasn’t worked in the last year, she has booked some upcoming jobs. She recently signed on to star in the rescue thriller Love and War, which is set to be directed by Lisa Mulcahy, who will also co-write the script alongside Elisabeth Gooch.
Morton is also set to star in Amazon’s crime thriller Dirty alongside Phoebe Dynevor. The series follows trainee Detective Eva Bennett, played by Dynevor, who returns to Manchester and joins a new homicide investigation run by her fearsome estranged mother – the legendary Detective Chief Inspector Lois Mercer, played by Morton.
As they navigate their complicated relationship and long-buried truths resurface, Eva starts to uncover Lois’ crimes, forcing an impossible choice between justice and blood.
via: Deadline