Vera Farmiga on Henry's Crime, Source Code's Ending and Awards Overload

It's a very busy time in the life of Vera Farmiga -- and that's even before you factor in the amount of press she's been doing lately for back-to-back releases Source Code and now Henry's Crime. Consider the growing family, the directorial debut (Higher Ground) and the Oscar-nominated actress's natural, insatiable curiosity for what's next. But one thing at a time.

Opening Friday, Henry's Crime features Farmiga as Julie -- a Buffalo-based actress best known for being the spokeswoman for the Buffalo Lottery. But she lands a more intriguing role -- and an unlikely romance -- starring in a Chekhov play across the street from a bank that's being cased by ex-cons Henry (Keanu Reeves) and Max (James Caan). Movieline sat down with Farmiga to discuss Crime, actors playing actors, the ending of Source Code, and why journalistic tricks to cultivate juicy information don't work on her.

I feel like you've had a busy few weeks.

Ya think?

I've watched two movies that you're in back-to-back.

I've had a busy two and a half years! I've produced two humans, five films, directed a film... It's epic.

At least you got to run over Keanu Reeves with a car in this movie.

I did! It's the way our characters are introduced. But that's the nature of love: It kind of sideswipes you and it hits you when you least expect it.

How many times have you used that line today?

I haven't, I'm just trying it out now.

Really? I'm not sure I believe you.

Yeah!

That could be on a greeting card.

That's how she enters his life -- she crashes into him.

Is it difficult to play an actor?

Sometimes. Certain moments. I think the key is to kind of figure out the difference between you, the actor, and how you would do a Chekhov play. As opposed to your character, who's the one who's starring in a Chekhov play. And then what's even trickier is knowing that you're doing a play for film. There's a compromise in there as well, but I think the trick is to just really delineate between what her motives are and what her scenario is. What are the given circumstances surrounding this performance of hers? And she's in a rut; she's in a rut that's very analogous to the character she's playing in The Cherry Orchard. Both are variations on the theme of boredom and indecision.

Did you ever find yourself onstage thinking, I think I may have done that take too well?

[Laughs] You know, there's an arc to my character's creativity, and I think she starts off pretty mediocre. Because her heart is closed, and the more her heart opens, she blossoms. And it's a bummer because I think the film is edited... to a point of pushing narrative and plot. Right now you just see snippets of the play, but we in fact shot a large portion of that play. And in the editing and paring down for story and narrative, less became of it. In the execution of production, I could see a switch in her ability as an actress.

In your personal experience, if you met someone and he mentioned that he was just out of prison, would you act a little differently?

[Laughs] I... would probably be more skeptical than she is, but I think that this is, again, someone who is craving and is in desperate need of adventure. I have a pretty adventurous life. I meet a lot of kooks along the way.

Do you take them to Niagara Falls?

No. No. And this is even before being wed. Although, some may say my husband was shady... [Laughs]

Oh?

The plot thickens!

In what way?

Nah, I'm not... that's off the cuff. [Laughs] Or not.

"Shady" can mean a few things, right? There's five o'clock shadow shady...

[Laughing] There's a variety! [Pauses] You're doing that journalist thing.

What journalist thing?

Where you get quiet.

And I'm going to just sit here quietly until you tell more.

[Laughs] I'm learning how to navigate those moments. No, no, my husband is perfectly normal. Anyone will attest to it. What's a girl or a boy without a past? A boy without a past is a boy without a future.

That's a nice quote, too.

A second career!

Any fun James Caan stories? He seems to be at a point in his career where he's not afraid to say what's on his mind.

He hardly edits himself. That's the most admirable thing about him. He's been there, done it, seen it all, worked with the best. He's lost it all, come back, recovered from certain choices and worked in the golden age of cinema. He's got a great sense of humor about it all. I have very specific stories that I don't feel comfortable divulging. [Laughs] I mean, this is a man of stories! He's Irish, he's as good as a storyteller as they come. And it's his candor that's most adorable.

At least you didn't describe him as "shady."

[Laughs] He's shady! Yeah [sighs]... Jimmy Caan...

I read that you used to make short films for your auditions?

It's funny how it bastardizes into "now I make movies of movies I want to get into." No, this is how I used to audition: I would put myself on tape just because I live in a remote part of the world or I can't always just hop on a flight. Even instead of driving down to the city, I have opted to put myself on tape. Some people like going [to auditions], I always prefer not having to deal with it and not walk into a room. So many judgments are placed on you the second you walk in a room. I just love the mystery of submitting an audition. And more often than not, feedback came because I had control. I could do lighting adjustments and do as many takes and try some things out. You don't have the luxury of time in a meeting as an actor who is starting out in the business. Now that's not the case; there's enough source material for them to have an imagination about what my limitations are.

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