Jacki Weaver is killing it.  She already had a prolific career in Australia, but when Animal Kingdom came out and earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, she quickly became a hot commodity in America.  Since, she’s delivered some chilling material in Stoker and also scored another Academy Award nomination for her work in David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook, and now she’s adding yet another noteworthy achievement to the list, appearing in a Woody Allen film.

In Magic in the Moonlight, Weaver steps in as Grace, a grieving widow who misses her husband so much that she turns to a supposed psychic medium (Emma Stone) to put them back in touch.  While in New York City promoting the film’s release, Weaver sat down with us to talk about the art of nailing a supporting character, working with Allen, whether or not she believes in psychic mediums, Drake Doremus’ upcoming film, Equals, and more.  Hit the jump to watch it all.

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Jacki Weaver: 

  • 00:00 – How she got the role.
  • 01:33 – Who she called first after getting the role.
  • 02:20 – Favorite Woody Allen films and moments.
  • 03:13 – Did the script change much from meeting #1 to the final product?
  • 03:24 – On Allen being open to dialogue suggestions.
  • 03:46 – On Allen as an actor’s director.
  • 04:22 – On Allen’s succinct notes on set.
  • 05:25 – Good directing starts with good casting.
  • 05:55 – On her character.
  • 06:36 – Does Weaver believe in spirit mediums herself?
  • 07:39 – Shooting the séance scene.
  • 09:07 – On a scene with Colin Firth and Eileen Atkins.
  • 09:45 – The pressure of shooting a scene in one shot.
  • 10:15 – Is Weaver returning to theater soon?
  • 10:40 – On life since the release of Animal Kingdom.
  • 12:21 – On building a name for herself in America with supporting roles.
  • 13:09 – On working with Nicholas Hoult and Kristen Stewart on Equals.

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