With director Guillermo del Toro’s fairy tale The Shape of Water now playing in select theaters, I recently sat down with Doug Jones and Richard Jenkins for an exclusive video interview. They talked about what it’s like working with del Toro, how he could be a film historian, the way del Toro will create character backstories for all his actors and include secrets that only they know, the incredible production design and if they had a favorite set, and a lot more.
If you haven’t seen any of The Shape of Water trailers, the film was written by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor and takes place in 1962 America against the backdrop of the Cold War. The fantastic film stars Sally Hawkins as Elisa, a lonely and mute cleaning woman who works in a high-security government laboratory, where a new specimen has just arrived: a mysterious Fish Man, played by Doug Jones in full makeup. Matters are complicated when Elisa strikes up a friendly relationship with the Fish Man, only to see Michael Shannon’s terrifying security expert treat the creature like a wild animal, abuse and all. The movie also stars Octavia Spencer and Michael Stuhlbarg.
I’ve seen a lot of movies this year and The Shape of Water is one of the best. Strongly recommended. For more on the film you can read Brian Formo’s review.
Check out what Doug Jones and Richard Jenkins had to say in the player above and below is exactly what we talked about.
Doug Jones and Richard Jenkins:
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How many times a day is Richard Jenkins asked about Step Brothers?
Image via Fox Searchlight - What is it like working with Guillermo del Toro?
- Did del Toro create character backstories for them and what secrets were included?
- How do they typically like to work on set and how did it compare to the way del Toro liked to work?
- The incredible production design and if they had a favorite set?
For more on The Shape of Water:
- Guillermo del Toro on How He Made ‘The Shape of Water’ for Under $20 Million
- Doug Jones on ‘The Shape of Water’, His Process with Guillermo del Toro, and More
- Michael Shannon on ‘The Shape of Water’ and Modernizing ‘Fahrenheit 451’ with Director Ramin Bahrani
- ‘The Shape of Water’ Editor Sidney Wolinsky on Collaborating with Guillermo del Toro
- Sally Hawkins & Octavia Spencer on How ‘Shape of Water’ Is a Love Letter to Old Hollywood
