Emily Ratajkowski does not want to talk about “Blurred Lines.” She doesn’t want to talk about Robin Thicke, and she certainly doesn’t want to talk about the new Batman, Ben Affleck, who happens to be her co-star in the upcoming David Fincher film Gone Girl, out Oct. 3. Her reluctance makes sense — 18 months have passed (roughly 25 years in Internet time) since the release of that lascivious No. 1 single and equally NSFW music video, and yet still, people want to know: How do you feel about on-screen nudity? Do you think the video was degrading or empowering for women? Is Robin Thicke a creep?
But no, Emily R. — that’s what the public has shortened her Polish surname to; she’s “Emrata” on Instagram and Twitter — is admirably trying to change the conversation, regardless of whether people are ready to stop chattering about that body or that song (Internet survey says: They’re not). She’d rather talk about her burgeoning acting career, and the future, which, for the 23-year-old California native, is looking very bright (she barely had time for this Arthur Elgort shoot; she’s filming a movie with Zac Efron, We Are Your Friends). Yahoo Style sat down with the model and actress to chat Fincher, Friends, and the future.
Yahoo Style: You went from working model to Hollywood actress within the span of a few months. How was that transition?
Emily Ratajkowski: It was really natural for me because I used to do theater when I was a little kid — I was that kid who loved being in plays. I was the Little Match Girl in a local San Diego production when I was in sixth grade. I was onstage the whole time, and that was a big deal. [Laughs]
YS: Did you consider changing your last name to something more common, or easier to read on a movie poster?
ER: When I was starting out in modeling, I got all kinds of little comments from people, and the question became, Do you change your last name? But I had a loyalty for my dad and never thought of changing it. There are a lot of supermodels with really difficult names to pronounce. People are figuring it out little by little. I just say the J is silent.
YS: Which do you prefer, modeling or acting?
ER: [Acting] is much more creatively fulfilling because you're able to design a character, you're in creative control, whereas on a shoot, it's the photographer or the producers or the stylists making the decisions. On a film, you're really responsible for your part, which is exciting.
Early on, I did a Nickelodeon show [iCarly], but I really didn't like being a Disney and Nickelodeon girl. I didn’t relate to that at all. And I got tired of auditioning for "the bitchy girl" or, like, "the cheerleader." But I came back around to acting again.
YS: How were you cast in Fincher’s Gone Girl?
ER: I first auditioned in New York, and David [Fincher] and the team had me fly out to L.A. for a callback right before Labor Day of last year. I got to the audition room and there was Ben Affleck. I was like, "Oh, s---, I think they're serious about this."
We ran scenes for about 45 minutes, but I knew they were seeing other girls, so I thought, "I don’t know if I'm going to get this." And it was the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, so I didn’t think I would hear anything. But then two hours later they called and offered me the role. I was alone in the car, but I called my parents right after and was just like, "Ahhhhhh."
YS: What was your take on your character, Andie Hardy, the love-to-hate, crazed young mistress to murder suspect Nick Dunne, played by Ben Affleck?
ER: Andie is extremely sweet. She's a nice person who really loves her boyfriend. I think that a lot of people perceive her a certain way because she's "the mistress." But I read her as just a really sweet person who's very young and very in love with her boyfriend. No mistress feels like the mistress — they feel like a loving wife or girlfriend, you know?
YS: How did you prepare for the role?
ER: Rereading the book, obviously. That’s the luckiest thing ever, to have a script that’s referencing a novel. Also, we were shooting in this small town in Missouri, Cape Girardeau, which has a small community college that Andie goes to in the film. I visited a few times, imagined her family, what her life has been like, and why [Nick] is so appealing to her.
YS: Any formal acting classes?
ER: I worked with a coach in L.A., and I’ve taken classes here and there forever — Stanislavski, all that kind of stuff. But honestly, I don’t really use any particular method; it's just what feels right to me.
YS: Fincher is known for pushing his actors to their limits, with dozens and dozens of takes and gruelingly long workdays. How was your experience?
ER: David is a perfectionist, and he's mapped out the entire film before you go to set. So you know your role is very specific, what you have to cover and do. You know exactly where you fit into the big map that he's made. Because it was my first film, I told him, "Whatever you want, I'm willing." I don’t have any sort of pride. I just want to learn. We got along really well. I could imagine more veteran actors might be a little bit thrown off because they're worried about impressing him, or when he keeps giving notes and reshooting.
YS: Was the shoot a bonding experience for the cast and crew?
ER: It was really intense. We were filming in Missouri, so you couldn't just go back to your house and to your life at the end of the day. We were all carpooling to dinner and hanging out and getting to know each other.
YS: Sounds like acting boot camp.
ER: At one point Ben said to me, "Just so you know, this'll never happen again. You'll never be on a film set where you don't know what was the good take or what was the bad take." Because they all start to feel the same, but [Fincher] finds slight differences in each one.
YS: Right now you’re filming your first lead role, in We Are Your Friends, with Zac Efron. How’s it going?
ER: It’s a coming-of-age drama, sort of like a Saturday Night Fever but set in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. Max Joseph, one of the creators of MTV’s Catfish, is directing. I’m starring alongside Zac, and Wes Bentley is also in it. It’s a lot of work, but exciting.
It's sort of the opposite experience from working with David. Whereas David was really specific and knew exactly what he wanted you to do, Max is really excited — which David is, too — to get input and build something together. This is Max’s first film, and he’s more about "What do you think?"
And it’s crazy — the day after I finish filming, I fly to New York for the premiere of Gone Girl at the New York Film Festival.
YS: Wow. Are you ready for your life to change when Gone Girl comes out? I mean, look at Rooney Mara’s trajectory after working with Fincher.
ER: It already feels kind of weird. I’ve gotten weird fan mail at my home address, which was really scary. And there's just day-to-day things, like not being able to ride the subway anymore — that kind of stuff. I don’t think I'll ever get used to it, but maybe that's what will change — maybe I'll become more used to it.
And Rooney is an interesting example, because I feel like she's one of the few young actresses who doesn't use any kind of social media or go to any parties.
YS: Are you going to stay on Instagram? You have 1.3 million followers!
ER: Yeah — I like having a platform to sort of dictate how people see me.
