In 1978 Stephen King wrote “The Stand” (“The Dance of Death”), a novel about a post-apocalyptic world where only five percent of the population survives a pandemic. Will a bell ring? Forty-two years after its publication, and after two unsuccessful attempts, this elaborate novel has been turned into a television miniseries by Starz Play, premiering tomorrow, January 3 (translated in Spain as “Apocalypse”). Featuring a star-studded cast, “The Stand” stars Whoopi Goldberg, Alexander Skarsgård, Greg Kinnear, James Marsden and one of the actresses of the moment, Amber Heard, who plays the character of Nadine Cross.
For the interpreter, 2020 has been a terrible year, not only because of the pandemic that limited her work, but also because of the war she is waging in court with her ex-husband, actor Johnny Depp. It is disturbing that the actress has become one of the most despised stars on social networks because of her confrontation with him. In fact, an interview of him published on YouTube received 280,000 “I don’t like it” the same week, in a move organized by the actor’s fans. However, she remains positive, happy about promoting “The Stand” – one of her favorite books – and does not wrinkle with adversity, although she did not allow any questions about her ex in the interview.
In the middle of the pandemic, “The Stand” premieres. Was it planned?
Not at all. We recorded the series before the pandemic happened; and we had passed four days when the authorities decided to lock us up. It was shocking. Our story is based on a global pandemic that is wiping out most of the world’s population. The consequences bring out the best and the worst in man, it is a final battle for the survival of our species. It’s not just about survival, but about creating a new society that shows the best of human beings. The surprising thing is that the series, which has been airing for years, is now premiering.
Is it true that you admired the novel and stood behind the character for a long time?
Yes, I have loved this book since I was a kid. It has always meant a lot to me because I was a lonely, weird, uncomfortable girl. In those years, books were my only friends and I was for a long time. “The Stand” has a very special place in my heart. When I met Josh Boone, who wrote the screenplay adaptation 10 years ago, we talked a lot about the novel. I’ve learned many things in my career, one of which is to always trust the “freaks” of the genre when it comes to horror, fantasy or science fiction. Josh is a super freak who loves this stuff, and I’ve been waiting for him to call me about the character since the studio approved the production of the novel adaptation.
Nadine’s character is iconic What was your attitude in interpreting it?
Stephen King has been able to brilliantly portray a story, in which the characters living in it do not represent good or evil as general ideas or concepts. What makes Nadine interesting is her complexity. A woman who was too artificial if we had chosen to represent her from a fantastic perspective. That said, she’s a temptress.
You have to believe in seducers …
Life is more fun when we let tempters convince us and we may justify them because we identify with that archetype. A seducer can also be vulnerable, temptation and vulnerability are not mutually exclusive. I don’t feel like I should apologize as a woman for being vulnerable or see myself as a temptress. Nadine is both a temptress and a survivor. There is a lot of ambiguity in it, but that happens to every human being. It is difficult for all of us to find love because society may not be friendly, it isolates us, but we have to fight against the alienation that drives us to hide.
Alexander Skarsgård is a big devil …
It’s perfect for this character. When you see it, you realize that no one else can play this role. It represents the demon that inhabits us, the one who acts through the lowest impulses, not out of charity but out of selfishness. I think it is a role that we should all identify with. King’s book is a battle between good and evil, between the best and the worst that people inhabit; the battle between our flaws and our strengths is at the heart of the plot and what makes the characters so dynamic.
Mera in “Aquaman” and Nadine in “The Stand” are very different, she seems to have a soft spot for ambiguous characters.
They are completely different women. I think the public sees me as a mean woman and I don’t know why. “Aquaman” was an escape for me, because for the first time I could play a woman who doesn’t use her feminine forms to evoke evil powers (laughs). Nadine is a character with a lot of psychological baggage. To be honest, it took a lot of preparation; I’ve studied how people behave when they’re abused, and Nadine’s journey led me to understand people who come from cults.
Nadine is shown as a character who can predict the future. Do you believe in fate?
I don’t believe in anything that I have no proof or cannot understand, but I think it’s important to remember that Nadine lives in Stephen King’s world; hyperreal and surreal.
If you had to take stock of 2020, what would you say?
It has been a difficult year for everyone, but to survive you have to adapt. The more we evolve as humans, the more likely we are to survive and thrive in life.