Rebecca Hall
Completely obsessed with Woody Allen when she was 14, Rebecca Hall not only recently starred in one of his films, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, but received a Golden Globe best actress nomination for her performance. It’s not hard to understand where this 26-year-old, a graduate of the Roedean School in East Sussex who also attended Cambridge University for two years, gets her ability. The daughter of theater director Peter Hall and opera singer Maria Ewing, her artistic genes run in the family.
Q. What are you reading at the moment?
A. The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, a brilliant book that I’m fascinated with.
Q. What about a book that’s a blend of English and Spanish? Do you speak Spanish?
A. I’m ashamed to say not a word. Well, maybe a word here and there but the filming didn’t help me because that was in Barcelona and they speak Catalan there. There was some confusion with the language.
Q. Did Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem help out at all?
A. Penelope is the most beautiful woman in the world. No doubt. And it wasn’t hard at all for me to fall in love with Javier on screen. But the best thing about both of them is that they made me feel at home.
Q. What did you learn during your time in Spain?
A. That you have to take care of yourself, and I don’t mean eating well or exercising but surrounding yourself with people you love and enjoying life. My make-up artist told me every Friday: “Good job. Now go and enjoy the weekend until six in the morning or on Monday you won’t be prepared to work.”
Q. Did you follow her advice?
A. I’m obsessed with work, one of those who think about work even when they’re not working. That’s why I like to read, because it’s the only thing that gets my mind off work. Reading books and newspapers.
