Jamie Lee Curtis reveals that she did not understand Everything Everywhere All at Once at first. The science-fiction comedy, directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, premiered back in March and follows an aging Chinese immigrant as she travels through parallel universes, exploring all the lives she could have led while attempting to save the world from a powerful threat in the multiverse. Curtis stars as Deirdre Beaubeirdra, an irritable IRS inspector looking into the Wang family’s laundromat, who appears across multiple realities. In one of the film’s most memorable scenes depicting Deirdre and Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) with hot dog fingers, audiences saw a more affectionate relationship between the two play out.
During Variety’s recent Actors on Actors conversation with Colin Farrell, Curtis shared that she originally did not understand Everything Everywhere All at Once, and noted the Daniels’ hot dog universe in particular. However, in working with Yeoh, Curtis was able to craft something beautiful. Read Curtis’ comments regarding her experience below:
“When we first met, and Michelle and I met, and the Daniels talked about the hot dog universe, I didn’t understand. I didn’t understand the movie. And I was trying to figure it out. And then we went into the set and what happened, which was so beautiful, was Michelle and I just found this gorgeous emotional place with each other.“
How EEAAO Is Different From Curtis’ Other Films
Compared to her previous work, Everything Everywhere All at Once finds Curtis in a very different kind of role, though she revealed her character in Billy Bob Thornton’s 2001 film, Daddy and Them served as the inspiration for Deirdre’s look. The actor surprised audiences with her transformation, sharing that she wanted to create a realistic representation of Deirdre, someone who does not hide her body, and her goal in Everything Everywhere All at Once involved not being fixated on one’s looks. Exploring the multiverse concept, Curtis also got to portray multiple versions of the same character, and her relationship with Evelyn is often highlighted.
No stranger to action films, Curtis has done a lot of on-screen fighting in her career, and recently wrapped up her ongoing battle with Michael Myers in the Halloween franchise. In Everything Everywhere All at Once, she goes head-to-head with Michelle Yeoh, getting to tap into a more intimidating part of Deirdre on occasion, and in more stylized sequences than the Halloween films. With the movie’s action and focus on different realities drawing comparisons to some of Marvel’s latest projects, Curtis emphasized Everything Everywhere All at Once‘s messages and strong visuals, in addition to its use of practical effects. Her vocal support of the project and its cast and crew spanned the majority of its release, and fans will likely enjoy hearing her discuss more of what went into making it.
The Daniels created one of the most talked about films of the year in Everything Everywhere All at Once, and the more behind-the-scenes stories that get shared, the more interesting the whole creative process appears. The movie was a critical and commercial success, earning several honors ahead of award season and becoming A24’s first feature to gross over $100 million globally. Everything Everywhere All at Once is certainly a unique and memorable experience, and as fans continue to show their support, many are hoping the Daniels will revisit the multiverse in a potential sequel.
Source: Variety/YouTube