The Contending talks to Parker Posey about filming the phone call scene in Wild Horse Nine.
Even though she only appears in phone calls, never physically interacting with the cast, Parker Posey makes an impact in Wild Horse Nine. Frankly, she makes an impact in most projects she touches (“Piper! Tsunami!”).
“I saw some pictures from set that gave me a sense of the world,” said Posey in a video interview, “and what it looked like and what I was entering into. And by the time we turned around to go to Moab, Utah, which was at the end of the shoot, like maybe three months after I went to Easter Island […], I only worked one day. I mean, it’s kind of wild.”
When it came to her “one day” or work, that consisted of a phone call with Sam Rockwell’s Lee, she said the 70s-set film reminded her of our dependence on landlines back in the day.
“Every time you do a scene, you bring it to life. So it’s different every time you do it. To be there on the other line when you’re on the phone with someone, this used to be the only way we could reach each other was on this phone. It’s so funny to think back to that time. And so [Sam] was on the other end, and he’s in another room for me. And I think it creates a lot of energy to just connect and not being able to connect. So it’s good for drama. I don’t think I’ve ever seen scenes where so much important stuff happens on a phone.”
Posey said she found the entire experience akin to being in a play, which is fitting since it’s a Martin McDonagh film.
“There’s something about being on a phone and not being able to convey what is really going on. You know, she can’t, because of how it’s written, I’m not getting through. And it creates this energy to fly through it. And I love that kind of writing, you know. It’s naturalistic, but there’s a wit to it.”
I had a fun conversation with Posey about the Moai heads, whether she’s been waiting in anticipation for the release of the film like the rest of the world, and most importantly, who’s Jimmy?
