In 1978, Stephen King wrote “The Stand”, a novel about a post-apocalyptic world, where only five percent of the population survives a pandemic. Does it sound like them? Forty-two years after its publication, and after two failed attempts, this extensive novel has become a television miniseries by the hand of Starz Play, which will release tomorrow January 3 (None translated into Spain as “Apocalypse”). With a cast full of stars, “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 performer, 2020 has been a terrible year, not only because of the pandemic that limited her work, but because of the war she is holding 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 media for her confrontation with him. In fact, that same week, an interview with him posted on YouTube received 280,000 “dislikes,” in a movement organized by fans of the actor. However, she remains positive, delighted to promote “The Stand” – one of her bookmarks – and does not shy away from adversity but did not allow the interview any questions about his ex.
In the middle of the pandemic, “The Stand” premieres. Was it planned?
Not at all. We recorded the series before the pandemic passed; and it had been four days since we had finished when the authorities decided to close us down. It was shocking. Our story is based on a global pandemic that wipes out most of the planet’s population. The consequences bring out the best and the worst of human beings, it is a final battle for the survival of our species. It is not just about surviving, but about creating a new society that shows the best of the human being. The amazing thing is that the series, which has been trying to air for years, premieres right now.
Is it true that you admired the novel and spent time behind your character?
Yes. I have loved this book since I was a little girl. It has always meant a lot to me because I was a lonely, weird, unsociable girl. In those years, books were my only friends and I was like that for quite some time. “The Stand” has a very special place in my heart. When I met Josh Boone, who wrote the script adaptation 10 years ago, we talked a lot about the novel. I’ve learned a lot in my career, and one of them 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 for the character since the studio approved the production of the novel adaptation.
Nadine’s character is iconic What was your attitude when it came to acting?
Stephen King has been able to portray a story brilliantly, where the characters who live in it do not represent good or evil as general ideas or concepts. What makes Nadine interesting is her complexity. A woman too artificial if we had chosen to represent her from a fantastic perspective. That said, she is a seductress.
You have to believe in seducers …
Life is more entertaining if we let ourselves be convinced by the seducers and perhaps justify them because we identify with this archetype. A seducer can also be vulnerable, seduction and vulnerability are not exclusive. I don’t feel like as a woman I have to apologize for being vulnerable or justify justifying myself as a seductress. Nadine is both a seductress and a survivor. There is a lot of ambiguity in it, but that happens to any human being. We all find it hard to find love, because society may not be kind, it isolates us, but we must fight the alienation that pushes us to hide.
Alexander Skarsgård is a great devil …
It’s perfect for this character. When you see it, you realize that no one else can play that role. It represents the demon that inhabits us, the one that acts through the lowest impulses, not from charity but from selfishness. I think it’s a role we all need to identify with. King’s book is a battle between good and evil, between the best and the worst that dwells within human beings; the struggle between our flaws and our virtues 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 weakness for ambiguous characters.
They are totally different women. I think the audience sees me as a naughty woman and I don’t know why. “Aquaman” was an escape for me, because I was able to play for the first time a woman who doesn’t use her feminine forms to conjure up the forces of evil (laughs). Nadine is a character with a lot of psychological background. I needed a lot of preparation, frankly; I studied how people behave when they are being mistreated, and Nadine’s journey led me to understand people coming out of sects.
Nadine is shown as a character capable of predicting the future. Do you believe in destiny?
I don’t believe in anything that I have no evidence of or am unable to understand, but I think it’s important to remember that Nadine lives in the world of Stephen King; hyperrealistic and surreal.
If I had to take stock of 2020, what would I say?
It has been a difficult year for everyone, but to survive you have to adapt. The more we evolve as human beings, the more chances we have of surviving and thriving in life.