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How can actors today recreate the essence of Old Hollywood? That was the task facing the ensemble of “Mank,” the new Netflix film directed by David Fincher and written by his late father Jack Fincher. Led by Gary Oldman as “Citizen Kane” co-writer Herman J. Mankiewicz, this cast used their innate charisma and considerable skill to capture the essence of real-life stars from the silver screen, immersing audiences in the moviemaking magic of the 1930s and ’40s.
As the actors explain in the behind-the-scenes featurette below, channeling such prominent people meant bringing themselves to the role rather than delivering imitations. In the titular role, says Oldman, “There’s no tricks, there’s no fireworks, there’s no wigs, there’s no false noses, there’s no prosthetics, there’s no padding. It’s just raw.”
Rather than casting based on exact resemblance, David Fincher sought actors who could bring that level of raw vulnerability in service of these figures. Charles Dance, who plays William Randolph Hearst, points out how little he shares with Hearst physically; instead, he approached the role as “a kind of representation,” the way any actor must. Arliss Howard, who brings to life Louis B. Mayer, calls the character-building process a construct that’s “always relative to the story.”
WATCH: Delroy Lindo Gives His All to ‘Da 5 Bloods’ The same can be said for Tom Pelphrey as Joe Mankiewicz, Lily Collins as Rita Alexander, and Amanda Seyfried as Marion Davies, all of whom define their characterizations in relation to Oldman’s Mank while putting their own stamp on each portrayal. “What I love the most about working with Gary is he’s 110% present at all moments, even when he’s not on screen,” says Collins. “He’d just be behind the camera, there for the other actors.”
“Every single person felt a level of excitement and a level of terror,” says Seyfried of the ensemble cast. “That, in a nutshell, is what made you feel like you were supported, because everybody was feeling the same way.”
Check out more of the conversation from the award-worthy cast members of “Mank” in the video below.
For more, go to film.netflixawards.com.