f there's one word to describe Juliet Landau it may be eclectic. There is not a field in the entertainment business she has not attempted and conquered; whether it be acting in television, film, on stage, or even directing and producing. Now she ventures in a world of comic book writing but with a character better known to her than any other person; maybe even, dare we say, Joss Whedon. Juliet has a genetic wealth of talent to draw from with such a gifted lineage in parents as Martin Landau and Barbara Bain. Martin being on of the greatest character actors to grace the American screen, it is no wonder his daughter would create a character so rich, diverse, and melodic that her fans would span generations. We last saw Drusilla in Angel's Episode 8 of Season 5, "Destiny". A flashback to the Royal London Hotel, England 1880. Now IDW and Juliet bring Dru back to life in a 2-part comic epic. CoA had the pleasure of chatting with her recently and we'll be bringing you a 2-part epic of our own. First, a closer look into the Angel comic series this month and then a following feature on Juliet's recent film project, Take Flight, next month.
RETURN OF AN OLD FRIEND
CityofAngel.com: This summer you joined forces with IDW to write a two issue Angel comic and reunited fans with their favorite vampiress Drusilla. Can you discuss how that project came about?
Juliet Landau: Chris Ryall and Brian Lynch approached me and asked if I would like to do it. I was thrilled at the idea of revisiting Dru. I was in the midst of editing the Godhead HERO music video that I co-directed when we had our initial phone conversation. As I hung up, the idea for the story came to me.
CoA: In creating the script for the Drusilla issues, can you describe that process?
JL:I wrote it in script form (Final Draft) and they loved it so we progressed from there. From the script, Brian wrote a synopsis for Issue 1. I re-worked it and sent it back to him. We did the same thing with the synopsis for Issue 2. Next, I asked Chris to send me a few of the previous issues’ final scripts. I compared and studied them against the printed comics, so that I could learn the formatting, structure, number of panels per page etc…
Brian wrote the first 5-pages of Issue 1 and sent them to me. I reworked them and sent them back. We did that to page 13, back and forth to page 22. At that point, I rewrote the Issue 2 synopsis and sent it to Brian. He sent me the first 5-pages of Issue 2. I reworked them and then I continued on to page 22.
I wanted to explore certain themes, a significant one being, order versus chaos. The doctors/the Institution think they have all of the answers, but Dru’s very existence defies that. She’s a character that cannot be reigned in. I also wanted to play with the visuals, to further the story. The Institution and the people in it are cold, sterile, stark. Drusilla is the most vibrant element in each frame. Even though she is undead, she is more alive than the world surrounding her. For the internal art, I think I sent Franco about 1200 labeled visual references! I also worked with two different artists designing the additional covers and bonus art: They are Sam Shearon - Mister Sam and Mark McHaley.
CoA: As someone who has nurtured Drusilla, what do you think drives her?
JL: I think Dru is a very emotion based character. Her wires got a bit crossed from what Angelus did to her. There is a lot of pain in her, but she is also capable of boundless love. She is diabolical but also eternally childlike. She is mercurial, incandescent and moves to her own drummer. She is an incredibly powerful, forceful creature.
CoA: What it was like revisiting Drusilla, as a character, after being away from it for a number of years? Did you discover anything new about her?
JL: I loved picking her back up. It came surprisingly fluidly, I guess from having inhabited the character for such a long time. Writing really felt like acting in an episode, because I sort of got inside it when writing her dialogue etc. I am not sure if I learned anything new, but it was exciting to have Dru on her own, to be able to flesh out this story-arc.
CoA: What did Bryan Lynch bring to the table and how did that inspire you?
JL: Brian is amazingly talented. We worked beautifully together. He knows this universe backwards and forwards. I was inspired and taken with his work on all of the issues before we embarked on this collaboration.
CoA: You got to work with artists like Franco Urru. Briefly discuss that creative process if you could. What was your creative input into the art? Did you give suggestions? Did they pass ideas by you?
JL: Franco is wonderfully gifted and also a lovely guy, a joy to work with! He really wanted to bring the vision I had in my head to life, within the confines of our deadlines etc. A lot of the images I sent his way were frames from Kubrick films. I wanted the environment to be streamlined and stripped back, close to a Japanese aesthetic. And again Dru’s porcelain white skin and colorful attire to be in contrast to all those around her in the sterile, modern, gray world that she finds herself in. A world that is at odds with the Victorian times she belongs to.
Juliet Landau ~ photo by Deverill Weekws
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CoA: Each issue also includes an extra photo gallery of yourself, shot by Deverill Weekes, who you also worked with on HERO. What was it like working with him and showing so many different looks?
JL: Deverill and I work so well together! . He is extraordinarily talented. It is incredibly creative and fun to collaborate with him. Co-directing the HERO music video was exciting. We each brought our different skill set and it melded perfectly. We have worked together on tons of editorial still shoots and on these photos for the bonus gallery within the comics. He has an amazing eye. I love what I do because I get to be a chameleon and don “different skins.” What is so nice about the shoots that Deverill and I do, is that they are character based. It is not just about standing there and posing. It is about communicating something. They take a lot of work. We always pull a lot of reference imagery and come up with a concept etc.
CoA: As with most ‘character’ actors, when you ‘don’ a role that character becomes a part of you. Your father Martin Landau is undeniably one of the best; does he give you any advice?
JL: I think that growing up with both of my parents being actors, the best advice I received from them was to stay connected to my passion and why I chose to do this. There is a lot of unpleasant stuff and rejection to deal with in the business, but if you stay connected to why you are doing it, it is all worth it. It really is lucky to get to make a living at what you love.
CoA: What do you hope Dru fans will come away with after seeing her again?
JL:
I hope that people enjoy the comics. I don’t think Dru as a character is often aware of what is motivating her. I wanted the reader to make the connection between her dark history and her present actions, especially in Issue 2, where it is evident from the flashbacks that she is recreating past traumas and violence. We all act out, based on our past (to lesser degrees, I hope!) I was interested in exploring that reservoir. Also, Drusilla is eternally tormented. (It has already been 150-years.) For her, real Hell is a walk in the park. It is like going home, literally…
CoA: Can we expect to see you doing other comics in the future? Has a Drusilla follow-up been discussed?
JL: Yes, there are discussions about Drusilla reemerging in the comic book world. I have a number of cool story ideas for that. I am also currently writing an original comic book series of my own creation that could work as a film. I am really excited about it, as it is exceedingly different in nature.
CoA: The one thing about vampires that fascinates readers and fans is their immortality. If you could place Dru in any given timeline and place, over the centuries, where would you like to see her and what would she be doing?
JL: Wow… hard to say. There are so many. That is what is so fun about a character that can span the centuries. It’s too bad Dru wasn’t alive in the 1700’s. It would be interesting to see her in the French court.
Written by CoA Writer, Michael Conrad
CityofAngel.com would like to graciously thank Juliet Landau for such a wonderful interview
and for giving so much of her time.
For more information, visit Juliet Landau's Official website:
JulietLandau.com
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