LOS ANGELES — “After The Hunt,” actresses Julia Roberts (Alma) and Ayo Edebiri (Maggie) deliver powerful performances, culminating in a particularly intense scene between their characters.
“I think by that point we were well into filming with each other. So in a weird way, there, at least for me, there was like a safety in kind of being able to go to those messy dark places because we had begun to sort of start,” Edebiri spoke about the dynamic between Maggie and Alma. “To build that foundation and I felt personally really like just anchored and championed by Julia to have to be able to get to go to those places.“
The challenging task of capturing a notably physical moment in the scene initially felt daunting, Edebiri reflected. However, Roberts ensured that the scene was not only comfortable for Edebiri to execute, but also facilitated her in delivering a genuine performance.
“But if the scene is the scene that I think you’re talking about with a little slap at the end of it… then that was horrible because I had to slap Julia Roberts, who I feel like you know, I don’t know if anybody’s Caribbean here— but like Caribbean women and like Princess Diana, they’re like she’s one of us, or like Celine Dion, like she’s like so that’s my mother and Julia Roberts. So I was like, well, not ideal to have to be able to do that. But really, I think like we had spoken about it already.“
Julia Roberts emphasized her desire to create a safe and supportive environment for her co-star throughout the film, especially with those scenes between them.
“We talked, and I just said to Ayo, like, just slap me,” Roberts explained to Nitecast Media. “I didn’t want her to feel like she had to kind of pretend or, you know, it’s hard enough performing and trying to get what’s inside of you outside in the right order and the timing and to sync up with your partner. But to also have any kind of reluctance or fear, I just wanted to do whatever I could to remove that from any faraway voice in her so she was completely free to to perform in the way that she wanted to. So, I feel like that was really my responsibility, was just to make sure my friend IO felt comfortable giving the performance that she wanted to give.“
Edebiri further explored the depth of her character and how her relationship with Alma contributed to the scene’s intensity.
“For like both of those characters, I feel like they’re also in different ways at such lows, so there’s something that also it’s a bit like gratifying that you get to have a release of that. And I think for a lot of these characters, there are different things that they’re suppressing for, you know, for different reasons. But for Alma, also to be calling out very specific things that I think Maggie doesn’t want to even be thinking about, as far as how she relates to herself, her own identity, what she’s hiding, what she’s trying to project, and sort of have enveloped her. And Alma, to have that come out, it’s like it’s very intense. But I’m glad that we were able to do it together.“
After The Hunt is currently showing in theaters, that also features Andrew Garfield, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Thaddea Graham among others.
