Illness helped me - Tilda

2008-12-02 12:00

London - Tilda Swinton says getting dysentery helped her performance in her new movie.

The Oscar-winning British actress - who plays an alcoholic in Julia, which was hit by severe budget cuts and shot in Los Angeles - claims the debilitating illness, which leaves sufferers with chronic diarrhoea, helped her connect with the role.

"Shooting 17-hour days over six-day weeks, everybody with dysentery - it made that film. It's not that we made a film about an alcoholic, but that we made an alcoholic film," said Tilda, 48.

Tilda insists she had a clear idea of how she wanted to portray the struggling character, who kidnaps a millionaire's grandson in the movie, but was also inspired by director Erick Zonka's vision.

"I wanted my performance to display the kind of inventiveness and imagination and energy and courage and va-va voom that I recognised in all drunks I've known," she said.

Although Tilda is famous for her serious roles, she views herself as a funny person rather than a brooding actress.

"I think I'm funny a lot of the time - but other people don't see it. Maybe people get put off by tall people with serious expressions?" she added.

Julia is released on December 5. - Bang Showbiz.com

- Bang