‘Mother Couch’ Director Niclas Larsson on Casting Lara Flynn Boyle, Ellen Burstyn’s ‘F—ing Crazy’ Wig and Wanting to Direct a ’13 Going on 30′ Remake
variety.comMarc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Director Niclas Larsson didn’t hold back when he approached the reclusive Lara Flynn Boyle about appearing in his new film “Mother, Couch.” “I needed someone for the character to be broken,” Larsson says. “Instead of faking a broken person, I did some research of who is really broken, and this is something I’ve been very open with Lara about.” He continues, “I went back to the ‘90s.
My mother was a hairdresser and always had all these celebrity magazines. Lara was on the cover throughout my whole childhood.
Hollywood fucking raped her. That’s what they do with the starlets.” Boyle, Ewan McGregor and Rhys Ifans star as siblings who reunite when their mother, played masterfully by Ellen Burstyn, sits on a couch in a furniture store and refuses to leave. “I didn’t want any verbal characterization between the siblings telling the audience where Lara’s character comes from, or what has happened to her,” Larsson says. “I just needed a close-up.” Despite not working much these days, Boyle signed on pretty quickly.
There was only one real obstacle: getting Boyle to dye her hair blonde. “She was like, ‘Can I do a wig?’ Larsson says. “But we definitely couldn’t do a wig because of Ellen.” Burstyn dons a platinum blonde wig in the movie that is hard to look away from.
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