The Art of More Interview: Kate Bosworth on Femme Fatales

Crackle has renewed their first scripted original series, The Art of More, for a second season. If you haven’t watched the first season yet, all 10 episodes are now available on Crackle. Before the show premiered, the cast of The Art of More met with the Television Critics Association over the summer to discuss the drama set in the high stakes world of art auctions.

After the TCA panel, I got a chance to go up to Kate Bosworth for a few more questions about The Art of More. Bosworth described her character, Roxanna Whitman, as a femme fatale, so that’s where I picked up.

Nerd Report: I’m glad you said femme fatale. Do you get to give a very vampy, sultry performance?

Kate Bosworth: What I love about this character is that she’s sexy and also the smartest person in the room. Honestly, to be candid, a lot of the roles that I read where the sexuality is played, the character isn’t very intelligent. What I love so much about this role is that femme fatale [aspect]. She’s a very intriguing, mysterious woman, also very smart and vicious. I’m excited to play her. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.

Nerd Report: Who are your favorite movie femme fatales?

Kate Bosworth: Dorothy Vallens played by Isabella Rossellini in Blue Velvet, 1986. Laura Manion played by Lee Remick Anatomy of a Murder, 1959. Matty Walker played by Kathleen Turner in Body Heat, 1981. Catwoman played by Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns, 1992. Madeleine Elster / Judy Barton played by Kim Novak in Vertigo, 1958.

Nerd Report: Great list. Who is Roxanna when we meet her in the first episode?

Kate Bosworth: She’s a very armored person. I think she has to be in this type of an industry. It’s a man’s world. She has to go to some extreme lengths to get what she wants and needs. So there’s kind of a harder exterior I think from the very front. You’re not sure what she’s thinking. You’re not sure what her weaknesses are and it’s deliberate. That’s how she is and I think as the series continues, you start to see her vulnerabilities and the different people or situations that bring that type of emotion or vulnerability to her, and softness and humanity. Obviously there has to be humanity in characters you play, even if they’re vicious and tough. I think that that was the part of her that I wanted to develop as the series progressed.

Nerd Report: Is she involved in the auction scenes themselves?

Kate Bosworth: Oh yeah. She’s the executive but also the daughter of one of the daughters of one of the owners. It’s one of the biggest auction houses so I’m an executive there. Obviously I’m trying to prove myself to my father and get the biggest clients. My character and Christian [Cooke]’s character, Graham, are antagonists. Yet even though they’re enemies in a way, they’re moths to a flame to each other.

Nerd Report: Is it easy to create tension of people bidding each other up?

Kate Bosworth: Oh, absolutely. When you’re in the room and they’re staging an auction, you hear the dialogue of the amount of money that’s going back and forth, it’s exciting. You really feel like you’re a part of that theater, absolutely.

Nerd Report: You did a TV series in the beginning of your career, Young Americans. Is it very different now in 2015 in this format?

Kate Bosworth: One of the most attractive aspects of the show to me was the fact that it’s all shot, 10 episodes, so it’s just enough I think for everybody and also for us to feel like you’re doing somewhat of an extended cinematic experience. That’s what I love so much about working with this team is that kind of cinematic approach and the quality that they’re wanting to upkeep is very high. I don’t feel the difference being on the set to a movie honestly, other than directors coming in every two episodes. It’s like Dennis said, we all truly are so focused on upkeeping the quality of our character, of the show, asking questions, wanting it to be better. We’re really lucky that way. It’s a dream job in that sense that we’re able to develop with the creators. If there’s something that maybe we don’t quite understand or don’t believe in, they really work with us and collaborate so that there is the best possible result.

Nerd Report: Is it also different coming into a show with such an established career behind you, versus when you were starting out?

Kate Bosworth: I remember I was 15, so I was just trying to figure out everything at that point. I really was. My first job was The Horse Whisperer and I ended up getting that because I loved horses and went on an open call. I was still in the stages of knowing I loved something so much but trying to really understand and learn my craft. I was sort of an unbridled colt, philly I guess, just trying to get my legs underneath me at that point. Just trying to take experience, I had to learn through experience which is the best type of learning but also quite difficult because you’re learning on the fly. Your mistakes are made on camera so that can be confronting I guess, but also you just have to do it. You just have to do the work. That’s something I had to learn just through experience was just trying to put good moments in front of the next moment and don’t worry so much about everything else. Just do the work and the rest will follow. With this, I feel like I’ve had enough experience, I think, just to know how to be the strongest artist in my process rather than flailing around when I was 15. I know myself much better now.

Nerd Report: Have you kept up any horseback riding or surfing?

Kate Bosworth: I haven’t surfed in a long time although I still have the board. I had everyone sign it actually.

Nerd Report: So you can’t use it anymore.

Kate Bosworth: No, I can’t use it. I wouldn’t use it. No, but horse riding I love. I love riding. It’s really my great love. I feel very calm when I’m riding.