TV & Movies
Playing a Mennonite mother isnt for the faint of heart.
Claire Foy is known for her royal portrayals.
But it was the possibility of playing a fictional Mennonite mother that made Foy burn with desire.
It was bordering on desperation.
Then [director] Sarah [Polley] gave it to me.
What was she thinking?
Yet despite its simplicity, it feels epic in scope.
But the film doesnt center on the violence, and the audience never witnesses it.
In Foys hands, Salome is also a small package that packs a big punch.
And I was like, But it won’t be, though!
Below, Foy reflects on self-preservation, Mennonite community documentaries, and drinking tequila with the cast.
You mentioned that your desire to play Salome was bordering on desperation.
What was it about the character that you had such an affinity for?
I loved her fire, her energy.
In the book, Miriam describes Salome as having vesuvian eyes.
But I think she had a huge capacity for love.
She loves her children, her family, her community, her faith.
I think she’s a very giving person.
And she would never complain about being tired, while I complain about being tired all the time.
Theres a ton of source material for this film.
How far down the rabbit hole of research did you go?
Which layers of this story most helped you in crafting your Salome?
I then tried to do as much research as I could into Mennonite communities with a couple of documentaries.
And obviously Miriam was in a Mennonite colony herself.
Did you find yourself opening up in ways that surprised you?
Everyone has a different approach to stuff like that.
She realized that this story wasn’t just going to affect the actors who were in it.
It was going to affect the people who were filming it as well.
And she just had an amazing capacity to read the room and we’d just stop.
We’d just put down the tools and have a break and then come back to it.
How are you able to protect yourself in those moments?
I don’t know whether it’s a good wall.
It could be a really bad, toxic wall that I’ve built up.
It would’ve been very unsafe for me.
How did you and the cast unwind after shooting?
It depends what sort of scene we were doing.
If we were doing a very intense emotional scene, we’d all have a cuddle.
We would have to be like, “Who wants to go out for a drink?
We need to shake this off.”
Any tequila and decompression nights that youd be willing to elaborate on?
I’m not going to share anything with you.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
