Sienna Miller wants more female stories in Hollywood.
In “American Woman“, the actress plays a mother grappling with the tragedy of losing a child over the course of a decade. On the red carpet at the film’s Hollywood premiere, Miller noted the lack of roles for women in character studies like this one.
“A woman that begins as one person and ends as another, to be able to explore that arc was just unheard of,” Miller explained to Variety. “To get that kind of role — it’s very rare.”
“I hope that it will happen more and more for women and female stories,” she added.
Miller’s performance has been met with early critical buzz and Christina Hendricks, who plays Miller’s sister in the film, threw in yet another positive review. “She definitely deserves [an Oscar nomination],” Hendricks told Variety. “Every scene I was in with her was ‘wow.'”
Co-star Will Sasso compared watching Miller transform on set to a virtual reality experience. “Sienna is on fire in this film. It was like the most amazing VR game. I got to experience ‘American Woman’ the VR experience,” he added.
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Miller reciprocated the praise in her analysis of her co-stars’ performances, saying “everybody just stripped themselves down and was completely raw and open. There was no ego around. No pretension.
Hendricks credited the strength of the acting to director Jake Scott‘s commitment to character development. According to Hendricks, the director went over the characters with the actors every night and held extensive rehearsals before shooting. “You don’t always get that luxury in Hollywood,” she explained.
“You’re constantly asking the question, ‘Does it feel authentic?’ Is this ringing true?’ Scott said of helping form the performances. “We’re exploring fairly deep territories in the human experience.”
“American Woman” comes to theaters June 14.
