Venice Film Festival, interview with actress of movie ‘The Shape of Water’ Allegra Fulton

The Shape of Water won the Venice Film Festival (2017) and the Oscars (2018). It have thirteen Oscar nominations. Allegra Fulton is actress of the movie.

Q. You worked on the film "The Shape of Water “. What is your role?

A. In the Shape of Water I play Yolanda, the mean girl at work, a fellow worker at the secret and mysterious facility, where Zelda (Octavia Spenser) and Eliza (Sally Hawkins) work as cleaners. 


Q. On the set com was the working relationship with the director, Guillermo del Toro and the actors? 

A. Guillermo Del Toro is very kind and attentive to his actors. He speaks lovingly and very warmly to his entire team, always rigorously exacting what he wants, but with such love and great humour. I had the most delicious time working with both Sally and Octavia, who I had to pretend to dislike enormously and really shoot daggers from my eyes at. Guillermo would yell “More hate Yolanda! More hate!” - So I would turn on the evil eye and…well, thats where the acting came in, because honestly I did have such a nice rapport with them both. They are both lovely people and extremely down to earth, both with great sense of humour. So we did laugh! When I wasn’t in the scenes I was very fortunate to be able to hang around the monitor and watch the master at work. I was always hoping I wasn’t too much like a fly on his shoulder, but just was in my own Del Toro film school watching all his complex choices and how he dealt with the crew and his actors. It was a tremendous education.

Q. The film is also fantasy. Do you love fantasy movies?

A. I love movies so much but I have to admit fantasy has not usually been my favourite genre. However Del Toro does fantasy like no one else, which has a social- political and intelligent bent, so there, I make exceptions. His whole quest to understand the monster inside us all and the shadow side, is so interesting.

Q. You worked also in “Maps to the Stars”. How is David Cronenberg as a director, he gives precise indications or does it leave you improvised?

A. David Cronenberg is very kind and funny and warm and just immediately made me welcome and complicit in the movie making with him. I adored working with! He also let me hang out around the monitor and watch how he was choosing to edit right away, what he was looking for, how he made choices. He is very precise in his direction, and no, it’s not all improvised by any means, but he directs with such a relaxed and affable air that he makes it feel like it’s your idea. Very smart. Very lovely.

Q. You worked in theatre. What is your favorite character?

A. I am so very lucky to have done a lot of theatre in my life and I have SO many favourite roles!! Some of them include, Adriana, Katerina, Cassius in Shakespeare, Paulina in Ariel Doorman’s Death and the Maiden, the role of Frida Kahlo in my mother Gloria Montero’s’ Frida K. that was invited to Mexico city, and toured around North America including a very successful off-broadway run at Soho Rep, and has also played all over Europe with different actresses. I’m fortunate and grateful to continue to return to the theatre. It is my spiritual home. Lately I have begun directing as well. Two seasons ago I directed the Catalan premiere of Jeniffer Tremblay’s La Llista In Barcelona’s presitigious Teatre Lliure. and just this past fall, David Mamets’ Oleanna in Toronto.