Come Christmas, Rooney Mara will make history (and, quite possibly, the biggest movie of her career) when she plays vengeful goth girl Lisbeth Salander in the American remake of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo." And while the jet-black locks, extreme haircut and multiple body piercings are all strictly for professional purposes, it's clear from her super-serious interview in November's Vogue that her role has Lisbeth has given her more than just a wild hairdo.
Rooney's photoshoot for the magazine shows a woman who's more grownup, more angular and a whole lot colder than the wholesome-looking college student she played in "The Social Network." And while she'll probably get rid of the piercings and dye her eyebrows back to their natural brown once production is done, she also says that her androgynous role in "TGWTDT" has permanently changed her personal aesthetic:
"Before, I dressed much girlier,” she said. “A lot of blush-colored things. Now I literally roll out of bed and put on whatever is there. I have really enjoyed being a boy this last year."
Of course "boy" isn't what comes to mind when you talk about the dynamics in this movie; Lisbeth is one of the most powerfully sexual female characters ever portrayed on film, and director David Fincher's gritty and in-your-face approach to the script made some waves earlier this year when a poster featuring Rooney, topless and sporting a nipple piercing, was leaked on the internet. But here, too, it's clear that making this movie has influenced her worldview in some interesting ways.
"There’s a certain way people are used to seeing nude women, and that’s in a submissive, coy pose, not looking at the camera,” Mara explained. “And in this poster, I’m looking dead into the camera with no expression on my face. I think it freaks a lot of people out.”
Personally, we already thought the poster—and Rooney's unflinching expression on it—was awesome. But hearing straight from the source just how she feels about this difficult role, and how committed she is to giving it her all, leaves no doubt that it's going to be a stunner of a film.
What do you think of Rooney's take on Lisbeth? Sound off in the comments and on Twitter!
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