Kelly Reilly wanted to do justice to her character and not mess it up in front of Denzel Washington.
Yellowstone fame Kelly Reilly was paired opposite Denzel Washington in Robert Zemeckis’ drama film Flight. In the film, Reilly played a heroin addict Nicole Maggen, while Washington played the role of pilot Whip Whitaker, an alcoholic. The intense film was a challenging experience for Reilly, who had to screen test opposite Washington to get the role.
She recalled being frightened of messing up the role, with a legendary actor playing alongside her. However, she managed to capture the right emotions to play the tough role of an addict. Flight was a critical and commercial success and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for Washington.
Kelly Reilly Was Nervous About Her Role In Critically Acclaimed Film Opposite Denzel Washington
When Kelly Reilly went to audition for the role in Robert Zemeckis‘ Flight, she was obviously nervous. She has been acting since the early 2000s, with roles in Pride & Prejudice and Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes. She hated auditioning for roles and was especially nervous to read her lines alongside Denzel Washington.
During an interview with IndieWire, she shared her experience of acting alongside Washington. She shared that she was terrified to meet the actor but when she met with him, they started talking about the script and their parts in it. She eventually got more comfortable with the acting legend once they started reading their lines for a screen test. She shared with IndieWire:
I didn’t even know if I was reading when I met Denzel. They said, “He may read with you, he may not read with you,” and I was like, “Alright.” I just went in, I was terrified — but at the same time, I’m not twenty years old anymore; I said, “Alright, I’m here. I haven’t got anything to lose. If I don’t get it, this is an amazing experience.”
I met Denzel; he was obviously charming and incredibly intelligent, and we started talking about the script and the parts. He eventually said, “Okay, let’s read.” And so we started to read…
When she walked out of the audition, she was not sure whether she landed the job but she was immensely satisfied with the experience. She was offered the role and Reilly shared that her role was challenging. She further shared her movie experience, playing the role of a character darker than Yellowstone‘s Beth Dutton.
Kelly Reilly Was Not Scared To Play The Dark Character Nicole Maggen
Fans have seen Kelly Reilly in a really messed up state as Beth Dutton, but it appears that the role of Beth was a cakewalk compared to Nicole. However, all the dark places of her character did not bother Reilly. She revealed that she was more scared that she wouldn’t be able to do the character justice.
She shared that she had the added pressure of working with Denzel Washington. Reilly had a larger audience watching her in this film due to the legend’s involvement. She also wanted to play the character responsibly, as it was easier to fall into stereotypes with such characters. She shared with IndieWire:
I wasn’t scared because of the dark places, I was more scared that I wouldn’t be able to get it right. I think that every actor just wants to honor a character, and be true to it — and to not f*ck up, really.
The pressure, for me, was also who I was working with; suddenly, the audience was going to be a bit bigger, for me, and I really wanted to just stick to what I felt and how I visioned this character. I also felt a slight responsibility playing a heroin addict, since it’s a role that’s filled with such stereotypes.
Kelly Reilly’s film received positive reviews and grossed $161.8 million at the box office against a production budget of $31 million (via Box Office Mojo). Reilly will return to screens for the final part of Yellowstone, scheduled for release on November 10, 2024.
Flight is now available for streaming on Max.
