Becoming Jodie: A Conversation with Lili Bord
The worlds of small-time gangsters and burnt-out City Boys collide in the hugely entertaining, fast-paced crime thriller THE SMOKE, arriving on DVD and digital platforms from October 20th, 2014 courtesy of Signature Entertainment.
Starring Matt Di Angelo (TV’S Eastenders and Hustle), Anna Passey (A Landscape of Lies, TV’s Hollyoaks), Stephen Marcus (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Kinky Boots) and Christian Brassington (Redemption, Elizabeth: The Golden Age), THE SMOKE follows city lawyer Brad Walker (Di Angelo) on the worst day of his life. His high-maintenance girlfriend Sasha (Passey) has unceremoniously ditched him for his so-called friend Tom (Brassington) and to add insult to injury he’s just been fired…
On a night out drowning his sorrows with old friend Dean (Jeff Leach), he happens to overhear a conversation between Phil (Darren Ripley) and Ben (Marcus) – two drug dealers working for small-time gangster Jack (Alan Ford). In no time at all, Brad manages to make off with a sports car, a call girl and £400,000 in cash… But that’s just the start.
High-octane, gritty, and with its tongue firmly in its cheek, THE SMOKE holds its own as an action-packed British gangster thriller that keeps its sense of humour – while showing just how quickly your luck can change in the Smoke…
The Fan Carpet had the pleasure of speaking to Lili Bordán who plays Jodie in The Smoke, ahead of its release on DVD and Digital Platforms this Monday.
In our interview, we go right back to the beginning, we talk about her influences for her leading role and how she got involved and she tells us what she’s a fan of…
Let’s go back to the beginning, what drew you to pursue a career in acting?
I would not have had the courage to choose the life of an actor if my mother, Hungarian actress icon of the 70s, wasn’t there to nudge me along. The truth is, it’s a glorified game of pretend with lots of booby-traps along the way. I like to think this form of artistic expression is an inherent talent, but there’s much more to it than that.
What drew you to The Smoke, and how did you get involved?
“The Smoke” director Ben Pickering got in touch with me from London one day, and said he had seen me as Anna Sandor, in the BBC’s Silent Witness, and thought I would be right for the female lead of a new film. Ben wanted someone Eastern European, and someone crazy enough to understand the wild and wounded character of Jodie. I taped a few scenes, and sent them to Ben and the Slate 4 team, and that’s how it all started!
Can you talk about your influences for your character?
To get my feet wet, I watched some of the older movies of my co-stars. I’ve found that the cast tend to set the tone of a film more than anything else. I wanted to get a sense of where this was all going. I watched most of the Guy Ritchie films, as that is a director much of our cast, such as Alan Ford, Velibor Topic and Stephen Marcus had worked with. Her Majesties Secret Service was referenced in an important scene between me and Matt Di Angelo, and it was so great, I watched it several times over! I think my character Jodie, in “The Smoke” secretly wanted to be a Bond Girl. She’s an adrenaline junkie, but quite a romantic as well, her dream being to “move to Paris, have a dog, and man to walk it.”
Speaking of your character, can you tell us about her and where she fits into the story?
Besides Adrenaline and romance, Jodie is also addicted to drugs, which is hinted at very subtly in the film. It’s not specified whether it’s her addiction, loneliness, or insecurity that lead her to sell her body, but this film finds her at a crucial point in her life, when she’s had enough, and want’s a clean slate. Jodie meets Brad in the opportune moment, when he himself is running away from his past. The successful London lawyer and the discarded Hungarian call-girl- It’s a a beautifully explosive union of star-crossed lovers.
What’s next for you?
I’ve just wrapped a lead on Disney feature American Girl and am currently filming CBC series Camp X, based on the true story of an Allied spy training and operations facility in Canada during WWII. I play the role of Kate, a corporal in the Canadian Women’s Army Corp who receives and sends encrypted messages containing instructions for spies behind enemy lines.
Can you talk about any memorable moments on set?
the love scene with Matt Di Anfgelo, was most memorable because we couldn’t stop laughing. But I must say, he was very spoiled on set. He was surrounded by beautiful, talented women, such as Anna Passey, and Lindsay Armaou just to name a few.
Finally, we’d like to know what you’re a fan of in general?
Whether it’s theatre, TV, or cinema, I crave stories that are told with sensitivity and a salacious indulgence in character. I believe that back-story is important, as is a through-line or recurring theme. I really loved Beasts of the Southern Wild, and some of Lars Von Trier’s older films, like Breaking the Waves. I did enjoy watching all that Guy Ritchie and James Bond, and if you like films that move fast without sacrificing depth and motivation of character, you will enjoy The Smoke!
THE SMOKE HITS DVD FROM SIGNATURE ENTERTAINMENT ON MONDAY OCTOBER 20