Jennifer Connelly has been cast as a heroin addict (Requiem for a Dream); the wife of a schizophrenic (A Beautiful Mind); a woman obsessed with reclaiming her home (House of Sand and Fog); a journalist reporting on diamond mining issues (Blood Diamond); a mother who loses her young son (Reservation Road); and, recently, a scientist facing cataclysm (The Day the Earth Stood Still). Whew!
Though the Brooklyn-bred and Stanford-educated Connelly is serious, we're pleased to report that she's also refreshingly candid and honest about her life. During this unhurried interview, the actress, chic in black jeans, black knee-high boots and a fitted camel turtleneck, is generous with her answers and her time. She describes life with her husband, fellow actor Paul Bettany (they met while filming A Beautiful Mind), and sons, Kai, 11, and Stellan, 5, as "stable and happy, although slightly frantic." Given her relentless schedule, Connelly, 38, still appears to be on top of her game workwise. After all, she's just checked another career goal off the list—doing a comedy. This month she stars alongside Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson and Ginnifer Goodwin in He's Just Not That Into You, a big-buzz screen adaptation of the bestselling dating advice book. Taking on the role of Janine, a woman who worries about her husband's fidelity, gave her a chance to laugh about the war between the sexes and lighten up as an actress—all without having to go blond!
GLAMOUR: Many think of you as the Queen of Angst. You've often said you find those roles interesting. But you aren't, in real life, a dark, disturbed person, are you?
JENNIFER CONNELLY: No. I don't feel angst-ridden!
GLAMOUR: Lately you've wanted to be considered for less serious roles. Did He's Just Not That Into You fit the bill?
JENNIFER CONNELLY: Yeah. I had just done a film called Reservation Road, which was about a mother who loses a child, and it was harrowing. It was fun to do something very different.
GLAMOUR: A chick flick.
JENNIFER CONNELLY: It was not like anything I'd done.
GLAMOUR: Scarlett Johansson plays a yoga teacher intent on stealing your husband in He's Just Not That Into You. And she does it without feeling any guilt.
JENNIFER CONNELLY: Oh, I've met all kinds of people who practice yoga who are uptight or messed up. And some people see yoga classes as pickup places.
GLAMOUR: In the movie, your character suspects that her husband is cheating. What do you consider to be a relationship deal breaker?
JENNIFER CONNELLY: I have a thing about honesty; I think it's crucial to a relationship. Otherwise, one person holds all the power. It's healthy to be straightforward, and it turns out you can wind up weathering a lot. Knowing that everything is on the table—what you see is what you get—lends a sense of safety.
GLAMOUR: And how do you apply that to your own marriage?
JENNIFER CONNELLY: Neither my husband nor I am interested in mincing words. If I break something, for example, I have to announce it. I'm a compulsive confessor.
GLAMOUR: Do you agree with the concept of your new film—if a guy doesn't act overly enthusiastic, or make a great effort in a relationship, he's "just not that into you"?
JENNIFER CONNELLY: Not necessarily: It could also mean he's not able to translate nice feelings into nice behavior. Or that he has really horrible communication skills. But you wouldn't want to be in that relationship, anyway!
GLAMOUR: As a married woman, do you have a perspective on the singles scene?
JENNIFER CONNELLY: It's been so long since I've dated that I don't understand what's going on anymore with things like Facebook and MySpace. A friend of mine wrote "LOL" to me the other day. I thought she meant "Lord, oh, Lord."
GLAMOUR: Laugh out loud!
JENNIFER CONNELLY: I've been married for almost six years, you know.
GLAMOUR: I do. Did anybody ever try to set you up when you were single?
JENNIFER CONNELLY: Yes. It was horrible! I went on a date with a guy who played his guitar for me and was so full of himself. We had plans to go out to a party, and he was driving and I remember saying, "You know what? I'm so sorry, but I'd like to go home please." So I got out of the car and I left.
GLAMOUR: Personally I don't think a guy should play guitar on a first date. What's your view of single men these days?
JENNIFER CONNELLY: It's really hard to make generalizations. And the men in He's Just Not That Into You are all really different. There's one who dates a lot and sleeps with a lot of women but is pretty up-front about it. One is married and cheating but in pain about it. Another isn't married but is actually very devoted as a boyfriend.
GLAMOUR: By the way, did you know that a recent news story says that densely populated cities are good for marriages? Apparently, having a lot of social ties and cultural stimulation keeps a married couple's life fresh.
JENNIFER CONNELLY: That's actually part of the reason why we moved back to downtown Manhattan from Brooklyn. All of our friends are here. I can walk to see them. As a kid, I always liked when I went to other people's houses and I'd see everyone coming and going.
GLAMOUR: What has been the biggest surprise about marriage?
JENNIFER CONNELLY: It's interesting watching certain fears I once had fall away. I used to have a hard time with physical separation: Whenever we were apart, I would find myself on edge and think this or that is going to happen—which is not a good problem for an actor to have! Over time I came to find out that my husband's behavior was at odds with my negative expectations, so that fear vanished. Now I feel safe and am able to relax.
GLAMOUR: In your next role you appear opposite your husband in Creation, a film about Darwin. You play Emma, his wife.
JENNIFER CONNELLY: They were an amazing couple. She was devoutly religious and he, of course, wrote The Origin of Species, which signified the ultimate loss of faith. The movie takes place after one of their children has died.
GLAMOUR: You, yourself, recently suffered a great loss—your father passed away. How were your first holidays without him?
JENNIFER CONNELLY: It was very challenging. I was very close to him, as were my husband and kids. It's the first real heartbreak I've experienced. I think he would want those of us who loved him to fight to experience joy, so I've been striving to remember him in a positive way. I don't have to work to feel the sadness of his loss. But I do have to work to feel happy about [having had] the time I had with him.
GLAMOUR: I'm so sorry.
JENNIFER CONNELLY: Thank you.
GLAMOUR: Well, I actually have another work question: Creation will be the first time you'll be on set with Paul since A Beautiful Mind.
JENNIFER CONNELLY: Yeah. When we met back then, we liked each other, but we didn't do anything about it. We were both in relationships. We didn't get together until months and months after that film.
GLAMOUR: Did he eventually ask you out?
JENNIFER CONNELLY: He called, but we didn't really talk much until he broke up with his girlfriend and I broke up with my boyfriend. I don't think people leave someone for someone else. I stayed in that relationship, and that relationship eventually ended. But then when I saw Paul again and we were both single, we got together really quickly.
GLAMOUR: How could you be so sure he was The One?
JENNIFER CONNELLY: I don't know. It was something about the way that we were together. He stood out to me as someone singular and rare and beautiful, and I liked the way he was in the world. I liked the way he was with people. I liked the way he was with my son and the way he made me feel.
GLAMOUR: So I'm guessing you don't ever look at the singles scene now and feel like you're missing out on any fun.
JENNIFER CONNELLY: I had enough time being single to know I have no regrets about being married!
