Words of Love: Shailene Woodley and Felicity Jones on The Last Letter From Your Lover | Interviews

Speaking with RogerEbert.com over Zoom, Woodley and Jones discussed their performances in the film, the story’s depiction of two women from contrasting eras, and much more. To read our interview with author Jojo Moyes and director Augustine Frizzell, click here. 

In the book and in the movie, there’s the senes that when Jennifer comes out of the coma, she’s relearning what kind of role that she’s playing in this marriage and society. What was most important to you in presenting that?

SHAILENE WOODLEY: I didn’t know what the rules were, in England in the 1960s for divorce for women, and it turns out, they couldn’t get one! Even if they wanted one. It was fascinating and difficult, a challenge, to put myself in the mindset of knowing that Jennifer couldn’t do something that she wanted because there was legal implications for her following her true heart’s desire. And I think that was probably the biggest challenge, because that was something I’ve never had to face in my life, I’ve always had the privilege and blessing to live the life that I want. Reckoning with her instincts, and her desire, while also having the landscape of a very suppressive and controlling experience for women, was something that Augustine and I spoke about a lot. 

Your character is now American in this version—did that affect how you approached it? 

SW: Originally she was supposed to be English, and when Augustine and I got to England, we were two of the only Americans on the whole production, which was amazing. To be immersed in a different country and a different culture. And she actually decided to change Jennifer to being an American, she thought that it would help isolate her even more in this world of not having family around, being from a different country all together. It would make her feel even more kind of stuck in the circumstances she was in. And I actually really loved that decision, and through that I think we were able to really set the tone, that this woman is completely on her own, even though she’s an American, surrounded by her peers and her community. Her emotional state, and her emotional being, is very isolated. 

Felicity, your half of the story brings a different kind of energy; for one, it’s very funny. I was curious about the scene in which you stuff a sandwich down your throat. 

FELICITY JONES: Yeah, it was actually kind of classic movie moment. But it was, it took a few takes, and we shot it early in the morning so I was really happy to be eating numerous amounts of croissants. I was really into it. But then slowly as we did more and more takes, then I realized that I was getting a little full, so we did the old, hold it in your mouth and spit it out in the bin under the camera, which is a good old trick. But we did try different versions of that sequence, because it’s so precise, the timing. And then when she goes for there coffee as well. It was definitely fun to do, total physical humor. Screwball, old fashioned 1940s vibe.