Actress Juliet Landau from Buffy and Angel, talks GREEN LANTERN: First Flight

Posted: Thursday, May 21, 2009
Posted By: Kevin Powers

Actress Juliet Landau, a fanboy favorite from her devious appearances
on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, easily glides into the voice of
sultry alien Labella in Green Lantern: First Flight, the next DC
Universe animated original PG-13 movie coming to DVD on July 28, 2009.

Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation are set to
release the all-new Green Lantern: First Flight in a Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def
edition, a special edition 2-disc DVD, and a single disc DVD. Warner
Home Video will distribute the action-packed movie, which will also be
available OnDemand and Pay-Per-View as well as available for download
day and date, July 28, 2009.

Landau is best known for her portrayal of vampire Drusilla in Buffy
the Vampire Slayer and Angel. She initially turned heads with standout
performances in Tim Burton’s Ed Wood and opposite Whoopi Goldberg in
Theodore Rex; she has done oodles of voiceover work, including
recurring roles on Justice League Unlimited and Ben 10: Alien Force;
and she has three upcoming films in various stages of production.

Turning her attention behind the camera, Landau has received notable
praise for her initial pair of directing gigs. She helmed Take Flight,
a documentary centering on the creative process of actor/director Gary
Oldman, which drew rave reviews at a recent advance screening. Her
co-direction of the Godhead music video, Hero, is garnering widespread
Internet acclaim. She also has been busy at the keyboard, co-writing
the Drusilla story line for the Angel comic books as well as scripting
It’s Raining Cats and Cats, a short film in which she intends to play
seven different roles.

Christopher Meloni provides the voice of Hal Jordan, the alter ego of
the title character in Green Lantern: First Flight. The cast includes
Victor Garber, Tricia Helfer and Michael Madsen. Landau offers a
Cajun-style vocal performance for Labella, a mistress of the seedier
side of the universe in which the Green Lantern Corps patrol.

Landau and Meloni have worked closely together in the past, starring
as brother and sister in the 1999 award-winning independent film
Carlo’s Wake. Landau is also another member of the growing legion of
Whedonverse actors to figure prominently in a DC Universe film. Among
Whedon/DCU alums are Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, James Marsters and
David Boreanaz, with a few more on the DCU horizon.

Fortunately for the masses, Landau carved a few minutes out of her
busy schedule to chat about voiceover work, the development of her
Green Lantern: First Flight character, and the ability to grow and
create in the entertainment business. So sit back and enjoy an
intriguing Q&A with Juliet Landau …




QUESTION:
What is the enticement of voiceover for animation?

JULIET LANDAU:
It is so much fun! You get to sit with a bunch of actors and play.
Really play! There’s no hair and make-up, no primping – just absolute,
uninhibited creativity. That’s the real joy of acting. And it doesn’t
get any better than working with Bruce Timm and Andrea Romano.

QUESTION:
Do you have a preference for the type of characters you play?

JULIET LANDAU:
I like playing all different kinds of characters. Each one is it’s own
little puzzle. Aliens are fun because you have a lot of freedom. The
voice of Labella just came to me when I read the pages in a kind of
organic in a way. I immediately felt like she had to sound the way I
played her. When I came in for looping (pick up sound work) Andrea
Romano described my Labella sound as “honey-voiced.” I think that
really captures it.

QUESTION:
Tell us about Labella?

JULIET LANDAU:
There was a lot of room for invention in this character, especially
with the device they use with her. I don’t want to give it away, but
she does go through a bit of torture and it causes a rift between
Sinestro and Hal. I really liked the sexuality and the flirtatiousness
of the character. She’s very different from any of the characters I’ve
voiced on Justice League Unlimited or Ben 10: Alien Force – she’s a
completely unique character.

QUESTION: You spent some time acting alongside Christopher Meloni as
brother and sister in Carlo’s Wake. Do you have any good tales to tell
about our Hal Jordan?

JULIET LANDAU:
Carlo’s Wake revolved around a big Italian family gathering together
at the patriarch’s funeral. The immediate “Torello” family rehearsed
at my house prior to shooting. I remember working on this funny scene
where (Chris Meloni’s character) Benny tells me about his existential
crisis while out on the fishing boats catching tuna. With despondency,
he asks something like, “What is it all for?” And my character Anna,
who was not the sharpest tool in the shed, says something akin to .”I
thought it was so’s we could have tuna salad sandwiches …”

Chris was flown to New York while we were shooting to meet with Garry
Marshall about Runaway Bride. Upon returning, he came into the make-up
room and told us about the meeting and we were all saying, “It sounds
like you’re gonna get this!” And indeed, he did.


QUESTION:
When did you start comics writing, and what’s the attraction of the
written word?

JULIET LANDAU:
My first foray into comics is a two-issue arc about Drusilla for
Angel: After the Fall.
I am co-writing with Brian Lynch and enjoying it immensely. The first
issue will be out in July, the second in August. I have been working
with 3 different artists on some of the imagery and cover art as well.
I also wrote a short film called, It’s Raining Cats and Cats, which I
will co-direct. Exploring these different facets of creativity has
been truly inspiring. As an actor, you’re a component; but when you’re
writing and directing, it is your vision of the whole project, which
is very appealing. Take Flight has been an amazing experience. Gary
Oldman directed a music video shot entirely on Nokia cell phones.
Initially he asked me to direct the “Making Of.” But what started out
solely as a behind-the-scenes “Making Of,” bloomed into a short
documentary film about Gary’s creative process. He loves the movie
because it shows him in a light he’s never been seen.

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