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Wicked debuted to rave reviews at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, with John Cooper calling it an “exhilarating hybrid that continuously surprises and amuses” in the festival’s program. The thriller is a twisted tale of murder and incest with noir sensibilities and biting dark wit. The driving force behind the film is its stellar cast, who deliver complex, compelling, and sometimes shocking performances.
Directed by Michael Steinberg and produced by Frank Beddor, Wicked was Julia Stiles's breakthrough film. The then-16-year-old is electric as Ellie Christianson, a troubled teen who despises her mother and has an unhealthy obsession with her father. Stiles won Best Actress at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, and her performance as Ellie led to her being cast in the teen classic 10 Things I Hate About You.
William R. Moses delivers a nuanced performance as Ellie’s father-turned-lover, Ben, while Chelsea Field is an excellent counterpoint as his doomed wife, Karen. Vanessa Zima exhibits uncommon depth for a child actor as Inger. Newcomer Louise Myrback is captivating as the Christianson’s au pair, Lena. Grammy-winner Linda Hart brings humor and soul as nosy neighbor Mrs. Potter, while screen veteran Michael Parks seems to step out of the ‘40s as the Bogart-esque Detective Boland. Melrose Place baddie Patrick Muldoon is a serial scene-stealer as quirky next-door neighbor Lawson Smith.
We recently digitized a treasure trove of onset interviews in which the cast discusses everything from their characters’ psyches to how they think audiences will respond to the incendiary subject matter.
This is Part 3 of a three-part series that will be a fascinating look at an actor’s process, how they handled the challenging material and the fulfilling experience of working on Wicked. Read Parts 1 and 2.
*Interviews have been edited for length and clarity.
On His Character
Lawson Smith is an ex-football player. He has a knee injury and can't play football anymore. His wife leaves him and takes his son with her, and he happens to be having an affair with the next-door neighbor, Karen Christianson. Then Karen is murdered, and Lawson is definitely a suspect in the murder, as are many of the people here in Casa Del Norte.
What Attracted Him to Wicked
It’s a throwback to Hitchcock but funny. It’s a very unique script. There’s a lot of cutting-edge stuff in it. Ellie and Lawson are the two outcasts in the film. She really doesn't like me too much, but we get to know each other better when I happen to be playing a nice game of night golf, which tells you a little bit about how strange my character is. It’s scary. It’s a dark comedy. It's really weird. And it's kinda bitchin’.
Working with the Cast
Most of my scenes are with Julia, and she's incredible. What's so odd about her is that she's so mature for being 15 years old. She's much more mature than I am, and she's much more mature than my character. This works great in the script because her character really owns my character. So she's been fabulous to work with.
Chelsea Field and I had one scene together, and it was a blast. She was really helpful to me. Bill (William R. Moses) and I had have one big scene where we got to do a lot of improvisation and we both really went for it. We didn't rehearse much on purpose, and everything came out great. Michael Parks is my favorite. He's the veteran of the bunch. He plays the straight-and-narrow cop, and, of course, we're all suspects. I enjoyed working with him, and I learned a lot.
Working with Michael Steinberg
Michael Steinberg is a fabulous director. He’s a pleasure to work with and keeps a happy set. He knows exactly what he wants, but he's also open to suggestions. It’s a real creative place to come to work, and he makes it that way.
Wicked Compared to Melrose Place
It's totally different. You could say Melrose Place is a dark comedy, too. But it's two different kinds of things. The characters I play are totally different.
How Audiences Will Respond to Wicked
The audience will know right away that it's a comedy. That gives you license to get away with stuff. That’s the part of the movie that's so edgy. When I read the script, I was like, “Wow, man.” I saw how it could work, but the way Michael has done it, he's really nailed it. It's better than I even imagined.
On Her Character
Inger had a period of change when her mother died, and her whole earth was shattered. Inger is a weird girl who is very into her own world. She's a pretty cool person. Inger is a tag-along to Ellie and wants to be her. There's a lot of tension between her mother and father. Inger gets a lot of attention from her mother, but her father doesn't pay that much attention to her. She wants both of her parents to love her the same and not have favorites. She likes Lena, the nanny, a lot. Lena is Inger’s second favorite to her mother.
Coming From a Family of Actresses
My other two sisters are actresses, too. My older sister, Madeline, has been in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Mr. Nanny, and The Nanny. She's been in almost every “nanny” thing. All three of us did a student film together. That was fun. We got to kiss a boy and bury our dad. My younger sister, Yvonne, is a recurrent on ER and she was in The Long Kiss Goodnight with Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson. She’s also been in Heat, ‘Til There Was You with my other sister, and Bed of Roses.
Her Audition
My sister and I both read for the part. I went into the audition first, and I thought I did really great. Then my sister went in, and I heard these belly laughs. I was like, “Oh, man, she got it because they didn't laugh at all for me. She took another role from me!” When she came out and told me the story she told them, I could’ve killed her because it was a really embarrassing story. But then, a couple of weeks later, I got the part. I rubbed it in her face, and then she felt bad. But now we’re even.
Working with the Cast
William’s really nice. He's always playing practical jokes on everybody. He's really a fun guy. Julia's very intelligent and really fun. She's a lot older than me, but she's like a real sister to me. She's really cool. It's a family off the set and a family on the set, too.
Working with Director Michael Steinberg
That's been great. He's really fun. He takes a lot of angles, and he has to have them perfect, but otherwise, it's great.
The Transformation Her Character Undergoes Through the Film
I start off dressing really cutesy, and then when my mother dies, I become this funky girl with mismatched socks and clothes.
How Audiences Will Respond to Wicked
Shocked. I think they will like it. It's a very artistic film. It's gonna be great.
On Her Character
Karen is like every American mother trying to parent an unruly teenager. I was interested in this script in the first place because I think it’s everybody's story. Both daughters go a little further than the average teenager or average 10-year-old. They act out what a lot of kids don't act out, thank goodness. But all of the characters are based in a lot of truth. Karen is going through the frustration of walking the line between being a good mother and wanting to strangle her teenager. It can be really painful for both a 14-year-old and a mom of a 14-year-old.
Working with Michael Steinberg
It’s been really great. He's one of the most artistic directors I've ever worked with. He really goes for what is there in the moment and what all the actors are bringing to it with our different tones; he really embraces all of that. It’s great to be in that environment.
Working with Julia Stiles
She's great. Julia's a lot of fun to work with. Even in our first rehearsal, I could tell the sparks were there. She looked at me, and I looked at her, and I thought, “Okay, the war is on.” She's really a lot of fun. I love her. She's a very professional, very talented actress.
Karen and Ben’s Relationship
Ben and Karen are on different pages. Karen's over it. They’re together physically, but she's moved on mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. She's given it as many chances as she can. She's hit her breaking point.
Karen and Ellie’s Relationship
Karen and Ellie can’t get along for the same reason most teenage girls can't get along with their moms. It's part of their growing and establishing a separate identity. A lot of mothers misinterpret that adolescent time for a girl. I can remember being that age and just fighting horribly with my mom. One minute saying, “I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.” Then, the next minute, “I love you. I love you. I'm sorry.” My poor mother. I don't know why Ellie takes it one step further than everybody else; you'd have to ask Julia. But from my perspective, she's just being a typical teenager.
The Prevalence of the Electra Complex
I think it's much more common in our society than we acknowledge or give any attention to. I believe a lot of girls have that. I had a really strong relationship with my father and a sort of love affair in some ways.
The Importance of Comedy in Wicked
Wicked’s a little bent. It has to have a little bit of the lighter edge, the comedic relief because the issues it’s dealing with are so close to home. I don't think a lot of people are going to be able to deal with it without that little bit of goofiness.
How Audiences Will Respond to Wicked
To me, it's a crapshoot. I have no idea. It's beautifully shot, and the production design is amazing. However, the material may be more than what people are comfortable with because it hits on many issues that are very uncomfortable for many people.
Even people who have not actually lived through something like this have somehow experienced those feelings. Just having those feelings can be shameful or hurtful. Part of the problem in our society is that we're not paying attention to the fact that those kinds of feelings come up in people, and it's the act of acting on them or not acting on them that should be addressed.
Watch Wicked on the following streaming platforms: Amazon, YouTube, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, Plex, and Tubi.