Music helped Sarah get into character

American Made, the commercially and critically successful American crime drama about a pilot who gets bored of his daily routine and gets involved with drug cartels, is finally hitting Indian television screens on Republic Day on Sony Pix. Metrolife caught up with the leading lady of the film, Sarah Wright, to ask how she gets into character, and what it was like working with Tom Cruise.

What do you have to say to your fans in India?

American Made is a film we had a lot of fun making. I hope Indian audiences really enjoy watching it. It’s a fun adventure film. It moves fast and I loved playing the character of Lucy. She’s very strong, and a fun and vibrant character. I hope everyone enjoys it.

How big are television premieres for stars like yourself? Do you even realise when they happen?

Yeah, I think it’s a big deal. Everyone in that country has direct access to that film. You are someone’s home at that point, someone is watching you on their TV. I think that’s super exciting.

Can you tell me what it was like to work with Tom Cruise?

Oh, Tom’s amazing! He’s a wonderful human being and he is fantastic to work with. He’s such a professional. He really cares how a film’s going to be, and he wants everyone to do a great job. He established a really comfortable tone on the set. My audition was with him, and imagine how nervous I was. And he was amazing. He talked about living in the South as child, and we connected because we both lived in Kentucky at some point. I felt he was so normal and great. He treated me like I had so much to bring to the table and he really appreciated that.

Was Lucy Seal a character you connected with?

I grew up in a very small town in Kentucky. So, being able to play a character like that was super fun. I thought I was channeling the people I grew up with -- very strong Southern women; they run their entire households, they do the cooking, they do the wash, they wash their children. So, I just love that about the character.

The title suggests a very American film. What do you think will speak across cultures?

It definitely is a very American film. It’s Americana in the 1970s and 80s, but it has a lot of Colombian influence. Some of the film takes place in Colombia. And people can relate to how the film traces an explosion in one man’s life and how the government gets involved in it.

How do you generally get into character?

I talked to people who grew up in Kentucky, my mom, I read about people who grew up in the South in the 80s. I also like listening to music that the character listens to. So, I listened to a lot of country music when I was filming American Made. And then, of course, talking to the actors who work with you on the set always helps.