Cannes Facetime: Imogen Poots on Albee, ‘Mobile Homes’ and Roosters

The British actress Imogen Poots recently seen in “Green Room” and “Roadies” will wrap her theater debut playing Honey in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” before heading to Cannes with her film “Mobile Homes.” Directed by Vladimir de Fontenay, the movie casts Poots as a woman who drifts from place to place with her boyfriend and young son.

Is it true “Virginia Woolf” Is your first play?

Yes, it’s totally nuts! I wanted to do a play but not just do a play for the sake of it. I wanted to do something I was crazy about. This character is my boyfriend, I spend all my time with her.

What drew you to “Mobile Homes”?

It’s hard to describe attraction to something, but it’s immediate and it piques your curiosity. I loved it and immediately wanted to play her. I want to play female roles full of contradiction and conflict, as all of us are.

You’re working in cold weather with roosters and a young child. How difficult a shoot was it?

It was the hardest job I’ve ever done just in the sense of things being out of your control with the weather and working with children when there’s only so many hours they’re allowed during a day. On top of that, you have roosters hanging around.

Were the roosters difficult?

Actually, doing a scene with a rooster is one of my favorite scenes to date! They’re so challenging and they really push you to lengths you didn’t know were possible.

You’ve attended Cannes before; what is it about the festival that sets it apart from others?

There’s just such an incredible variety of films there and a real open mindedness to film there. It’s never about one thing at Cannes. There’s also just the lore of Cannes, the magic and the legend, and it’s just a very mythical place. And the baguettes are wonderful.

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