British actress Jodie Comer wants audiences to feel “similar” to her about the real-life version of the character she plays in the new film The Bikeriders.
The Killing Eve star, 31, narrates and acts in the crime drama as Kathy, inspired by a woman caught up with the culture of a 1960s motorcycle club in Illinois.
Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, it is inspired by the book of the same name by American photographer Danny Lyons, who interviewed a mother and husband of a rider, called Kathy Bauer.
In the movie, a version of her husband Benny, played by American actor Austin Butler, is forced to choose between Kathy and the Vandals biking club.
Speaking at the film’s UK premiere outside the Curzon in Mayfair, London, Comer told the PA news agency: “I think the most daunting aspect was just how larger than life she was and I really wanted to do her justice.
“I think the narration was definitely something I’ve never done before and I feel that sometimes warrants a different type of performance or storytelling, so that was quite an interesting aspect to work that through with Jeff and figure out what we needed in particular moments.
“When I heard the audio of Kathy I immediately leant in and I wanted to know more and I wanted the audience to have that similar effect when they watched it.”
The actress wore a burgundy dress with a corset-style top half, and posed alongside actor Tom Hardy, wearing a leather jacket, who plays Johnny, the leader of the Vandals.
Elvis star Butler, who wore a three-piece suit, told PA: “My character Benny, he is a mystery in the book, you never see his face and he was never interviewed so I felt that there was a lot of room for me to fill in who I believed he was.”
Director Nichols said the film showed the consequences of choosing to live the biker life.
He told PA: “If you look at the structure of the film, there’s violence in the first half of the film, which is somewhat romanticised.
“(The violence) in the second half is fairly cruel and that’s the important part.
“If you just have the first hour this would be a film glamorising violence, nobody wants that, nobody needs that, the world doesn’t need that.
“If you take the two parts as the whole I think it says ‘Here are the consequences of choosing to live this kind of life’.”
The Bikeriders will be released in Irish cinemas on June 21st.
