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LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT . . . AT THE ALTAR:
LENA HEADEY TAKES ON THE ROLE OF LUCE
The object of Rachel's desire in IMAGINE
ME & YOU turns out to be none other than her wedding's florist, the
spirited but entirely unexpected Luce, played by one of England's brightest
new stars, Lena Headey, who most recently was seen in THE BROTHERS GRIMM
with Matt Damon and Heath Ledger.
Luce's gifts go beyond her floral arrangements, as she plays a kind of
constant therapist, advising those who come into her shop looking for
flowers that will say just the right thing -- be it love, hope or regret.
But when Luce feels a frighteningly powerful spark with a newly married
woman, the only advice she can give to herself is to lay low and stay
out of it . . . or at least try.
Headey, who previously starred in LOVED
UP, also written by Ol Parker, was once again attracted to his fresh,
contemporary style of writing. "I loved the script immediately. Ol
has this unusual ability to capture how people really talk in life and
the story is as honest as it is funny. It doesn't sacrifice any of the
truth to also be a lot of fun," she observes.
The journey of Luce - from a strong, independent
woman reconciled to being alone to a woman who is suddenly overcome with
mad, passionate love - also attracted Headey. "I think in the beginning
both Luce and Rachel think they're quite settled into who they will be
in life. They've accepted their lot - and then along comes this moment
when -- pow! - something happens and flips it all every which way,"
she says. "The interesting part is seeing how they work it all out."
As for the notion of "love at first
sight," Headey believes it truly does happen, but that it's entirely
beyond rational explanation. "We've all had that moment where you
look into someone's eyes and there's some kind of recognition there, whether
you act on it or not," she observes. "But what is that thing
that we see? I don't think we'll ever really know, which is part of what
makes it so beautiful."
For Ol Parker, Headey's performance captured
some of that beauty as well as the humor of the character. "Lena
is brilliant and hilarious," he says. "I always loved the idea
of this florist who is sort of like a road-side therapist because she's
involved in the most intimate moments of people's lives - births, funerals,
weddings. It's a funny notion and Lena plays it so perfectly. Every time
Luce is in her shop, you start to see further and further into her character."
Sums up Sophie Balhetchet: "Lena is
a natural actor for Ol's style - there's something about her tone that
absolutely suits his writing. She has a mixture of strength and vulnerability
that's ideally suited to Luce and this story."
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