Luc Besson is no stranger to love stories, as reflected in his filmography spanning over forty years. His latest film, Dracula, provides rich material for him to explore this interest and what it means to different people. Caleb Landry Jones, a frequent collaborator of Besson, stars as Dracula, a role that requires a careful balance between anger and love. Zoë Bleu portrays Mina/Elisabeta, a strong woman who longs for the love that Dracula offers.
Strong supporting roles in films like X-Men: First Class and Get Out put Jones on people’s radar. Meanwhile, Bleu, daughter of actress Rosanna Arquette, has the films Signs of Love and Gonzo Girl under her belt before jumping into the world of Dracula.
When we talked to Jones about how he and Bleu built that important on-set chemistry, he said it was a fluid process. “We built it in many different ways. Luc does not give the actor only one thing to focus on; he surrounds you with everything and anything to help make that performance better or more lived-in. Whatever he can do to help the actor get there, he will do.”
Jones continued, “Zoë had the idea of doing a Butoh dance, so Luc found an instructor for a Butoh dance class we got to have. So suddenly you’re doing this weird thing, trying it out, feeling a bit silly and vulnerable, but you’re also building something together.”
Bleu agreed, adding, “We did three or four of those classes together and also some horseback riding together. One of the dance segments even ended up being in the film. I didn’t have to do any fighting, but everything was super nutritious, it just kind of plugged back into the film, supercharged it all.”
RELATED: Jacob Elordi’s ‘Frankenstein’ Casting Explained by Guillermo Del Toro
Jones expanded on this, “It’s a beautiful thing, I think, with the Butoh being something that Luc hadn’t conceived, an idea from the lead actress, that then becomes something that does help the actors bond. It helps when you are at odds with the schedule (laughs), the costumes, it seemed like so much to do, but this helped feed you about what to do, you felt like you were coming out of it richer than before.”
Besson’s version of Dracula relies heavily on the two lead actors, who are each tasked with carrying the film in different ways. When asked what was most surprising about the other’s performance, Bleu explained how she was already a fan of Jones’ before this shoot began. “I mean, Caleb has always been one of my favorite actors. Before we even met, I was so blown away by his performances in other films of his I’d seen. He was exquisite in this film. I’m so proud of him. I was not really an actress, so I don’t know what could have surprised him.”
Caleb disagreed, stating, “She sells herself short. It was amazing to see Zoë, a very intelligent, very creative, a free spirit who is very curious and excited. She’s a very visual and musical person, very free, but watching her fight this part of her that keeps her in her head, which made sense for the Mina character, not so much the Elisabeta character.”
RELATED: ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ Set for TV Reboot at A24
Caleb Landry Jones continued, recalling moments in the film. “When she was playing Mina, there was sometimes this back and forth, going back to Elisabeta, in the body and the head. When I got to see the movie for the first time, I really saw where this became something so vital to the character. Seeing her Mina character being torn between the past and who she thinks she is, it was really wonderful to see. It was incredible because I struggle to be in the body and the head, and sometimes some characters are more in the head than the body or vice versa, and she was playing both.”
Dracula is now playing in theaters nationwide.
