After Dawson was introduced to the world, Joshua Jackson continued to shine on the small screen with several successful series such as Fringe, created by JJ Abrams. With Fatal Liaison, the Canadian actor takes on a role previously played by Michael Douglas in this reinterpretation of the Adrian Lyne classic.
Before him, Lizzie Kaplan takes the place of Glenn Close. This modernized version differs from its predecessor in several ways. AlloCiné spoke with Joshua Jackson to find out why the Liaison Fatale series differs from the film it’s inspired by.
The success of AlloCiné: Liaison Fatale was impressive in the eighties. Today many point to the treatment of the character played by Glenn Close. How do you think the series fixes the situation?
Joshua Jackson: Liaison Fatale remains a fantastic film, but politically, it’s also a film very much anchored in its time. In Adrian Lyne’s version, the audience feels sympathy for the man. A lot has changed now. Our society has made progress on many issues, but progress is slow and insufficient.
When I met Alexandra Cunningham, the creator, I asked her how she was going to tell this story differently. He wanted to know why Alex Forrest, a character known for his madness, has such obsessive and compulsive behavior.
His personality is literally presented in the film. The extra time the series gives us allows us to understand and explore who he is as a person. why is he here How did she become the woman she is? Why is this particular person so detrimental to his personality?
There is a less Manichean relationship between the two characters here. The man you play is not portrayed as a hero.
In our version, Alex Forrest is a more empathetic character. From Dan’s side we have an opportunity to understand what drives a man’s vanity and pride to take hold and cause a break in marriage. Also, vanity and pride make him not recognize his responsibility in this matter, which harms his life.
I don’t mind the comparison to the movie.
How did you work on this close relationship with Lizzie Kaplan? These are not easy scenes to play.
Covid has complicated things. To get to know each other well, it is better to do things face to face. So there were some challenges there. But once we got into the preparation phase, there was a lot of talk. And you should know that I love Liz. He is a very brave person. He is not afraid to express his opinion and accept ideas. He is not defensive.
We’ve covered all the reasons and all the uncomfortable conversations before. To be able to pull off all of that, and especially the aggressive tension that exists between these two characters, there has to be a tremendous amount of trust. He spent 12 hours a day scaring me. I am very lucky to have someone not only as talented as Lizzie, but also emotionally strong to walk this journey with me.
Liaison Fatale remains a decent film. Is it scary to succeed?
The genesis of the movie and our series remains the same, but we’re going much further than the movie, so I don’t mind the comparison at this point. But really, that’s not my judgement. People who are going to watch this series will say to themselves “You did something new and it’s cool“, or”You should not touch this classic“. I will know soon.
Interview by Thomas Desroches, Paris, March 2023.
Source: Allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
