The role of Abby Janelo could quite easily have come off as the saintly widow. How did you avoid that?
It was important for me to approach the role from the standpoint of someone who was not perfect, and who is really angry that her husband is taken away. She was having a hard time, and wasn't always perfect or a martyr. There are a couple of scenes that didn't make it into the final edit when you saw her being not so saintly. I set out to play her as human as possible.
Is "Bounce" more to do with fate and things beyond our control?
Yes, I think it is very much to do with fate. What I like about the film is that it shows you have to relent. Whatever life throws at you, you just have to surrender to it because fighting just doesn't get you anywhere. Sometimes these are painful and difficult lessons.
How would you describe your characters' rapport in the movie?
I think they have a chemical attraction to each other that's why my character Abby falls for Buddy. He's really not her type of guy. He really falls short in a few areas. But it's about overcoming your prejudices and not being judgemental. It's about forgiveness.
How does this role differ from what you've done before?
I'm always sort of wrapped in a little precious package. It's nice to play someone who is so human, who gets her hands dirty, and who wears her emotions on the surface. And for Ben Affleck as well - he really had to dig deep for this part, which he hasn't had to do before in his films.
Read an interview with "Bounce" director Don Roos.
Read a review of "Bounce".
