Elizabeth Olsen went 'beyond' the edge in The Assessment
Elizabeth Olsen was determined to push herself during shooting for the sci-fi thriller 'The Assessment'.
Elizabeth Olsen wanted to "push beyond" the edge in 'The Assessment'.
The 36-year-old star leads the cast of the sci-fi thriller set in a future where prospective parents must pass a test to show they are capable of raising children and used the film's "absurd elements" to push herself to extremes.
Elizabeth told Collider: "What my goal was, going into this, from an actor's perspective and not necessarily from embodying a character, was that I felt like there was an opportunity here, because of the absurd elements and the pressure-cooker feeling of the story, that I would be able to try and reach an edge and hopefully push beyond it, as an actor.
"I think I am a very controlling person and I make really clear choices and decisions, and I just am always trying to push what my edge is and what I can do on camera and what I feel comfortable doing."
The 'WandaVision' actress revealed that the toughest part of the shoot was swimming in choppy waters.
She said: "I think the hardest challenge was swimming in the ocean. It was really, really rough.
"I'm not a great swimmer. I took lessons before shooting, and the day we went to shoot, there was this one week of the year that has incredibly rough winds, and that was the choppy water I got to swim in. That was very challenging."
Olsen admits that it was tricky to nail the tone of the flick at times because of the unique story that was being told.
She explained: "That was something we were always trying to find, in relation to where we were in the film. You try and find when it's most helpful to use humour and when it's most hopeful to ground it. The tone was something that was very fluid, but also a line that we had to tow.
"Sometimes it would become a little too screwbally, sometimes maybe too dramatic. There was always a shifting line that we were trying to find. And then, you pull the rug out from people, ultimately, and have it be a very emotionally connected, human, basic needs and wants story."
Elizabeth has played the role of Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for the past decade and hopes to continue portraying the hero.
The star said: "It's really unusual. It's something that has been incredible. I assume it's how people feel when they get to do a TV show for a long time.
"To be able to return to a character and continue to move them forward has been so much fun for me, especially because they gave me something like 'WandaVision' to really blow it all up.
"And from there, 'Doctor Strange' was such a wild and crazy turn. I do feel very lucky that I've been able to play a character for over 10 years of my life, and I'd love to keep doing more."
