The Independent – 25th January, 2002

Taken from interview with Kelly Macdonald, written by Fiona Morrow.

NOTE: Kelly Macdonald is a 25-year-old actress who has the role of Mary in Gosford Park. Previously she has appeared in Trainspotting and Stella Does Tricks.

From near end of interview:

One of the observations that Altman makes great play of is the self-imposed hierarchy of the downstairs community, a fact made plain by the seating arrangements at meal times, when the maid of the most important visiting aristocrat gains the top spot at the table.

Macdonald hugs her knees, remembering that scene:

“That was one of my favourite days on the film,” she explains. “Because Bob likes to get things done – he doesn’t like to linger – it meant that the table had to be lit from everywhere, so that the camera could just move about. And so we all were sitting here for ages whilst the crew busied about us, and it was really good fun – just like being back at school again, just chatting.”

“Richard E Grant was brilliant,” she continues. “He’s really nosey and he asks questions all the time, really forthright. He went round the table asking everybody what their nicknames were at school – questions that people were a bit taken back by – and managed to get everyone to join in.”

I asked whose nickname was the best·. Producing a cheeky grin she whispers conspiratorially: “Derek Jacobi. His was Stinky.”