- Janet McTeer.
Janet McTeer says she was delighted to hear she and her “Albert Nobbs” co-star Glenn Close had been nominated for Oscars for their portrayals of women living and working as men in 19th century Ireland.
“I was surprised [to hear my name announced] and just sat there with bated breath, waiting to see if Glenn was nominated, too, and she was – so that was very exciting. Then I had to go on television and act all calm and collected. Then we went back to Glenn’s house where we did some press together, at which point, we became like two teenagers jumping up and down, ” the Best Supporting Actress nominee told the Irish Echo in a recent telephone interview.
In addition to the incredible joy she feels for being recognized by the film industry for her work and for getting the opportunity to share the experience with Close -- who is up for the Best Actress statuette -- McTeer said she also is pleased the Oscar glow is drawing attention to a small-budget movie that truly deserves to be seen.
“You do a little film like this that doesn’t have a lot of money behind it and the fact you can put your heart and soul into a project -- Glenn has, even more than I have -- and then all this attention happens, which hopefully means more people will go see it. It is so thrilling. So thrilling,” said the 50-year-old British actress, who is best known for her performances in the films “Tumbleweeds,” “Songcatcher,” “The Intended,” “Tideland” and “The Woman in Black,” as well as in the TV miniseries “Into the Storm” and the stage dramas “A Doll’s House,” “Mary Stuart” and “God of Carnage.”
McTeer said she signed up for her role in “Albert Nobbs” after falling in love with the story of an abused young woman who adopts a new identity as Albert, a quiet, hardworking, but lonely hotel waiter in pursuit of a better life in an era when females had little control over their own fates. In the film, McTeer plays Hubert, a housepainter who befriends Close’s Albert and confides he is also a woman living as a man.
“Someone said it takes an ordinary person an extraordinary amount of courage to get through an ordinary day. I like films like that or stories like that -- about people just living their lives and how much courage it takes people sometimes to get through life. I felt this is one of those stories,” McTeer explained. “I love the fact that it existed in a time before labels. People were just living their lives, trying to get through and also these people didn’t define themselves as lesbians or cross-dressers or transsexuals or whatever. Hubert was just living the life of Hubert and Albert was just getting by.”
She noted a central message of the film is acceptance.
“To judge somebody because they are a decent person, not because of anything else,” McTeer added.
The actress went on to say Hubert was a “gorgeous part” and deciding to play him was a “no brainer.”
“I wanted Hubert to be, as a function in the piece, everything that Albert wasn’t, everything Albert wanted to be – confident, trying to be fulfilled, happy with who he is, lacks fear, has a great home life. Just a really grounded, happy, confident human being with a great, warm heart,” McTeer recalled.
Close produced and co-wrote the screenplay for “Albert Nobbs,” which is based on a short story by Irish novelist George Moore. Co-starring Brenda Fricker, Brendan Gleeson, Maria Doyle Kennedy and Jonathan Rhys Meyers and directed by Rodrigo Garcia, the film is in theaters now.
McTeer will soon be seen in the fifth and final season of Close’s TV legal drama “Damages.”
