Haley Bennett, Thomas Napper, and Christina Weiss Lurie on Femininity and Emancipation in Widow Clicquot

Haley Bennett, Thomas Napper, and Christina Weiss Lurie recently joined us to give insight into the creative processes behind character development in Widow Clicquot and the challenges they overcame whilst filming. In particular, their sudden budget changes led to the unprecedented restriction of shooting in a single location. However, Thomas noted that this constraint ultimately became a strength, as it highlighted Barbe-Nicole’s journey from being trapped in the vineyard to her emancipation. Christina added that it was important that they find the balance between historical accuracy and creating a cinematic film that told a love story.

For Haley, the passage of time was critical to her preparation for the role, as she sorted out the different pillars of Barbe-Nicole then created varying rituals to get ready to play each version of the character. She shared that in the final court scene, she was completely immersed in Barbe-Nicole’s feelings of nervousness and isolation, so it was especially difficult to film. But Haley felt that this scene was an incredibly important ending to the character’s transgression into a strong woman and the overall beauty of Barbe-Nicole’s arc.

Watch the full conversation below.

The story behind the Veuve Clicquot champagne family and business that began in the late 18th century.