Anna Paquin says it was a "special" experience to get to work alongside Martin Scorsese on ‘The Irishman’.
The Oscar-winning actress stars in the legendary director’s latest film, a Mafia drama which boasts a star-studded cast that includes Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci.
When shooting the project Pacquin realised that it was probably a once-in-a-lifetime chance to work with Scorsese, 76, and an array of legends as her co-stars.
Speaking to BANG Showbiz at the BFI London Film Festival premiere of the movie, Pacquin said: "That’s just chemical. It’s very hard to put into words. There’s a sense that everybody has, cast, crew, everybody. You just know cinematic history-wise.
"There’s probably not gonna be a lot more Scorsese pictures and probably not with his line-up of boys. It’s a really special to be part of."
The 37-year-old actress plays Peggy Sheeran, the daughter of real-life Mafia hitman Frank ‘The Irishman’ Sheeran (De Niro), and what attracted her to the role was the chance to get to inhabit the "foreign" world of organised crime and mobsters, something she believes audiences are fascinated by too.
She said: "I think it’s fascinating going into the minds of people who operate in a different morality scheme because it’s so foreign to us. If you bumped into someone on the street and hurt them by accident you’d feel bad and these people take lives. It’s just a different world."
‘The Irishman’ has been backed by Netflix and Scorsese has received criticism in some quarters for abandoning a traditional studio in favour of the streaming giant.
But Pacquin thinks the fact Netflix is able to make a movie with the Academy Award winning filmmaker is an indication of the company’s reach and importance in modern times.
She said: "I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in saying that Netflix is where most people consume their entertainment. When I can’t watch something online streaming, I probably don’t see until it comes out on Netflix."
De Niro also defended the move, suggesting that people can see the film in theatres or on television.
He told talkRADIO: "We hope that we got as much we could. There will be theatres that it can be seen in, even though it will be on television."
Anna Paquin found it ‘special’ working with Martin Scorsese
