Hi Marcia. You play Christian Grey’s mum in the Fifty Shades film. Did you see any on-set tension (1) between Sam Taylor-Johnson and EL James?

I always think that any creative process needs to have conflict. So, if I saw anything, I would have chalked it up to the battle to create something rather than the petty personality issues that seemed to be more often written about.

Do you find that Hollywood often labels women who are forceful more harshly than it does men?

It’s not even harsher: it’s more diminutive. Two artistic women are having artistic conflict in the creation process and it’s written up as bitching, moaning and whinging – whereas, if it’s two guys, it’s written up as a battle of creation between gods and it’s completely acceptable.

Do you still encounter much sexism in Hollywood?

I think it’s there and it’s also what you pay attention to. I try not to focus on what I don’t have, but on what I want and how am I going to get it. Absolutely there’s sexism, but I think we play into it when we become victims.

Surely it must affect some of the roles you get offered. Aren’t you keen to do a Liam Neeson and get your own Taken-style franchise?

Oh my gosh, can you just imagine the audience flocking to see Marcia Gay Harden conquering the soldiers and climbing hills in Iwo Jima with a sword. I mean, there’s an audience for action films but – even with Liam – when you reach a certain age, your audience diminishes and you have to be realistic about that. There’s not four cents of me that thinks I could keep up with Angelina Jolie or Charlize Theron or Shailene Woodley as they’re climbing up walls.

I read a quote in which you said that, before people meet you, they think you’re going to be a dark, sensuous bitch.

Let’s be real, I said that 20 years ago! I have no idea what people would think before they meet me now. It is old and moot. If people still think that when they see me, I would fall down on my knees and say thank you.

You spoke before about shame-reading Fifty Shades of Grey in preparation (2). Is there anything you shame-watch?

I shame-watch myself! No, I don’t really shame-watch anything. I tried to see what The Real Housewives was about. I can’t – it’s just not my cup of tea.

You have spoken about Match.com and how you found it heinous. Have you sworn off all internet dating?

It’s a different venture at this point. I’ve got three amazing kids and I’m in a pretty good relationship with them, so that’s mostly where my focus goes. I was calling it Matchbook.com (3); that shows you how uninformed I was about it. I didn’t even get as far as a date. That whole process is not interesting to me. And how old are you?

I’m 30.

OK, are you married?

I’m single.

So, that would be much more interesting for you than for me. It’s a game of chance and, for me, that game of chance is going to work and being with my kids. I’m not concerned about meeting a partner at the moment.

Your IMDb page is expansive (4). Is there anything you look at and think you’d like to remove for quality reasons?

There’s nothing I regret doing, for sure. There are many things I want to do. I’m really frustrated that I wasn’t in Harry Potter. I really wanted to be in The Hunger Games, but I’m not. There’s a longing for things that I’d like to be in.

Why don’t you try and get a role in that new JK Rowling series?

Oh, the beasts one? If you know her, could you just put it out there?

It’s a small country, so I’ll just shout for her. You’re halfway to becoming an EGOT (5) because you’ve got a Tony and an Oscar and you’ve been nominated for an Emmy. Can we look forward to a Marcia Gay Harden album soon?

Oh my goodness. There won’t be a singing album unless I’m singing as a very hoarse  Janis Joplin.

Worth a try. I think our time is up.

Let me know what JK says, yeah?

Footnotes

(1) Sam Taylor-Johnson told Porter magazine about her relationship with EL James on the set: “It was difficult, I’m not going to lie. We would have proper on-set barneys and I’m not confrontational.”

(2) She downloaded it to read so that people wouldn’t think she was getting her rocks off in public.

(3) Matchbook.com is actually a betting site.

(4) There are 105 credits, including everything from Mystic River to Flubber to Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy.

(5) An EGOT requires an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. The small list of EGOT winners includes Audrey Hepburn and Whoopi Goldberg.

Fifty Shades of Grey is released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on 22 June