Carey Mulligan Covers W, Talks Nude Scenes
Reading Carey Mulligan's cover story for the January issue of W, one thing becomes clear: This girl will do anything to stay true to her character.
For her provocative turn in the new film Shame, which involved semi-stalking director Steve McQueen ("he got in a cab, but I wouldn’t leave him—I got in, too," she says of her audition), writing a song for her character Sissy to sing, and (gulp) going full-frontal.
"I’ve never been comfortable with the idea of nudity," says Mulligan, who rocks a white lacy demi bra and raffia tweed jacket, both by Nina Ricci, paired with a gravity-defying pompadour on the sexy-but-sweet cover.
"I’ve done only seminude, very innocent things in the past, and I’ve always been of the quite British mind-set that I won’t do gratuitous nudity. When it came to this, it just seemed so obvious that she is the sort of person who would have no trouble being naked in front of any family member, especially not her brother.
"She’s an extrovert and wants to be seen. More than anything, she wants someone to acknowledge and help her. I thought I had a week before the nude scene to go to the gym, but we shot it on my first day of filming.
"Weirdly, it was fine. You take your clothes off, and you’re like, 'Ah—all of you are wearing clothes, and I’m naked, ha, ha, ha.' It’s kind of fun—not that I would continue to do it. The nudity helped me dive into who she was."
Photo courtesy of W
She's come undone: Mulligan is perfectly mussed in Miu Miu.
For her black and white fashion spread with lensman Michael Thompson and stylist Edward Enninful, Mulligan is asked to channel a different character for each photo.
Clad in embroidered Louis Vuitton, she's coy as a young actress with a secret. She's lovelorn in polka-dotted Miu Miu, whimsical in printed Prada (accessorized with a chipmunk, naturally), teary in a blue Rochas sweater, and campy in white Jean Paul Gaultier.
Girl's got range ... and a killer wardrobe!
Photo courtesy of W
Going to extremes: The British beauty flexes her acting chops for W's January cover shoot.
For more Carey Mulligan, visit W online and pick up the January issue.
