Shanyn Leigh’s name won’t ring any bells for most people right now, but that very well may change with the release of 4:44 LAST DAY ON EARTH. Directed by her boyfriend, Abel Ferrara, Leigh gives an intense performance as an artist living in conflict with her lover (an equally intense Willem Dafoe) as the end of the world approaches. To say that Leigh “puts it all out there” would be accurate, but it would also be understating the boldness she displays in the picture.
Last week, Ms. Leigh was kind enough to sit down with me to talk about 4:44 and explain what a Ferrara set is like, how her real-life friendship with Dafoe helped her preparation for the film, and what she’d actually do on Earth’s last day.
“Christopher Walken never does the same take twice, so give me something different.”