Betty Lucas
"Vanessa is a mother, a grandmother and a mother-in-law.
I think she is bossy. She has looked after Tom from
when was a baby until he was 18 months old. She
has become part of the household and she has taken
over. Of course this woman is very efficient, she
is a good housekeeper, but she is bossy. People
develop habits you know, and unless some-one tells
them they just keep going. She is lonely, and every
time she leaves the place the audience sees she
is unhappy. So you get the contrast of this woman
who presents herself in this way, but she is not
going to let them see that she is lonely. Claire
and Vanessa are not exactly close, there is that
feeling that Claire is trying so hard, but you feel
they are never going to get together. I have been
a working actress since I was six-teen, but you
are never sure of yourself. No matter how old you
get, you think, ‘Can I do it? Will I be able to
do what he wants?’ We talked a little bit about
my character, but not much. I eventually got a phone
call from Ray. He said, ‘Betty, you have a natural
sweetness. I want your character to have steel inside.’
He just said those words.”
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