'H Is for Hawk' Exclusive Interview: Claire Foy

Moviefone speaks with Claire Foy about Director Philippa Lowthorpe's 'H Is for Hawk'. "She's got such confidence and absolutely knows what she's doing."

Claire Foy stars in 'H Is for Hawk'.

Opening in theaters on January 23rd is the new biographical drama ‘H Is for Hawk’, which was based on the memoir of the same name by Helen Macdonald and directed by Philippa Lowthorpe (‘The Crown’). The film stars Claire Foy (‘Woman Talking’), Denise Gough (‘Andor’), and Oscar nominee Brendan Gleeson (‘The Banshees of Inisherin’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Claire Foy about her work on ‘H Is for Hawk’, her first reaction to the screenplay, her approach to playing Helen Macdonald, her Falconry training, working with Brendan Gleeson, and reuniting with her ‘Crown’ director Philippa Lowthorpe.

Claire Foy in 'H Is for Hawk'. Photo: Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.

Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and why you wanted to tell Helen’s story?

Claire Foy: My first knowledge of Helen's story was the memoir, so that was my first way in, and I read that, and then I read the script. I found the experience of reading the memoir overwhelming and very moving and powerful. I knew that the memoir had meant a lot to a lot of people. I could see the importance of the story continuing and the film being made and Helen's honesty and generosity I found so staggering. It was a challenge to take on, but I was really excited about it.

MF: Can you talk about your approach to playing Helen, and were they available during production and how was that helpful to you?

CF: So, I only spoke to Helen once before we started shooting, and that wasn't necessarily a deep dive into their psychological process because they'd already offered that in the book. It felt like all that work had already been done and anything that Helen wanted to say was in the memoir. So, it certainly wasn't going over any of that because that was so clear to me. They'd been so honest about that. So, I wanted to pay my respects to them and say, thanks for letting me do this, and what would be the worst thing I could possibly do so that was clear, so I knew what to try and avoid doing. That was it really, and then we were left to our own devices to make the film that that we wanted to make.

Claire Foy in 'H Is for Hawk'. Photo: Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.

MF: Can you talk about your falconry training and what are the challenges of acting opposite a hawk?

CF: I mean, it's probably as difficult as you imagine it is to do. I think that I had two weeks of training immediately before we started shooting. That was incredible. I don't think anyone really knew if it was going to work. There were lots of chats about the realities of what we were trying to do and the realities of how it may not work because Goshawks are notoriously not reticent birds, but they aren't like the showy members of the birds of prey family. They're quite isolated and they aren't performative. I'd never done any falconry in my whole life, and I was playing someone who was an expert falconer. So, I had to learn fast. For me anyway, I always looked at it as an absolute privilege to be doing it, because people would be paying very good money to have that experience and to be able to spend that much time with these incredible creatures. So, I always approached it as I was incredibly lucky to be doing it, and I think that probably was the right move.

MF: Can you talk about reuniting with ‘The Crown’ director Philippa Lowthorpe to make this movie?

CF: So, I only worked with Philippa briefly on ‘The Crown’. We only did one episode together, and as far as I remember, I wasn't I wasn't in it all the time. But I remember her energy and her approach to it, and we always stayed in touch after that. Dede Gardner, who produced the film, said that she wanted Philippa to make the movie. I thought that was such a beautiful choice because Philippa approaches everything with total dignity and with absolute truthfulness and honestness and an ability to step back and allow the story to guide you. She's got such confidence as a director, and she just knows absolutely what she's doing. So, I was really honored to be in her film.

Philippa Lowthorpe behind the scenes of 'H Is for Hawk'. Photo: Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.

MF: Finally, what was it like shooting your scenes with actor Brendan Gleeson?

CF: Oh, a dream. I already thought he was the most incredible actor, so I was fully prepped to love him, and I did. He is just a generous and open hearted, soulful human being. That all comes across on the screen and he's integral to the film. You miss him when he's not there and that's exactly what the film needed, which is this huge presence of this incredible man, and that's what Brendan is.

Brendan Gleeson in 'H Is for Hawk'. Photo: Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.

What is the plot of ‘H Is for Hawk’?

After losing her beloved father (Brendan Gleeson), Helen (Claire Foy) finds herself saved by an unlikely friendship with a stubborn hawk named Mabel. Through the bond, Helen rediscovers the beauty of being alive.