Maggie Gyllenhaal talks about playing Rachel Dawes, a tough-minded attorney whose gets caught up in the center of a love triangle in Dark Knight, and how its worlds away from the roles she has recently played. 

Q: Last time we spoke we were talking about Sherry Baby and this film is probably the polar opposite.  Can you address going from a small independent with the most intense person and the camera is entirely on you to a giant film with special effects and all sorts of grand things.

A: They are, of course, hugely different in all sorts of obvious ways. But (the director) Chris Nolan, it was his doing, it didn’t feel that different because he really carved out a space for us to act in.  In a way, when you’re actually acting, if you’re acting with really good actors and there is space for you to feel free, it’s not going to feel that (entirely) different if you’re in a huge massive movie or if you’re in a teeny tiny one.

Q: Great, I love the way your character is not just the girl in the superhero movie, not just somebody who needs to be rescued, you’re kind of a kick-ass women in this film.

A: Yeah I think she’s great.

Q: Tell me about that?

A: It wasn’t just me.  When I met with Chris about it I think it was something he really wanted too. He want(ed) her to be strong and everything, but when we actually got on set I had to sort of put that in it.  And then in reality that was not at all the case.  I think he really, truly wanted her to be thinking, alive, fierce and funny. He wanted her to be a real woman with a real dilemma and he pushed me all the way through it.

Q: Great, and professional too.

A: Yeah, she’s a lawyer and why not, right.

Q: A great one too, very powerful and strong.  You’ve had a baby since we last spoke. Has being a mother affected your career choices at all or affected your career in any way?

A: So far being a mother has meant that I’ve barely wanted to work at all. I’ve only made one other movie since then. It was a teeny, teeny, tiny little bit in a little movie.  But now finally since she’s almost 2 I’m actually really hankering to work and express myself again, but of course having a baby changes absolutely every thing in every way.  Changed me as an actress, changed me as a person in absolutely irrevocably in the most wonderful way.

Q: That’s great people say that about their children in no matter what profession they are, they say it really changes you.

A: I’m sure that’s true.

Q: How did it change you as an actress?

A: Well I think I’m still figuring that out but I think it’s just deepened everything for me. 

Q: I hear that from female directors too, they say they are better at their craft because they have a deeper emotional understanding of life in just about everything. Was this physically demanding for you at all? 

A: Every once in a while. Mostly she’s kind of a thinking person, talking lady but she does do some flying through the air, so it’s a little bit demanding but not so much.  I had never done a stunt before and so that was fun and a little scary and thrilling for me, but probably not much compared to what everyone else in the movie had to do in terms of physical heavy lifting.

Q: So you did your own stunts though?

A: There was a stuntwoman also who did the really, sort of rigorous, dangerous parts of my stunts, but I did some of it.

Q: Great, wonderful, sounds like you had a really good time.

A: Thank you.