Nora Arnezeder Teases Her Role In The Godfather Making-Of Series The Offer - Exclusive
Following a badass turn as Lilly, aka "The Coyote," in Zack Snyder's smash zombie heist thriller "Army of the Dead," it appears that French performer Nora Arnezeder is getting more acting offers in America that she can't refuse. Chief among them is the aptly titled Paramount+ streaming miniseries "The Offer," which chronicles the making of the Oscar-winning mob movie classic "The Godfather."
In an exclusive interview with Looper, Arnezeder — whose latest movie is the new sci-fi drama "The Colony" — said that she believes the exposure she gained in "Army of the Dead" no doubt led to her joining "The Offer." As Arnezeder explained, it was John Papsidera who cast her in "Army of the Dead," and he was also the casting director for "The Offer," which is being helmed by "Rocket Man" director Dexter Fletcher.
"I'm very grateful for [John Papsidera], and to be working with Dexter Fletcher is fantastic," Arnezeder enthused. "He's an amazing, amazing guy and director, and we're having so much fun on set. And he lets me do my thing and improvise."
Lucky for Arnezeder, Fletcher isn't the only director she's worked with who turns actors loose during productions to do their thing. She said director Tim Fehlbaum encouraged her to improvise while making "The Colony," as did Snyder on "Army of the Dead."
"I love improvising [...] I also love the idea that there's no such things as mistakes, that we can try things out, and it's fine," Arnezeder said. "And someone like Tim, and someone like Zack and Dexter, they're very similar in that way, that they really understand and give a space to the actors to try things out. And so, I auditioned for 'The Offer' and I got the part, and I was thrilled."
Nora Arnezeder stars opposite Miles Teller in The Offer
"The Offer" zooms in on the travails of producer Albert S. Ruddy (Miles Teller) as he desperately tries to get "The Godfather" adapted from the novel by Mario Puzo (Patrick Gallo) to the big screen. Several principal characters in front of and behind the camera of "The Godfather" are portrayed in the series, including director Francis Ford Coppola (Dan Folger), and producers Robert Evans (Matthew Goode) and Peter Bart (Josh Zuckerman), not to mention the film's stars, Marlon Brando (Justin Chambers) and Al Pacino (Anthony Ippolito). Arnezeder stars as legendary hotel owner Françoise Glazer, who eventually marries Ruddy.
"She owns the Chateau Marmont and she's an interesting character," Arnezeder revealed to Looper. "She's a real person. She's Jewish. She was hidden during the Second World War, reconnected with her mother after the war, moved to Israel and then America. After that, she got married and got the Chateau Marmont." Also in the series, Arnezeder said, Glazer "meets Al Ruddy, falls in love with him, and he takes on the adventure of producing 'The Godfather' [...] she witnesses her husband producing the film with all the obstacles that he encounters."
Naturally, Arnezeder was a fan of "The Godfather" long before auditioning for "The Offer."
"I mean, Al Pacino? Like, wow," Arnezeder said, smiling. "It's interesting to see a story when you watch it as an audience. And then when you get to shoot the story about the making of 'The Godfather,' you understand what it took to produce this masterpiece."
"The Colony" is playing in theaters, and available on digital and video on demand. "The Offer" will debut sometime in 2022.