Famke Janssen in Turn the River Courtesy of 2008 Screen Media

Anyone who thinks Famke Janssen can only play glossy kick-ass characters such as Jean Grey in the X-Men series and Xenia Onatopp in GoldenEye, will be in for a shock when they see her gritty new indie, Turn the River. Written and directed by Chris Eigeman (who is best known for playing jerks in Whit Stillman's films), Turn the River is about a pool hustler named Kailey (Janssen) who is desperately trying get back her young son from her ex-husband (Matt Ross) and his miserable mother (Lois Smith). After Turn the River, Janssen continues her very busy 2008 with The Wackness, Taken, 100 Feet, and Kiddie Ride. Premiere.com recently spoke to her about the challenges of making low budget movies, playing pool and what her dog does for a living.

How did you first get involved with Turn the River?
Chris and I had acted in a film together about three years ago called The Treatment. We became friends, and he ended up writing the script, kind of with me in mind. One night at dinner, he presented it to me and said, "This is for you, I hope you want to play it." I was very flattered and excited.

Had he at any point dropped a hint that he was writing a script with you in mind?
No. He had mentioned he was writing something, but I didn't know specific details. And I never would have presumed or imagined that somebody would do such a thing. It's very nice. It's actually the second time it's happened. When Jon Favreau and I did a movie called Love & Sex, he said, "I'm going to write something for you, what you want to play?" And I said, "I don't know, something edgy and different." And then he ended up writing the part of the stripper for me in Made. I said, "Jon, I said, 'Edgy and different,' I didn't say I wanted to take my clothes off." [Laughs]

Is there any added pressure knowing a role was written specifically for you?
There is and there isn't. But anybody who knows me knows I'm nothing like my Turn the River character, Kailey. I think that sometimes when people write a part for somebody, the character reminds them of the person but not who they really are. But yeah, there's definitely some nervousness that comes with hoping you can fulfill what someone somehow seems to think you can.

Famke Janssen in Turn the River Courtesy of 2008 Screen Media

What was your initial reaction to the script and your character?
I loved it, and I fell in love with Kailey because there's something so tragic about her. She's sort of an anti-hero. And the beauty of it is, is that the film is a classic love story, in this case, between a mother and her child. The tragedy of it is that they can't be together because every decision that Kailey makes and has made in her life is a bad one.

Does it ever get frustrating playing a character whose actions always get in the way of what she ultimately wants in life?
No, because when I play a character, I embrace her. And she, like everybody else, is flawed. There are no perfect people. And if there were, I don't think we would be interested in knowing them because they just wouldn't be that interesting.

The production notes for Turn the River mentions that your "beauty is a mere footnote to the character."
Who wrote that, I wonder? And what does beauty have to do with anything?