I think you see in people's eyes what they've been through. Anything in their lives shows up in their eyes.

It's interesting to watch people go through it in something like this. I mean, what other then Melancholia films do they portray depression in?

I was a big Guns N' Roses fan when I was seven. My friend who lived across the street had long dark curly hair and I had long blonde hair, so I'd dress up as Axl and she'd be Slash, and we'd rock out in front of the mirror singing 'Patience.'

I would always rather do a mediocre script with a great filmmaker than a great script with a mediocre filmmaker.

I was always in and out of school. What I learned in high school is that female friendships are so much more important than worrying about having a boyfriend or looking good or things like that. I had such a good girlfriend growing up that we didn't need anything. We had such a creative world of our own imagination together. For me, if I have a child, I would say, "I hope you find a best friend that makes it so you don't really need much but each other." Learning about that type of friendship and trust is one of the best things I ever got out of school.

When you get older, you feel better about yourself. You're not worried what other people think about you, in general. You just get more comfortable in your skin.

Charlotte Rampling is someone I've wanted to work with for a very long time. I've always looked up to her as an actress and it's a reason why I feel brave to do a film like Melancholia. So, to me she's the ultimate.