Her Story Privacy Policy Contact Keri Lyn
Shesaved Facebook Shesaved Twitter Shesaved Pinterest Shesaved Instagram Shesaved Youtube Link Shesaved Email Link

SheSaved®

She Saved is a lifestyle mom blog that focuses on teen parenting, family travel and entertainment. Finance, Product Review, Recipes.

  • She Shops
    • Today’s HOTTEST Deals
    • She Saved FREE Email Newsletter Signup
    • She Saved Holiday Gift Ideas for EVERYONE on your list
    • Holiday Gift Guide Ideas
    • BEST Amazon Prime Deals
    • Military Discounts
    • Teacher Discounts
  • Travelfolio
    • SAVE on Disney Travel
    • Travel Stories and Adventures
    • Idaho Travel
    • Hilton Travel Articles
    • Travel Tips
  • Entertainment
    • How to SAVE on a Disney Trip
    • Celebrity Interviews
    • Red Carpet Events
    • Movie Reviews
    • Disney Channel
    • All things Disney
    • Disney Behind the Scenes
    • Netflix Stream Team
  • Recipes
    • Halloween Recipes & Crafts
    • Christmas Recipes
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Recipe Round Ups
    • Copycat Recipes
    • Easy Recipes
    • Breakfast Recipes
    • Beverage Recipes
  • DIY
    • Christmas Party Ideas
    • Handmade Christmas Ornaments
    • Homemade Gift Ideas
    • Garden Tips
    • Birthday Party Ideas
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Fun with the Kids!
    • FREE Printables
  • Giveaways+Product Review
    • Product Review
    • Giveaways
    • Contact Me!
  • Favorite Things
    • BEST Gift Ideas
    • She Saved 2020 Holiday Gift Guide
    • Oprah’s Favorite Things 2020
    • She Saved Holiday Gift Ideas for EVERYONE on your list
    • Best Amazon Prime Deals
    • Affiliate Marketing
    • We LOVE Pets!
    • Things She Loves
    • She Reads
    • Smart Parenting
Home » Disney » Celebrity Interviews » Interview: Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One #DoctorStrangeEvent

Interview: Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One #DoctorStrangeEvent

Published November 1, 2016 | Updated May 22, 2021 | By Keri Lyn.

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more details.

2 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

tilda-swinton-interview

Disclosure: This event and trip to LA was an all expense paid journey sponsored by Disney. All thoughts, opinions and experiences are 100% my own!

Interview: Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One
tilda-swinton

Oh my gosh, just look at her! Stunning and just so down to earth, Tilda Swinton was the perfect actress to play The Ancient One. I absolutely love her in this role, and I also love how much depth she brought to this character. I so enjoyed our interview, and I am excited to share it with you!

Tilda Doctor Strange

The first, and most obvious question was to have Tilda expand on how this role came to be, especially considering that The Ancient One was originally an Asian man.

Well, you know the comic strip was an Asian man, in fact, a very ancient Tibetan man living on the top of a mountain.  The film script that I was given wasn’t an Asian man, I was asked to play an ancient Celtic person. If I’d been asked to play an Asian man I would have shown them Benedict Wong but Kevin and Scott were very, very clear about the reasons they wanted to shake up the stereotype.  They felt that there were couple of kind of gnarly racial stereotypes around the two big Asian characters in the film, one was Benedict’s Benedict Wong’s character; he was a sort of servant. And the other was the Ancient One, who was a kind of old, wise Fu Manchu character. Scott wanted to make it a woman, which I think was a really, really cool move, you know, to put a woman in the Marvel universe who’s not twenty-one and in a bikini was a good thing. Although we love the girls in bikinis, but it’s really important, I think, the idea of a sorceress supreme being a woman. And then when he thought of an Asian woman, he was worried that it would turn into a kind of dragon lady thing.

When asked about her costume, she got a huge smile on her face: 

Oh it’s such a great costume!  It’s very much like, pajamas. Really, really great. And those beautiful colors… really wonderful.

What were the biggest challenges while filming? 

The only real struggle was casting spells – learning all these amazing things with fingers, and then remembering what to say at the same time. 

Tilda Swinton

What was the most difficult scene to film, and why?

Oooo… I have to think because it was all really quite easy. I mean, the fighting is fantastic fun, really good fun – and difficult and interesting in fun ways. But also tough. You know, I set myself the task that the Ancient One would be completely serene through all the fighting.  That was— that was something because I would challenging anybody to do these moves without going making noises like a nine-year-old boy. 

I absolutely love her baldness in this role, it fit her character so well and she is just stunning. It was so neat to hear that the baldness was her call.

Well it was my decision, it was my suggestion and we had several months of playing with options, all sorts of weird wig ideas, all sorts of long lobes and we went ‘round the houses with it but eventually, it felt like less was more and I loved it. I thought it looked really, really ancient, but also kind of modern and rad.

Tilda Swinton in Doctor Strange

“Yes I’m a rad superhero myself, but I’m telling you, be authentic. You can control your mind; you have a choice about your reaction to obstacles in your life, and to serve something greater than yourself!” ~ Tilda Swinton

And I won’t through out any spoilers (because I can’t stand them!) but I will tell you that The Ancient One might possibly be one of my top 3 favorite Marvel characters and a lot of that is due to her depth and the amazing messages that this character shares. I asked her about this, and asked her how she felt about the deep and profound lines that her character has. 

Yes, there were a couple of lines I must say I found it such a privilege to say. There’s a moment earlier than that, when I’m teaching Doctor Strange and looking straight into the camera – basically teaching the globe’s population of fifteen-year-olds about mindfulness. That was like, WOW! This is such a great chance, you know, to say ‘Yes I’m a rad superhero myself, but I’m telling you, be authentic. You can control your mind; you have a choice about your reaction to obstacles in your life, and to serve something greater than yourself!’ 

I mean, that’s the kind of thing that one can imagine saying in – or learning in – a different kind of movie, but to put that in a Marvel film and know that it’s going to be picked up by all of our kids was a nice— nice thing. 

And finally, when asked to sum up The Ancient One in one word, she nailed it. Did I mention how much I love this character!? 

It’s  a noun and not an adjective – it’s perspective.  Yeah.

Amazing!! I can’t wait for you all to see this film, and in the meantime, here’s a sneak peek:

More Doctor Strange Interviews Coming Soon!

Stay tuned from more of my interviews with other talent from this movie including Tilda Swinton (“The Ancient One”), Mads Mikkelsen (“Kaecilius”), Benedict Wong (“Wong”) and Director Scott Derrickson.

Photo credits: Disney and Dusty from As Mom Sees It.

doctor-strange-poster

Make sure to keep up with all of the Doctor Strange excitement with hashtag: #DoctorStrangeEvent
Like DOCTOR STRANGE on Facebook
Follow DOCTOR STRANGE on Twitter
Follow Marvel on Instagram
Visit the official DOCTOR STRANGE website

DOCTOR STRANGE opens in theatres everywhere on November 4th!

Related Posts:

  • An Interview with Producer Suzanne Todd Interview (and the story of my blue Alice Shoes)
    An Interview with Producer Suzanne Todd Interview (and the…
  • Interview with Maleficent Producer Don Hahn
    Interview with Maleficent Producer Don Hahn
  • Interview: Doctor Strange Director Scott Derrickson #DoctorStrangeEvent
    Interview: Doctor Strange Director Scott Derrickson…
  • Steven Spielberg and Ruby Barnhill Interview: Giants, Happy Accidents and Hugs #TheBFGEvent
    Steven Spielberg and Ruby Barnhill Interview: Giants, Happy…
  • Magnificent as Maleficent, a Mother and More: My Interview with Angelina Jolie #MaleficentEvent
    Magnificent as Maleficent, a Mother and More: My Interview…
  • Auli’i Cravalho and Her Mom Puanani Cravalho
    Auli’i Cravalho and Her Mom Puanani Cravalho

Filed Under: Celebrity Interviews

keri

About Keri Lyn

The creative and frugal mind behind She Saved for over 12 years now, Keri Lyn shares her adventures in parenting along with her love for family travel, country living and brand marketing. A self-proclaimed “brand loyalist”, Keri Lyn is known for her strong and enthusiastic voice when it comes to the products and brands that she loves. Passionate about family and the challenge of raising good humans (through the teen years, no less!) Keri Lyn has also served as a brand ambassador to many brands including her time as a Hilton Mom Voyage travel writer and currently an O Mag Insider for O, The Oprah Magazine and the 2019 recipient the O-verall Contribution O-ward. Read more...

Shesaved on Facebook Shesaved Twitter Shesaved Pinterest Shesaved Instagram Shesaved Youtube Link Shesaved Email Link
« Chocolate Covered Apple Slices
Auli’i Cravalho and Her Mom Puanani Cravalho »

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Shesaved on Facebook Shesaved Twitter Shesaved Pinterest Shesaved Instagram Shesaved Youtube Link Shesaved Email Link

Today’s Hottest Deals

 

popular posts

holiday table setting with cute snowman cheese ball and crackers

Snowman Cheese Ball Recipe

Cauliflower Nacho Appetizer

Cauliflower Nachos Recipe

Lemon Bread recipe

The BEST Lemon Blueberry Bread Loaf Recipe

Chocolate Candy in cupcake wrappers

Homemade Snickers Snack Cups Recipe

My Buffalo Cheese Ball recipe will be a huge hit at your next football party and a sure SCORE with buffalo chicken fans!

Buffalo Chicken Cheese Ball Recipe

connect with me

Shesaved Facebook Shesaved Twitter Shesaved Pinterest Shesaved Instagram   Shesaved Youtube Link  Shesaved Email Link

Looking for something?

Shesaved Giveaways
...
Walgreens deals and coupons  Wild for CVS Deals and coupons  Target Weekly Ad, Deals, and Coupons

SEEN ON

as seen on promo graphic

SEEN ON

as seen on promo graphic
She Saved, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and MyHabit.com

Copyright © 2008 - 2023 SHE SAVED, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

SheSaved®Logo Header Menu
  • She Shops
    • Today’s HOTTEST Deals
    • She Saved FREE Email Newsletter Signup
    • She Saved Holiday Gift Ideas for EVERYONE on your list
    • Holiday Gift Guide Ideas
    • BEST Amazon Prime Deals
    • Military Discounts
    • Teacher Discounts
  • Travelfolio
    • SAVE on Disney Travel
    • Travel Stories and Adventures
    • Idaho Travel
    • Hilton Travel Articles
    • Travel Tips
  • Entertainment
    • How to SAVE on a Disney Trip
    • Celebrity Interviews
    • Red Carpet Events
    • Movie Reviews
    • Disney Channel
    • All things Disney
    • Disney Behind the Scenes
    • Netflix Stream Team
  • Recipes
    • Halloween Recipes & Crafts
    • Christmas Recipes
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Recipe Round Ups
    • Copycat Recipes
    • Easy Recipes
    • Breakfast Recipes
    • Beverage Recipes
  • DIY
    • Christmas Party Ideas
    • Handmade Christmas Ornaments
    • Homemade Gift Ideas
    • Garden Tips
    • Birthday Party Ideas
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Fun with the Kids!
    • FREE Printables
  • Giveaways+Product Review
    • Product Review
    • Giveaways
    • Contact Me!
  • Favorite Things
    • BEST Gift Ideas
    • She Saved 2020 Holiday Gift Guide
    • Oprah’s Favorite Things 2020
    • She Saved Holiday Gift Ideas for EVERYONE on your list
    • Best Amazon Prime Deals
    • Affiliate Marketing
    • We LOVE Pets!
    • Things She Loves
    • She Reads
    • Smart Parenting