Q&A with Tilda Swinton

RB: You have done more mainstream Hollywood films lately, and I read you quoted somewhere that even after winning an Oscar you are still doing the projects you would have done without it. Is it hard to keep the mainstream accolades from impacting your choices? If you had one life rule that you live by, in terms of making sure you don't let the outside world dictate what you do and not losing yourself in the business, what would it be?

TS: Golly. What works for one person may not work for all, but I would say stick with your friends. The fact that I have been more visible in recent years and have made more mainstream work is not actually anything to do with me. It has to do with the filmmakers who have approached me. It's more the mountain coming to Mohammad than me going out and looking for anything elsewhere. The great advantage of working for as long as I've worked is that people have a general idea of what they might be getting. So if they invite me to their parties, I imagine it's because they think I might fit in, and generally they're right. I'm a European and I live here and make most of my work here, but I love to travel. So there's something wonderful for me in going to America and making movies and finding such good comrades. Look for friends everywhere, and trust that you will find good company. That's probably as good a rule of thumb as I can think of. It has always served me very well.

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