I, Tonya - Craig Gillespie (2017) - Interview

Extract

[...] I watched several of her competitions to help me understand her mentality, her way of being and her behavior. Oh yes, you really applied yourself to the shot, as we can see. I'm going to ask you one final question. Did you feel any particular pressure playing someone who made history in women's skating? Yes, it's true that there was a lot of pressure but thanks to everything I watched and especially thanks to Diane, I got to know Tonya's character and so the pressure was less. Well, thank you for taking part in the interview. [...]

[...] However, it took a lot of time for her as well as for me. I always say that training is the key to progress. When you say that she had major problems, how did that impact her? I think at that age; it's something that marks you for life. What I can tell you is that her motivation exceeded my expectations, because all she had left was skating, her parents had divorced and worse. But since she had dropped out of school, it was hard to make friends at that age. [...]

[...] Because, in my opinion, the role suits you perfectly. I'll admit that some things weren't very difficult for me. Like playing the rebellious girl, because I'm natural at it. But putting myself in the shoes of a skater was a first for me, and it wasn't easy. I intended to do it all myself, except of course for the extreme stunts like the triple axels. But the parts that were within my skill level, which I was able to improve thanks to the film, I did myself. [...]

[...] What do you think about the Tonya Harding case? I think there is no concrete evidence, so I don't see myself giving my opinion in public. Afterwards it is true that by spending time with her trainer, I learned more about her, and I don't really see her doing this kind of thing but after that I won't say anything for sure. What did you think about what happened after the case? I think it's a shame that she had to stop because of what happened to her. [...]

[...] I'll give you a straight answer. I didn't get involved in Tonya's life; it's her life. I'm her coach, so I look after her sporting side, but not her family side. My point of view is that even Tonya and Kerrigan were far from friends, but from there to commit such an act, I don't believe it. Then she'll know better than me. What I do know is that it put an end to her figure-skating career, which is why she turned to boxing. [...]