Bryant Gumbel: In this era of sequels and quick hits, the exceptional performers are those who are willing to take chances and risk their reputations on unusual roles. Throughout her brief career Lena Olin has taken such risks. Drawn to unusual roles, she frequently plays characters who are somewhat on the edge. That aptly describes her role in the new film Romeo Is Bleeding. Lena Olin, good morning.

Lena: Good morning.

Bryant: Why are you drawn to these people who are kind of on the edge of madness?

Lena: Well, it's just that it gives you so much opportunity to do stuff, and to dig in your own personality, to find those...There are so many areas we never go to because we don't need to in our normal life, hopefully. And then we get a character like Mona or extreme characters and you have to go there and it's fun and it's exciting and it's a challenge.

Bryant: Mona is your character in this one, but Mona is so evil that I suspect you've never known anybody like her, so where do you, what do you pull on to create somebody like that?

Lena: Well you know, I've known people like her, (starts smiling really big here at, I'm guessing, Bryant's reaction) but not to that extreme. But I can also find within myself her rage. You know, she also has a tremendous amount of joy. She's a very joyful person. She's insane, but I know people like her, yes I do.

(Lena and Bryant both crack up laughing)

Bryant: Who are out walking around?

Lena: Yeah actually. But not, I mean, she's under a lot of pressure, and I that think most people could be anything under a certain circumstance, but fortunately we never have to bring out those sides of ourselves.

(more laughter from Bryant, nervous laughter I think)

Bryant: Let's take a look at Mona who has been described as ruthless and seductive, would that be a fair characterization?

Lena: Yeah.

Bryant: Let's take a look at Mona and Gary Oldman in what amounts to an intimate scene.

(Oldman as Jack is handcuffed to the bed; Mona plants kisses on his face)

Bryant: hmmm, poor Jack. Look, I understand you found Mona really a physically exhausting role. How come?

Lena: Because you know a lot of the times you have to do the things yourself, and she's everywhere and she's faster and she's stronger than anybody else and therefore I had to pretend like I was stronger and faster than anybody else. It was tough. It was physically very demanding.

Bryant: Which must've played right into your hands because I love this quote of your's that I was reading last night. It says, this is from you, 'When acting is fun it has nothing to do with the brain.

Lena: No.

Bryant: Could you explain that for me?

Lena: Well, it's just that you sit at home when you get a script and you work everything out and you think like crazy and it's very intellectual. You have plans what you're going to do and you're so certain that it's the right thing. And then, when it's fun, something else takes over and it's just like magical and just go and it's what we wish for in life when everything is present, when you're fully aware, every sense of your body is there. It's terrific.

Bryant: It must be kind of an escape for you?

Lena: Yeah, yeah.

Bryant: I mean, I say that because I understand that when you were growing up, you were shy to the point of being mute.

Lena: Yeah.

Bryant: Did acting help you come out of that?

Lena: Yeah, a lot. It's a protection because it's like under the cover of being somebody else, to have a character to hide behind. You can do anything. Anything is allowed. But when it comes to your own person in your private life you have so many inhibitions and so many hang-ups that I don't have when I act.

Bryant: And yet your inhibitions are totally gone once you get in front of the camera, and I saw where you admitted that when you were a kid you were pathologically shy.

Lena: Yeah. Yeah. I was like if somebody asked me did I take sugar I just shook my head no. I didn't dare to say I wanted to sugar because that would've, you know, it just really...

Bryant: Does it still evidence itself when you see yourself on the screen? Do you feel shy about watching yourself?

Lena: Yeah, I mean sometimes. I'm getting used to it. Sometimes I can watch and no longer feel like this is me, it's somebody else. But it's hard to watch yourself. It's awful.

Bryant: It's not awful.

Lena: (laughing) I find it awful. Because you, but then you start criticizing and finding things you don't like, and yeah, I find it awful.

Bryant: One final note about the future. We were sitting here talking about kids being in school, and I know you want your son, August, to be educated in Sweden.

Lena: Yeah.

Bryant: Is that going to make it difficult for you to take advantage of film opportunities here, you going to have to cut back?

Lena: Maybe. It's a dilemma. It's really hard. I mean, he's been working with tutors, and that's fine, but when he starts to get his own life and own friends, it gets tough. So maybe, I don't know.

Bryant: Yeah. And if it ever comes down to movies and August the winner is?

Lena: August! (big smile on her face)

Bryant: No contest.

Lena: No.

Bryant: Lena Olin. Good seeing you.

Lena: Very nice to meet you.