Jennifer Connolly reflects on working with David Bowie: “I became a super fan”
In 1986, Jennifer Connolly starred opposite music icon David Bowie in one of his most significant acting roles, resulting in the beloved fantasy movie Labyrinth.
Before Labyrinth, Connolly had only starred in a few movies as a child, such as the epic crime drama Once Upon A Time in America and Dario Argento’s horror classic Phenomena. With Labrinyth, however, her acting talents were exposed to a wider audience, allowing her to hone a successful career as an adult, starring in popular movies like Requiem for a Dream, A Beautiful Mind (winning her an Oscar) and Top Gun: Maverick.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Connolly recalled her time working with Bowie, explaining how she turned into a “super-fan” by the time filming had finished. Directed by Jim Henson, who also created The Muppets, the film remains one of both Bowie and Connolly’s most popular movies that can be appreciated by all ages, even today, having gained cult status.
Meanwhile, Bowie, who had already gained acclaim with his music, embodied the wacky Goblin King Jareth well, having spent most of his career performing with various personas, like the thin White Duke and Aladdin Sane. One of his first proper acting roles came in 1976 with The Man Who Fell to Earth, which led him to star in movies like Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence and The Hunger.
However, for both Bowie and Connolly, Labyrinth proved to be a highly fruitful endeavour. The movie grossed $34million worldwide, becoming admired for its dark fantasy elements and strong performances from the leading actors.
Thinking back to her time filming the movie, Connolly explained her admiration for Bowie and how down-to-earth he was. “His persona was so kind of elaborate and crafted and alien, but he just seemed kind of goofy,” adding, “There’s something about how gracious he was, and how he was with me, which was so kind and gentle and comforting.”
The actor also revealed that Bowie had a warm presence on set, often joking with the cast and crew and helping Connolly – who was just 16 at the time – to prepare for her part.
She continued, “I was really impressed by him, and how he behaved in that film. I’d been a fan of his, but became a super-fan after that.”