Connie Nielsen Praises Wonder Woman Director's Strength

Rising to prominence thanks to her role as Lucilla in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000), Connie [...]

Rising to prominence thanks to her role as Lucilla in Ridley Scott's Gladiator (2000), Connie Nielsen is set to portray Wonder Woman's mother — Queen Hippolyta — when the film debuts next weekend.

Diana Prince's solo DC Extended Universe debut is directed by Patty Jenkins, a person Nielsen said she connected immediately with, praising her strength.

"She's also the kind of director that I really flourish under. She has very strong and particular and specific ideas about what it is she wants to say. She comes from a place of strength always," Nielsen told Screen Rant. "And so, when you are dealing with someone like that, you feel absolutely free to be vulnerable, to be creative, and I am a big researcher."

Nielsen went on to describe how intensive her research of the role was, and applauded Jenkins' ability to help her explore the part.

Up Next: Jenkins On Why The Film Couldn't Have Been Rated-R

"I put a lot of effort into research and I brought all of that research back and you can always tell if somebody is interested or not, and the fact that she was interested and made sure that there was space for all of that research and space for those nuances," reflect Nielsen. "Every time I wanted to try something else and maybe something that wasn't even a part of it, she always not only went with it, but actually was interested in exploring further with me."

Not running out of praise for Jenkins, Nielsen even compared it to working with the Oscar-nominated Ridley Scott while on the set of Gladiator.

"This is a woman who just rose to head such a huge vehicle. You should have seen the actual size of the crew and the studio and the setups and the amount of people she was just blithely oversee everyday," Nielsen said. It was just like when I would see Ridley standing in the middle of Malta, this fort in Malta, and chomping on his cigar and just looking happy. It was the same thing kind of with Patty. That kind of real comfort on a set."

Before she was Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), she was Diana, Princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, Diana meets an American pilot (Chris Pine) who tells her about the massive conflict that's raging in the outside world. Convinced that she can stop the threat, Diana leaves her home for the first time. Fighting alongside men in a war to end all wars, she finally discovers her full powers and true destiny.

Wonder Woman is directed by Patty Jenkins, from a screenplay by Allan Heinberg & Geoff Johns, story by Heinberg & Zack Snyder and Jason Fuchs, and stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, Elena Anaya, Lucy Davis, Saïd Taghmaoui, Ewen Bremner and David Thewlis.

Wonder Woman opens in theaters June 2, 2017.

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MORE WONDER WOMAN NEWS: Gal Gadot On How Wonder Woman Feeds Into Her Justice League Role / Wonder Woman Director Addresses Criticism Of "Skimpy, Sexy Outfit"/ Director On Diana Versus Other Superheroes / Wonder Woman Artist Reveals What He Loves About The Movie

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