Noomi Rapace goes dark again in Bright

Although she is still known to most as "the girl with the dragon tattoo", the Millennium series is now behind Swedish actress Noomi Rapace.

When asked if she would ever reprise her breakout role of goth computer hacker Lisbeth Salander from the 2009 Swedish film adaptations of the best-selling Millennium crime novels (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest), Rapace, who turns 38 tomorrow, was quick to answer no - as a matter of principle.

She told The New Paper at The Ritz-Carlton: "I'll never go back to that character because I don't believe in going back. I always try to move into the future."

Rapace was in Tokyo last week to promote her latest film Bright, which is now available on Netflix.

In the action fantasy film, where humans are sandwiched between the high-class elves and low-class orcs, she plays antagonist Leilah, a dark elf who wields magic powers.

The villainess, whom Rapace said struggles with deep emotional conflict, is the latest in her range of dark female characters.

After playing Lisbeth, she portrayed seven different sisters in the Netflix sci-fi thriller What Happened To Monday.

The single mum laughed when asked if she was carving out a niche for herself, revealing that even her 14-year-old son has expressed concern about the roles she plays.

She said: "I'm not interested in sweet, cute romantic roles.

"I like it when there's many layers and it's something I can really dig in to."

And bury herself in Leilah she did.

Rapace shared that she worked out twice a day to prepare, doing exercises like barre, running on the beach and practising with the knives and guns her character used - to the point of even taking them to bed.

To her, the dedication was important because although she features heavily in the film, Leilah barely has any lines.

Through her action scenes, of which there are plenty in Bright, she said audiences and the other characters have to "read her through her body, like an animal".

INJURY

She added: "I had to awaken my body in a completely different way, in how I moved and walked. I had to communicate with my body."

But it came with its costs.

Rapace seriously injured herself during a fight scene which she "overdid", leaving her with an inflamed hip and rendering her immobile for four days.

The elvish make-up she spent almost two hours putting on each day might have made some stars uncomfortable, but Rapace lit up when she talked about it.

Her favourite part? The sharp elvish ears, which took up most of the make-up time.

She proudly declared that when her "good friend", US shock rocker Marilyn Manson, visited her on set, he loved the ears so much that she gave them to him.

She said: "I always go really deep into my characters and they always affect me. I cannot really separate myself from them, they kind of bleed into my normal life."

But Rapace stressed there are no attachment issues with Lisbeth.

She wished the best for the latest woman to take up the mantle, English actress Claire Foy, who will be starring in next year's The Girl In The Spider's Web, following US actress Rooney Mara's turn in the 2011 Hollywood remake of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

Rapace said: "I left the character many years ago and Rooney Mara made her version and now it's Claire Foy's (turn).

"It's going to be interesting to see what they do."