The first thing most people notice about actress Patricia Clarkson is her voice, which, one would swear, emanates from a sandpaper larynx coated in olive oil. But, for those who have followed her career—from her venomous turn as Eleanor Fine in Todd Haynes’ Far From Heaven to the fractured stoicism of Joy Burns in Pieces of April, for which she received a supporting actress Oscar nomination—Clarkson’s power rests resolutely in her eyes. In those two orbs of understanding, secrets are revealed, bonds formed. And in Phoebe in Wonderland, the 50-year-old actress puts them to great use. As the wonderfully quirky Miss Dodger, Clarkson plays mentor to the title character (embodied with astonishing depth by Elle Fanning), a young girl battling compulsive tendencies that cause her to lash out when least expected. Together, Phoebe and Miss Dodger inhabit a world of whimsy torn straight from the pages of Lewis Carroll’s classic story, and ultimately prove that what makes us different is what makes us special. Here, Clarkson discusses Woody Allen groupies, TMZ attacks and the perils of leaving the house without combing her hair—all the while politely ignoring the stammering and fawning that simply won’t be quelled on the other end of the line. 

As Phoebe, Elle Fanning gives such a powerful but innocent performance. She’s quite remarkable. Yes, she has that command. Like her sister [Dakota Fanning], she’s an incredibly gifted, stunning actress. They’re consummate professionals and still, they’re delicious off-camera—normal, sweet, yummy, lovely kids.

Both Phoebe and your character, Miss Dodger, struggle with issues of authority. Did you go through a rebellious phase? No, not really. I grew up with a very strong mother and father—they’re still together after 56 years—who were very present and amazing, but they weren’t authoritarians. I’ve never really been a rebellious person, so Miss Dodger was very much a character for me. I’m more eccentric than I am rebellious.

But what makes your character so special is that she isn’t really breaking the rules; rather, she seems to ignore them altogether. Exactly. She sees the world, not through rose-colored glasses, but through an entirely different prism—maybe a Rubik’s Cube, even. And that’s the beauty of her relationship with Phoebe in this film: they are kindred spirits and allies.

Have you had that type of relationship before? I had great mentors who steered me into the theater when I was in grade school. And, you know, it was difficult to go that route. I wasn’t an outsider in high school. Actually, I was a very popular girl. And that was really difficult for me to negotiate, because the popular crowd and the arty crowd didn’t mix. I was with the insiders some times and the outsiders at other times, and I was always straddling the two… kind of like the way I jump between studio films and independent films now. I’ve been straddling two damn worlds all my life!

This film jumps in and out of reality and fantasy. Does your brain work that way? Are you a daydreamer? Absolutely! I check out all the time. One of the things that drew me to this project was that mix: What is real? What isn’t? When does it shift? When is the flight of fancy? And I thought Daniel [Barnz, the director of the film] did a beautiful job, for a first time director with no money, of finding those elements and playing with them. It’s hard enough to shoot a straightforward film in five weeks with very little money, but to add that fantastical element is near impossible.

You’ve referred to yourself as a “director’s actor” in the past, someone who enjoys working in close proximity with a director who has a singular vision. What happens, then, when that vision derails? I’ve been very lucky. I honestly can’t remember ever having felt like that. I’ve certainly had differences of opinion, though. With Miss Dodger, for example, I had a very different opinion about how she should look right from the beginning. They eventually agreed to my preference.

What was the other look? They gave her a secretarial look, and I wanted to channel [American dancer and composer] Martha Graham.

She’s such a free spirit, so it makes sense. That’s what I said! I wanted her to look like a little stick figure, with those big braids on top of my head and no makeup. Why I chose no makeup, I’m not sure. What the fuck was I thinking?

You’ve worked with a number of actors—from Tom McCarthy and Sean Penn, to George Clooney and Stanley Tucci—who have crossed over into directing films. How is that different? I don’t know that there’s a profound difference. I think that talent is talent. Is there a slight difference? Yes. Do actors understand that aspect of filmmaking a little better? Probably. But I think inside every great director, somewhere, is a great actor. Woody, Marty Scorcese—they all have an actor in them. I mean, I’ve never seen Danny Barnz act, but I bet he’s terrific. I just have that feeling, that the two are sort of synonymous.

I tend to romanticize creative conflict. I love, for example, picturing the cast of Dogville—you and Nicole Kidman, with Lauren Bacall and James Caan—somewhere in nowhere Scandinavia, freezing, while Lars von Trier screams at everyone. Lars, well, he’s unique. But I liked him. We got on well. He is a true eccentric, and he has his own way of working—very improvisational, very alive—but it’s also a great way of working. It truly is… I’m trying to find the right word… serendipitous. Sometimes he’ll film you when you’re not even working. You really have to rock ’ n’ roll with him. And I think it made me a better actor.

What about Woody Allen? You show up in his new film, Whatever Works, which comes out in a few months. Had you known him socially before taking your role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. I didn’t know Woody at all before Vicky Cristina Barcelona. He sent me a letter that said, “Would you like to be in this movie?” And, immediately, I said, Sure!

I wonder what he’d watched that made him think of you for the part. I have no idea! I mean, Woody had seen me in things and had obviously liked me as an actress or else he wouldn’t have offered me anything. H e wrote me such a beautiful letter. To be honest, he had me at the letter [laughs]. And then he gave me another part in Whatever Works, which is this—I can’t talk in too many details about it—absolutely divine part. Larry David is fabulous in this film.

Evan Rachel Wood is also in it. Even Rachel Wood plays my daughter. I love her, I love her, I love her.

She isn’t the first young actress you’ve worked alongside: Angelina Jolie, Katie Holmes and Scarlett Johansson all draw signification paparazzi attention. You even referred to Johansson as a rock star while you were filming in Spain. Oh my god, yes. It was like being at a Rolling Stones concert.

Does the attention ever get in the way of the creative process? With Evan Rachel Wood, no. First of all, filming in a controlled environment is much different than filming on the streets of Barcelona. Plus, New Yorkers just don’t care. The people in Barcelona? They care, deeply. They’re madly in love with Woody, first and foremost. He’s their God.

What about you? I’m sure you’re often recognized on the streets of New York. I definitely can’t forget to brush my hair before I leave the house, you know? It’s kind of a pain in the ass, but it’s alright. People in New York really respond to me, which is great, and a hat and glasses make all the difference. If I walk outside without them, it becomes difficult. So I wear a hat and glasses. It’s kind of clichéd and stupid, but it helps.

I’m sure it became cliché because it’s proved so effective. It really does work. It’s the weirdest thing. I’m lucky in that I don’t have craziness and paparazzi surrounding me, although I was ambushed by TMZ a few weeks ago.

You were? Where was Lindsay? It was kind of frightening, actually. I was coming out of the Chateau [Marmont, in Los Angeles] and people suddenly surrounded me in a kind of crazy way. I didn’t think anybody knew who I was in Los Angeles, but I guess I was wrong!