Actress
Olivia Wilde recently discussed how legendary teenage warrior
Joan of Arc inspired her character of Quorra in director
Joseph Kosinski's
Tron: Legacy. Now, in a new interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Wilde once again discusses how
she channeled "The Maid of Orléans" to play the helpful program, and also reveals that Buddhism had a part to play in her construction of the character.
Quorra has what in Buddhism is referred to as "the beginner's mind": a great sense of optimism and appreciation for all things. I was very much inspired by Joan of Arc; when I made the connection between Quorra and Joan of Arc, it all fell into place. Unlikely warriors. Childlike warriors. Joan of Arc seemed to have one foot in another world. She was led by a higher power, guided by compassion and selflessness. She had this rare combination of a warrior's spirit and innocence. That all made a lot of sense for Quorra. Her devotion to Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges is what guides her. The addition of Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) really rocks her world and energizes her revolutionary spirit.
One person who was very helpful as we were creating [our characters] was Jeff Bridges' own Zen master, Bernie Glassman, who is probably the coolest Zen Buddhist alive. He's a social activist. His entire philosophy was so inspiring to all of us. The film raises so many interesting philosophical questions, it forces you to be constantly discussing this stuff on set. Even artificial intelligence versus humanity. That, of course, comes up in a movie like this or The Matri or Blade Runner. I was thinking, "What does Quorra, as a form of artificial intelligence, possess that humans do not?"
Official Synopsis of Tron: Legacy: Sam Flynn (
Garrett Hedlund), a rebellious 27-year-old, is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (
Jeff Bridges), a man once known as the world’s leading video-game developer. When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the abandoned Flynn’s Arcade—that could have only come from his father—he finds himself pulled into a world where Kevin has been trapped for 20 years. With the help of the fearless warrior Quorra (
Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-or-death journey across a visually-stunning digital universe—created by Kevin himself—which has become far more advanced with never-before-imagined vehicles, weapons, and landscapes and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to prevent their escape.
Tron: Legacy opens December 17th!
Follow me on Twitter! If you dare...
ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.