S: Did you know much about Kathy and the Chicago motorcycle club before getting involved in The Bikeriders? Or was it all a new world for you?

JC: “It was totally new. I got sent the script with a little logline of that the script is loosely based on this book of photographs by Danny Lyon. So, I immediately researched it online and fell in love with his work. I love photography; I’m a real fan of a photographer called Tish Murtha, who created work in a similar vein, with a journalistic approach and community aspect to photography. I’m fascinated by photographers who are able to kind of infiltrate their way into a hub and almost become invisible and capture something really authentic. So, that immediately got me excited.

And then the script was incredible. I had a lovely chat with Jeff about Kathy and how I felt and we were very much on the same page. He told me he had 30 minutes of audio recordings of Kathy being interviewed by Danny and asked if I wanted to have a listen, so I immediately jumped at the opportunity. The characters are so diverse and rich, and then to know that you’re going to be led by Jeff, whose work is so emotionally driven while also cinematically beautiful. It felt like the perfect fit.”

Did you know that Kathy was going to be the narrator of the film when you saw the script?

“There was a lot of dialogue and when I’d listened to the audio recordings a few times, it was clear that Kathy was an amazing storyteller. She was honest, daring and had so much charisma, and this warmth that immediately invites the audience into her world. She was living through this experience with this motorcycle club and all these men but ultimately not feeling safe or comfortable enough to tell them what she thinks. It felt as though Danny was almost the first person who’d ever asked her what she thought and we are seeing her through that very moment.”

There’s a scene with Kathy in the laundromat and Danny is asking her questions. She seems shocked that he’s asking her what she thinks, which was such a powerful scene. Her accent is so intricate, how was it getting into her voice?

“The accent was so detailed. The biggest thing was when I was working with my dialect coach, and Kathy was from Chicago, but all of her vowel sounds contradict each other. My coach asked me if I just wanted to do a generic Chicago accent or attempt to get as close to Kathy’s accent from the audio recordings with the knowledge that no one will ever hear this audio so would never know. It was a choice, but it felt obvious to me and all I wanted to do was try and emulate her.

Then, it becomes about spending time with the text and breaking it down and playing with it – going too far with it and then bringing it back. There was a danger of her becoming a caricature of sorts – which she isn’t – so I always made sure that I kept the conversation with Jeff constantly going and I felt held and trusted by him.”

Which part of Kathy were you the most excited to dive into and explore?

“There was a sensibility in her that I recognise in myself, but also the women I’ve grown up with in Liverpool – women who have this mischievous, vivaciousness, enthusiasm and warmth. And I saw all these qualities in Kathy that I related to, which was lovely. But she also felt so far removed from me that I was interested in how far I could go. How much can I disappear? That was something that I felt I could really embrace with this character, which was quite exciting.”

“Her honesty and warmth immediately invites the audience into her world”: Jodie Comer on playing Kathy in The Bikeriders