Neve Campbell Talks Her Dance Background, the Enduring Power of Her '90s Roles and More

From the self-aware horror of the Scream franchise to the sexy thrills of Wild Things to the witchy sisterhood of The Craft, Neve Campbell was undoubtedly one of the young actresses who defined the '90s, and her roles as strong and stylish women in these films still resonate today. While she's beloved for her screen presence, Campbell has also moved behind the camera as a producer, and her latest project, Swan Song (in select theaters and On Demand July 26) is a documentary she executive produced.

Swan Song, which follows the National Ballet of Canada's production of Swan Lake, as directed by veteran dancer Karen Kain in her final act before retirement, is a deeply personal project for Campbell, who originally trained to be a dancer and got her start with the company's prestigious ballet school.

Neve Campbell spoke to FIRST for Women about her involvement with the project, the lessons she's learned from ballet and the enduring power of her '90s work.

FIRST for Women: How did you come to be involved with Swan Song?

Neve Campbell: The filmmakers came to me several years ago with the project and expressed that they had seen a film of mine, The Company, that I did many years ago with Robert Altman. They had taken some inspiration from that and wondered whether I would be on board to share the experience with them. I don't think they realized my connection to the National Ballet of Canada and Karen Kain when they asked, so it was quite a beautiful journey to take together.

I went to the National Ballet School of Canada when I was a kid and Karen was my idol. I remember the first time I met her on the street corner when I was 9 years old. I asked her to sign my pointe shoes and she was so kind and gentle, and such an inspiration to me. She really is one of the reasons I became an artist.

They didn't know all of that. They also didn't know that my stepmother has been in the wardrobe of the National Ballet for 35 years, and my dad is actually in this because he was an extra in this production and does that a lot with the ballet. So I had a deep connection with it. I was very grateful that they asked me. I loved the concept and I loved that they wanted to honor Karen and watch this journey of hers, her first experience directing and her way of saying goodbye to the company. I was very excited to be a part of it. 

FFW: What was your journey from dance to acting like?

Neve Campbell: I started dancing at 6 and was in the National Ballet School by 9, but I had a lot of injuries. I had done Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker as a kid with the National Ballet of Canada, but my first professional job where I actually got paid was The Phantom of the Opera when I was 15. I did that for two years. And while I did that, an agent had seen me in the audience and asked if I wanted to model. I did that for two months and hated it. I was like, “Why am I just standing here?” I'd already trained and danced for years. It didn't make any sense to me. 

So the agent said, “Well, what about acting?” And I thought, “I'm planning to dance, but sure.” I started auditioning for commercials and things, and I just kept getting stuff. My dad was a high school drama teacher. He directed an amateur theater troupe. My mom had a dinner theater that my brother acted in when I was a kid, so it was always there. I was always witnessing acting and I was always a fan of film, and of the process. It made sense to make the transition when I had the injuries and find another way to tell stories, with a little less pain. It worked for me. 

FFW: Do you still incorporate dance in your life?

Neve Campbell: I like taking barre classes and yoga. I still like being a part of a group when I do physical activity, so that comes from dance. I still love dancing itself, but I don't take a lot of classes anymore, just because of injuries. I've thought about going back, just for fun. I think my physicality, my discipline and my consciousness of my body and how to be healthy certainly came from starting out in dance early on.

FFW: Is there any advice from your ballet days that you still follow?

Neve Campbell: At the National Ballet School, I had a teacher who said this one thing in class, and I still remember it to this day. I was maybe 10 years old, and she said, “Don't try to be better than the people next to you each day, try to be 10% better than yourself the next day.” So if I was doing a double pirouette on one day, then I would try and do a triple the next day, but not worry about who was standing next to me. I've carried that into my career and it's been so helpful.

FFW: What was it like starting out in TV on Party of Five?

Neve Campbell: Being able to grow as an actor for six years on a set that got quality writing and character development, it was like getting to go to acting college. I was so young and it was all so new, and it was my first entry into America. To get to be on a show that goes beyond a season, let alone six seasons, and we could have kept going — it was a real coup for me. I was very lucky. It’s rare nowadays to get a show that goes past one season. 

FFW: You've played so many powerful women, most notably Sydney in the Scream franchise. How have you related to that character over the years?

Neve Campbell: I think the only way to create a character is to take pieces of yourself and incorporate them and take from what you know. You have to try and consider how you would respond in a situation that your character is in. I'm not sure that I would have the gumption that Sydney has. I would like to think I'd be able to protect myself and be as strong as she is.

I'm grateful for what she carries for audience members. So many people have said to me that they’ve felt empowered or felt a kinship with Sydney or felt she has helped them in some way, and that's something you don't ever expect as an actor. You don't realize that your character can have that kind of an impact. Maybe I've taken some inspiration from Sydney in the same way that audience members have.

FFW: What has it been like to see your '90s work get discovered by a new audience?

Neve Campbell: It's so wild to me that a lot of these films are having a resurgence, like The Craft. Scream has its built-in audience, but there's a new audience as well. Even with Party of Five, I've been having people come up to me and say they've been watching that. I don't know where they're seeing it, but they've been watching it and loving it. I've been lucky to get some really great jobs and some great scripts, and those are the ones that have staying power. I think if a story is entertaining, if word gets around, it'll have a life. 

FFW: Do you have a favorite project you've worked on?

Neve Campbell: As a fulfilling creative experience, I would say The Company. I had an idea, and I fought to make the idea. I managed to get Robert Altman, I managed to dance with the Joffrey Ballet and I got to bring in artists and choreographers that I had always admired.

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