Jennifer Connelly’s Bold Leap Into Argento’s Surreal World

Jennifer Connelly’s journey into acting was anything but conventional. She had little interest in the profession at first, yet somehow found herself cast as a teenager in Sergio Leone’s epic Once Upon a Time in America. It’s not every day that someone with barely any experience finds themselves sharing the screen with Robert De Niro, but that’s precisely how her story began.

After her debut, Connelly’s path led her to another Italian director, though this time the project was far from ordinary. She was chosen to star in Dario Argento’s supernatural thriller Phenomena, a film that stands out for its eccentric premise. The story follows a boarding school pupil who discovers she can communicate with insects through psychic abilities. The film, visually striking and set to a score by Argento’s frequent collaborators Goblin, has since become a cult favourite among fans of the giallo genre. At the time, however, critics were divided—some found the pacing sluggish, while others admired the slow-burning suspense and the murder mystery at its core, with a killer preying on students.

Parental Concerns and a Bizarre Script

Despite the film’s oddities, Connelly relished the opportunity, even as her parents hesitated. The plot was, to put it mildly, rather outlandish, and Argento’s reputation for graphic content was well established. Reflecting on the experience in an interview with BlackTree TV, she recalled,

“I loved working with him, you know, I think on paper it was an unusual choice. I remember my parents were like, ‘Oh yeah, you’re offered this movie, and it’s kind of crazy, and you sleepwalk, and you witness a murder, and you can communicate with insects, and your best friend is a chimpanzee,’ and I was like, ‘I’m in.’”

The prospect of leading such a peculiar project was irresistible to her, and it turned out to be a rewarding experience—despite a rather alarming incident involving her simian co-star.

On-Set Challenges and Lasting Memories

During filming, Connelly suffered a nasty bite from the chimpanzee, resulting in part of her finger being nearly severed. She was quickly taken to hospital, where doctors managed to reattach it. The ordeal, though dramatic, did not overshadow her memories of the production. Instead, she recalls the thrill of working with Argento and embracing her first major role.

“‘I’m back in Italy? I’m in.’ I was like ‘I’m ready to go,’ and I had a great time. I had so much fun. People have asked me like, ‘Was it frightening? Was it disturbing?’ And I was like, ‘No, it was that we had a whale of a time, and Dario was so sweet, and I got to be back in Italy.’”

Embracing Argento’s Vision

Connelly described Argento as having a “mad vision,” and said she simply surrendered to the experience, finding it thoroughly enjoyable. Her willingness to dive into such an unconventional role likely paved the way for her next significant part in Labyrinth, the David Bowie fantasy film released the following year. It’s fair to say that her time with Argento’s giallo left a lasting impression, both personally and professionally.