I think we felt the pressure more at first than this time around. But still you don’t want to let anyone down. I never even met Patrick until we had a Christmas party at Ian McKellen’s house on the first movie and then I didn’t see him again until the premiere.

Romijn reflects on the social and professional pressures of joining a large, high-profile film ensemble. The “pressure” she mentions suggests the heightened scrutiny and expectations that accompany early installments of a franchise, when cast and crew are still proving the project’s credibility. Her remark about not wanting to “let anyone down” frames acting as a collaborative responsibility rather than an individual showcase. The anecdote about meeting Patrick only briefly—at a Christmas party hosted by Ian McKellen—and not seeing him again until the premiere underscores how film productions can be fragmented: actors may share a “movie” without sharing much time together, revealing the paradox of intimacy on screen versus distance off it.