With Bones and All now in theaters, audiences finally have an opportunity to meet the complicated protagonist at the heart of the film, Maren (Taylor Russell). Based on the book of the same name, Bones and All follows Maren on a cross-country trip in search of her mother and answers about an unnatural hunger she cannot control. Maren is a cannibal, and she is not alone. While traveling, she meets other "Eaters," including her love interest, Lee (Timothée Chalamet).

While ostensibly about cannibals, Bones and All is primarily a love story, a road-trip movie, and coming of age tale. Maren is a cannibal, but the film and Russell focus on Maren's humanity, as well as what it is like to live on the margins of society. CBR had an opportunity to chat with Russell about bringing Maren to life and her collaboration process with the director, Luca Guadagnino.

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CBR: What drew you to a film like Bones and All in the first place?

Taylor Russell: Luca [Guadagnino] -- he asked for a meeting with me, and I counted my lucky stars, and there was really no convincing on my end or drawing. It was Luca and Luca all day.

What about the collaboration process with Luca really appealed to you? What was that like during production?

It was open and explorative. There was just a lot of communication and love and acceptance, and I felt very part of the family very early on. You had a great experience from the beginning to the end.

That's great to hear. I would love to know a little more about your character, Maren. What appealed to you the most about this character?

I love that this story is dealing with people on the margins of society, and she is someone who is on the outside in every aspect of her life and is trying to find out if she can live with who she is and what's the most sustainable and moralistic way -- moralistic not being from a point of being on a high horse -- but really, truly sustainable is probably the more accurate word of how she can live and operate with who she is.

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Maren is such a complex character. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when it came to developing her?

I think there weren't necessarily challenges while I was developing her because I had almost six months. I had a lot of time, and I just felt like it was important to have enough space, enough quiet not to try to rush to fill any type of void, but instead rush into the uncomfortability and know that that's ultimately where the metaphoric hug will be with her. Any challenges that came up were things during shooting on the day, just challenges of being on set and the environment. I love her. I wouldn't say that she gave me any crazy challenges, necessarily.

Wrapping this up, a key part of this film is the relationship between Maren and Lee. What were you most excited to unpack about this dynamic between the two characters?

Just a representation of being able to find family and home and somebody that isn't related to you that really doesn't owe you anything, but you guys can kind of carve out a space of sacred acceptance and love. I think it's a very hopeful thing. That definitely gives me a lot of hope in my life.

Bones and All premieres in theaters on Nov. 23.