So far, 13-year-old actress Chloe Grace Moretz’s career has been full of polar opposites. For every straight-to-DVD Tigger & Pooh movie, there’s The Amityville Horror, The Eye and Today You Die. And Wicked Little Things? More zombies than teddy bears in that one, too. You can see her in the book-turned-movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid now, but in just one week, you can see Moretz in all her foul-mouthed, fist-throwing, knife-flipping glory as the tween superheroine Hit Girl in the comic-turned-flick Kick-Ass. I caught up with Moretz recently for a Who’s News item while she was in New Mexico filming Let Me In, the American remake of the Swedish vampire film Let the Right One In. We talked about Kick-Ass (which is officially the first R-rated movie her parents ever let her see), being a Hollywood teen and what hobby she really wants to take up. Plus, check out this clip from Kick-Ass featuring Moretz and her on-screen dad, Nicolas Cage.
So with as many four-letter words as you utter as Hit Girl, how did you ever convince your parents to let you do Kick-Ass?
It’s a movie and it’s not real. It was really funny because about a month before we got the script for the movie, Wanted came out. I was in the car with my mom, and this is a true story, no faking or anything, I was like, “Oh my God, mom, I really want an Angelina Jolie action kids role!” She was like, “They don’t make kids movies like that.” A month later, we got a script for Kick-Ass and my mom read it, and she was like, “Oh my gosh, Chloe. You’re gonna love it! It’s an amazing role and exactly what you’ve been wanting.” From the get-go, we wanted the film really badly. I read it and I was like, “I have to be Hit Girl!” I did the whole process, and eventually I booked it and I freaked out. I was screaming for two days straight.
You must have the coolest mom ever. Do you watch a lot of action flicks with your parents?
I do. My dad and I watch a lot. We watch bunches of action films. I’ve always been into comic book movies like Spider-Man and The Dark Knight and all that stuff.
You have a lot of action scenes in Kick-Ass. How many of those stunts did you actually do?
I did a lot of my stunts. A lot of the crazy flips like the one you see in the commercial where the guy jumps and he gets hit in the neck really hard and he does this crazy flip in the air, of course that wasn’t me. But I did four months of training for the movie and almost all my stunts.
Did you have a favorite stunt?
We did this jetpack scene where I had to be in the air, and we didn’t really move but I was 20 feet up basically on wires, which was pretty awesome. I liked learning how to flip the Balisong [knives] and stuff.
It doesn’t sound like you have a lot of fear.
In real life, I’m pretty much a scaredy cat. I know how to do all these stunts and protect myself, but if someone went up to me and tried to take me, I would totally just blank and scream. [Laughs]
Nicolas Cage plays your dad in the film. How was it working with him?
It was really, really fun. I was really nervous to work with him, and literally the minute I met him, I was like, “Oh my gosh, he is the coolest guy ever.” Working with him was amazing because you always learn everything from people like that.
I would think that would be a little masterclass in acting for you. What was the most important thing he taught you?
He is so big and he’s this amazing actor, but he’s so grounded. To see people like that who I look up to as an actor and as a person, it’s really cool to see how genuine he is. I learned a lot of that from him, and to always stay grounded and never get a big head. My mom’s always said if I get a big head, she’ll take me out of this business as quick as I got in it — quicker! I also have four brothers, so it’s pretty tough.
You play a vampire in Let Me In. Are you all into vampires?
I am. I’m a sucker for Interview with a Vampire.
Your second film was The Amityville Horror in 2005. Do you watch a lot of horror movies?
No, I’m absolutely terrified of scary films. You should see me. My friends and I, whenever we have sleepovers, they’re like, “Let’s watch a scary movie!” And I’m like, “No. No no no no no. No. You cannot make me!”
Do you like the movie premieres and other glitzy stuff?
No. It’s cool and everything, but I do it because I love it. I don’t do it for the fame and everything. I do it because it’s what I love and it makes me happy to do it.
Are you homeschooled while on set?
I was in “regular” school until third grade, but after that I got so busy I couldn’t do it anymore. I’m doing homeschool and it’s basically like an in-house private school program. I have to send in all my work and I have a teacher.
Favorite subject?
History for sure, definitely. Actually, I love the 1800s — it really interests me.
What are your other interests outside of acting?
I love music. I used to be in a soccer league, but I got really busy and had to quit. I do a lot of stuff with my brothers.
Are your brothers into the arts or are they “normal”?
Yeah, I’m a total weirdo. [Laughs] Two of my brothers are into it, and two of my brothers aren’t. One brother, Colin, is a writer and my other brother, Trevor, is my acting coach/brother, so he’s an actor too.
Were they inspirations?
Yeah. My brother Trevor is actually the one who got me into it. He’s always been really, really into movies and everything. As a kid, he was always like, “I want to be a director!” When he got accepted into this performing actors high school, where they choose 500 kids out of millions, he was chosen out of this small town in Georgia. We moved to New York and he really got into it, and our manager was like, “I want her too!” And then my other brother Colin got into it and he did modeling. Trevor used to bring his sides home, and I would run them with him and memorize his sides. I was a little 5-year-old at this point. We wouldn’t even have to use the paper – we’d just go back and forth running the lines together. It was pretty cool. That’s how we got into it and then we moved to Los Angeles for my dad’s business. He’s a plastic surgeon, and he and my mom, who’s a nurse practitioner, met in medical school.
No medicine for you?
If acting doesn’t work out, I’ve always wanted to do something in the business. I’ve always wanted to be a director or a writer, but I really want to do is fly airplanes.
Harrison Ford learned how, so probably anyone can.
I totally want to. Especially helicopters. Helicopters are my favorite!
(via USA Weekend)
Chloe and her Kick-Ass co-star Christopher Mintz-Plasse visited the T4 studio in the UK on March 18, where they created a superhero. If you’re in the UK, you can check out the video on the T4 site here. An interview portion featuring Chloe and Chris was scheduled to air today at 15:35 (or 3:35 p.m.).
Fans who aren’t in the UK can watch a short clip below. Hopefully we’ll have the full appearance soon for everyone to watch.
Screencaps from the clip are also in the gallery.
The fourth trailer for Kick-Ass has been posted on Apple. Check it out in hi-definition at the Kick-Ass page on Apple’s iTunes Movie Trailers, or watch it below.
Screencaps have also been added to the gallery.
Empire posted a behind-the-scenes mini-documentary from Kick-Ass, featuring interview and clip snippets from director Matthew Vaughn and cast members Aaron Johnson, Mark Strong, Chloe Moretz and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Empire promises to have more Kick-Ass treats posted soon.
Watch the video below or view screencaps.
via Empire
The trailer for Chloe’s new movie Diary of A Wimpy Kid has been released. Check it out below or in hi-def at Yahoo! Movies here.
Caps are in the gallery:
