Just as Kick-Ass’ Hit-Girl has quickly stormed the internet, Chloe Moretz has quickly become one of Hollywood’s busiest little actresses. She appeared on most people’s radar with her turn as the wise younger sister to Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 500 Days of Summer, but she’s been in the business since 2004. The past year has seen her name attached to one project after another from the remake of Let the Right One In to Martin Scorsese’s first 3D film, The Invention of Hugo Cabret.
Entering the room for the interview I see Chloe dancing across the floor and laughing. Two guys who are never introduced sit against the wall, and I’m directed to sit at a table with my back to them. Chloe sits opposite me so she can watch the two guys make faces behind me… an assumption of course, but her numerous knowing smiles to either of them during the interview confirms my theory that they’re giving me rabbit ears. I sit as the PR rep introduces me as “Rob Hunter from Film School Rejects…”
Chloe Moretz: Ah ha.
Well that doesn’t make me a reject mind you.
Oh, okay. Because I would have been confused.
Well I figured as much, so let’s talk about you. You’ve quickly become the go-to young actress for characters that act wiser or more mature than their age, from 500 Days of Summer to Kick-Ass to the upcoming Let Me In. What is it about those characters that appeals to you and why do you think you’re viewed in that way by directors?
Well um, you know I hope to have a career that’s very diverse and not just one character. So I definitely say that even though a lot of these characters are [air quotes] older than their years, you know they’re actually very diverse. I’m playing a vampire, and a vampire’s not very close to a girl who’s talking to her brother about his love life. It’s really a big difference. And she is wise beyond her years because she knows so much, but it’s like I have four brothers and I’m very worldly and I know a lot of different types of music and I like a bunch of different stuff. And I think that’s probably why because I have older brothers you know? And so I definitely say a lot of my characters are very diverse.
Can’t argue with that. Can you talk about your family’s reaction to the script for Kick-Ass as far as if there was any pause or disagreement over the content? Or was it viewed strictly as a job and a character?
Well you know it was all for the character, and everything I did and said in the movie was in the script. None of it was ad-libbed, none of it was done on the spot. We knew about everything in the script in advance.
So the heart of the movie is really the relationship between Hit-Girl and Nicolas Cage’s character, Big Daddy. How was it working with him? And how did the two of you work on developing that dynamic?
It was really cool, because I got to work with an Oscar winner you know, and just meeting him was insane but working with him was exhilarating you know? I was able to, it really upped my game because I was able to feed off of what he gave me and it just really upped my game.
How much of the action in the movie is actually you, and how much was a cleverly concealed stunt double?
Um, basically all of it was me. Except for the acrobatics like running up the wall and stuff. But other than that it was all me.
Impressive.
Thank you.
I spoke with Chris [Mintz-Plasse] earlier and he said you would challenge him to sit-up contests.
We did.
And he said he won every single time…
Uh… [her eyes go wide and she looks at one of the guys behind me]
So that was a lie then.
Ohh, Chris D Mince Pie.
Okay, well I’ll note that was a lie on his part then.
Phh, don’t use the word lie! But that might be a little over-exaggerated. Maybe he won by like a crunch and then I won by like 20 sometimes, and then he’d be like [she mimes exertion pushing herself up from the table] Okay, okay…
Ok, we’ll leave Chris alone then. The initial response to news of a Let The Right One In remake wasn’t very positive, but as the cast came together and you were announced more people seemed to think that it could actually turn out okay. Do you feel any pressure from fans of the original film?
I don’t know, I really try to put my heart and soul into every single thing I do. And if I don’t connect with the character on paper I know that it won’t come across in the movie that I connect with her. And you know, from the moment I read the script I connected with her immediately and that’s really why I wanted to do it because I knew her. I knew her well, and that’s, I think it really came across. I hope. It will.
Well we’re looking forward to seeing it later this year. If Kick-Ass does well I know there’s already talk of a sequel. What do you see or want to see going forward for Hit-Girl?
Her riding a purple Ducati.
Will that be part of your contract demands?
I really want it. I so want her to be riding a purple Ducati.
Well good luck with that. So you’ve been extremely active on Twitter, at least I assume it’s you…
It is. @ChloeGMoretz is actually me. Put that out there so people actually know.
Well people are just being careful, they’ve been burned before by a fake Nick Nolte. And your account hasn’t been verified yet…
I’m trying to get it verified but they [the Twitter overlords] just ignore me! They’re like ‘oh yeah pffff.’ I took a picture with it written on my hand. ChloeGMoretz!
And they still weren’t buying it?
They didn’t buy it! They’re like ‘that could be CG.’
You could always ask Abe Vigoda for help.
…
You do a good job of actually responding to your followers on there-
Thank you.
Are you enjoying that aspect of it, where you can interact with your fans in that way?
It’s cool. I really love talking to my fans and getting to know them, because your fans are your number one people, and you know that’s a big thing in an actor’s life. So you know it’s cool to be able to respond to them because most people don’t ever really talk to their fans. They just tweet about something that’s happening in everyday life, but I like to reply because it brings them into my life a little bit.
One thing I do notice though is that almost all of your tweets are filled with words spelled incorrectly…
Well um, at the end of the day I am thirteen. It’s the way I talk to all my friends in text. It’s just a lot easier. Like ‘thanks’ is just ‘thx. Thxxxxx! [she pounds the table for emphasis with each ‘x’] Or LOLZ! It makes it fun!
Ok, I was just curious…
It’s not fun when you’re like all capital letters and commas and punctuation…
Yeah, grammar’s a drag.
The only punctuation I really do is question marks and exclamation in text lingo.
A lot of exclamation.
A lot of exclamation. I’m always like ‘Thank U!’ And the U is a U not YOU.
Obviously, that’s kind of a given.
MPTW. GTG. TTYL. TTU. BYOB, yeah.
I don’t know about that last one, so we’ll assume it means bring your own baker… which allows me to give a quick compliment to you on your film Not Forgotten with Simon Baker. Pretty much no one’s seen it apparently but you do really good work in it.
Thank you.
I have no questions about it. Just the compliment.
Thank you.
So what are you working on next?
Let Me In comes out October 1st. I’m shooting The Fields soon, [directed by] Amy Mann, Michael Mann’s daughter. And then right after The Fields I’m shooting The Invention of Hugo Cabret with Martin Scorsese.
What about Mix Tape? Are you officially attached to that one?
I am attached to that project which is an absolutely amazing script. We’re just now getting it up and running, so hopefully it’ll be one, two, three, four. I’m hopin’, prayin’.
Looks like a pretty busy year for you then.
Thank you. It’s almost over. Not really, but it kind of is.
Do you get to spend time at home at all anymore?
I like being busy! When I’m not busy I get so bored.
And your family likes it as much as you?
Yeah, they’re cool with it. My mom goes with me everywhere. Right now it’s my brother [she points to one of the nameless guys behind me], because my mother was just all over Europe with me so she’s sleeping. Getting ready for the rest of the tour.
Did the brother not get Europe?
Brother didn’t do Europe. He was like- [the brother chimes in with “Brother didn’t want Europe.”] Brother didn’t want Europe.
Ok, I can certainly not understand that. So you’ve watched Kick-Ass with an audience I know, you had a screening during SXSW that went really well. After it opens will you check out some more showings to see how general audiences are liking it?
Um, I don’t know. I’ll probably run into a movie theater with like my hat on and glasses [she pulls her scarf up to cover everything except her eyes], and I’ll be like ‘ok I’m just gonna see how they react’ and I’m gone, I’m gone, and hopefully no one will see me. I’m begging. I definitely will, but isn’t that creepy? Sneaking into a movie theater and watching my own movie?
Only if you wear that scarf over your face. That’s what’s making it creepy.
[She continues to hold the scarf to her face, staring at me.]
Seriously.
And opening the eyes a little bit. One eye roll? Or like hanging out in the projection room like it’s a peephole. Yup. That’s how I’m gonna do it. That’s gonna happen. I’m gonna break into the projection room.
Ok, well I wish you luck with that.
AMC theaters, watch out! [Laughs]
So talk a little bit about working with Cage and the others. It seems like a pretty entertaining group of actors to be around.
It was a lot of fun, because I get to work with an Oscar winner and that was completely amazing. It was fun to even be able to meet him, much less work with him.
How is Cage between shots or during down time? Is he still as nutty as he is when there are interviewers around?
Um, what do you mean?
You know. Nicolas Cage. Nutty.
He’s a normal, calm guy. He’s a lot like my dad actually. My real dad. He’s a lot like my real dad. Yeah, they’re really calm. They like comic books. You know, just chill out.
Ok. Well thank you very much for talking with me.
Thank you.
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Related Topics: Acting
