YOU TALKIN’ TO ME?
Film quotes pose as questions. Film stars try to cope. IN THE CROSSHAIRS THIS MONTH ALEXANDRA DADDARIO
Are you talking to me?
I am, and I’m very excited to be talking to you. I’m curious that you needed clarification, but yes, I am talking to you.
Why don’t you tell me the story of your life?
Oh, God. That would take so long! I was born, and then stuff happened, and here I am talking to you! Those are the really important moments.
You ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?
I think I have. Some of them were boyfriends. I’ve gotten myself into some trouble, especially when I was younger. That felt like I was dancing with the devil.
Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?
Usually, I’m considered quite tall. Sometimes when I’m working with male actors, they have to put them on an apple box so that they don’t look too short. I could play a stormtrooper.
How much can you know about yourself if you’ve never been in a fight?
Not much. And I don’t even think you need to be in a physical fight. Some of the greatest learning experiences I’ve ever had have been through fighting with people I love. Because it brings you closer at the end when you make up.
I suppose you think you’re brave?
Yeah, I do. It’s pretty brave to go into this business. I mean, not as brave as people who put their life on the line to help others. It’s just acting. But I made some unconventional decisions to get to this place, and some of them were quite stupid on paper. And I was scared. But bravery isn’t the absence of fear – it’s persevering to fight your fear.
What do you want to talk about now?
My film, Night Hunter, because you guys need to check it out. I play a psychologist who is working to try to figure out why these women are missing, and we have this elusive suspect. It has this very twisty-turny plot where you never really know what’s going on, and the ending is just… you’ll never see it coming.
Do you have an off switch?
I think about this all the time. I have so much trouble sleeping because of my years of bartending and night shoots. So I wish that I, like a robot, could just lay down in bed, and someone could just turn me off. The problem is, what if someone doesn’t turn it back on?
So what are you afraid of?
Brain amoebas. There are little amoebas that swim in warm water, and if you go swimming in the wrong kind of lake, they crawl into your ear and slowly eat your brain. That’s a terrifying way to die.
What’s normal anyways?
I haven’t really figured it out. It’s a lot easier to see what’s not normal. I don’t know what normal is supposed to be, but that’s what makes life so interesting and complex and fascinating.
If I say to you, “Don’t think about elephants,” what do you think about?
Sex! No, elephants, obviously.
What’s your favourite scary movie?
I love The Shining – it’s just so batshit insane. Everyone knows what went on behind the scenes. You just see these actors capture the emotion of that insanity, and it’s incredible. I can’t keep my eyes off the performances.
Is life always this hard, or is it just when you’re a kid?
Oh, it gets harder. If you think life is hard when you’re a kid, you’re in for a rude awakening. All you do is eat candy and hang out. And, for all the kids out there, it doesn’t even really matter in the long run if you do your homework.
We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven’t you?
Sure, a little bit. Love can make you a little mad. And sometimes it’s my job to act mad. Sometimes you have to push yourself to that place.
Why does she always look like she’s running in slo-mo?
Maybe she is! Somehow she’s managed to defy gravity and the laws of physics, and do something that no one else can do. It’s a pretty useless superpower to have, but a cool party trick. It makes you stand out. People really can’t believe what they’re seeing. And you’re always the girl that can run in slo-mo.
ETA | 13 SEPTEMBER / NIGHT HUNTER OPENS IN CINEMAS AND ON DIGITAL HD NEXT MONTH.
‘IF YOU THINK LIFE IS HARD WHEN YOU’RE A KID, YOU’RE IN FOR A RUDE AWAKENING’