Collider sat down with Mary during her Sundance Film Festival press day junket and during the interview, Mary talked about all her upcoming films including Smashed, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and her small role in A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan.
She also said that she’s looking to find more projects like Smashed that’ll allow her to grow as an actor. Check out the full interview below:
MTV caught up with Mary Elizabeth Winstead at Sundance and asked her about Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. She says,
“I’m kind of on the sidelines, but I’m very suspicious of my husband’s [actions] and what’s going on in his life,” she said. “I know that he’s hiding something from me. You sort of see me piecing things together.”
Check out the clip below:
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Also, here’s an excerpt of a new interview Mary did with Connect2Utah about Smashed. Be sure to read the full interview by clicking on the link provided:
Your character, Kate Hannah, is a little different from the sort of roles that you’ve had in the past. For one thing, there aren’t any monsters or CGI in this movie. Was that something that attracted you to the project?
Winstead: Yes, definitely. I was really burnt out on studio films. I just didn’t see how I was going to continue to be a better actor doing the kind of stuff I was doing. I was so grateful to have the jobs and to be there and be a part of it, but I wasn’t feeling challenged anymore. I got to a place where I was kind of stalled.
Winstead explains that over the years she has wanted to do something smaller and independent of the major studios but has been told time and again that she wasn’t a “big enough name” to get an independent film financed. Undaunted she simply continued making studio films until she could become a “name” or whatever it was she had to do.
Winstead: I woke up one day and thought, “I might never be a name.” Was I going to allow that to force me to never do what I really want to do? It didn’t make any sense to me.
Having established yourself as a “genre film actress” are you worried about what your fan base might think of the change of direction?
Winstead: I think Smashed has a lot of appeal. I think it is entertaining and funny, but it’s also sad. It really feels like something that a lot of people can relate to. It’s not just some exclusive art film. I hope that they will get into it, but at the same time the reason I did the film was to try and make myself a better actor. So anything that comes from it beyond that is icing.
Hitfix caught up with Mary Elizabeth during her SMASHED press junket the other day & she talked about what it was like filming the movie in 19…yes, 19 days, what she did before filming began, such as attending AA meetings, and how challenging it was to play the role of a drunk. She also said that she’s looking at other projects that’ll challenge her, whether it be another indie film or a big studio film. You can check out the interview below:
A couple of new stuff to post about. First up, the official site to Mary’s appearance in the long-awaited documentary “Showing Up” finally got one heck of a makeover. Although Mary’s not featured in the trailer, a trailer is posted on the site along with some new stuff so be sure to check that out. The film is about actors talking about the audition process. “Showing Up” is currently being submitted to festivals and when more info is available, I’ll let you all know.
Secondly, a new video interview for The Thing has been posted, which you can view here.
Third, please vote for Mary in Portrait Magazine’s ‘Top 30 under 30’. You can vote as many times as you like over and over again.
And last but not least, Mary’s twitter account has been verified so no more second-guessing who is the real Mary on Twitter anymore!
Be sure to follow us on twitter here!
It’s no secret that by now, everyone has compared Mary’s character Kate in The Thing to Sigourney Weaver’s character Ripley in the Alien movies. There’s a new interview out with Mary featured on the Total Film site talking about the comparison. The Thing hits UK theaters December 2.
When we asked Winstead, who up to this point is probably best known for playing the object of Scott Pilgrim’s affection, about the comparison, she responded: “I definitely expect people to be bringing up the Ripley thing!”
“She’s sort of androgynous in a way, because her focus, and her passion in life, is her job. Finding a fossil in the ice is the utmost thing she could do. It’s a dream world for her, at first. And then it turns terrifying…”So how was it being stuck in such a claustrophobic, testosterone-heavy environment? “I like being the only girl around here! It’s nice. I feel respected and one of the guys, which I don’t often get to experience.“I feel honoured to be the first female in this story. It’s cool.”
I will add scans from the TF issue as soon as I can!New Interview with Mary About The Thing!
Now that The Thing is officially out, Cinema Blend has published a new interview with Mary. Click on the link to read the FULL interview. It’s pretty lengthy, but it’s a great interview.
You have a bit of experience in the horror genre thus far in your career. What keeps bringing you back to the genre?
I think a lot of my earlier work was more coincidence than anything, because I was just trying to work as an actor, and I kind of thought after doing a few horror films I thought “Oh I won’t do those anymore, I’ve done that thing.” But I just love horror films. I’m a big horror fan. And when I read a good horror script, I get really, really excited. So even though I might have someone saying, “Oh, don’t do horror films, stray away”, I just can’t help but want to do it, because a good portion of my favorite films of all time are horror films. I just keep trying to reach that level of greatness.
Does the tone of the movie leak on to the set in between takes?
It was a lot of fun. I mean, from what I remember it was just like, we are all a bunch of big kids, everybody in the cast was just like a big kid who loved to goof around and just play and stuff, which made it a really fun experience. For me it was hard work, like it was exhausting, so there’s a lot of working… and going home and sleeping and working… and going home and sleeping. So you start to feel kind of weird when you live like that for a long enough time. But I’m so lucky to be surrounded by people who have such great energy about them that I never got, like, tired on set. Everybody was making me laugh constantly, just having a great time. So it was great.
Being a veteran of the horror genre now, I also want to ask about acting in them, as fear is a very strong emotion. It’s not exactly easy to pick up without stimuli. And when you’re doing a film you’re asked to do it take after take, so how do you do that?
Yeah, I mean it is kind of tricky, you definitely have to figure out what would terrify you in a deep way, a more emotional way that you can connect with it. Then on top of that I would always have to be doing jumping jacks or pushups or something just because the adrenaline you would feel in that situation is so hard to just create from nowhere. So Joel and I would always be doing pushups with the flame thrower packed on our backs. [laughs] And like, dude, I was always jumping up and down. But the tough thing about doing those scenes is that by the end of a day, after doing it all, you do start to feel light headed. And you’re like “Ok, I made it, I’m going to go sit down,” I can barely pull my head up I’ve been breathing so hard.
Mary’s Young Hollywood Interview
Check out Mary’s hilarious interview with Young Hollywood talking about what else? The Thing!
Mary Talks Flamewthrowers and The Thing
A new interview is posted over at Screen Rant where Mary talks everything about The Thing and how it differs from Scott Pilgrim Vs the World, her flame-thrower training and more. As always, click the link to read the full interview, and below are some excerpts.
Did Kurt Russell’s performance in the 1982 film inform your performance at all?
“Not really, no. When I first signed onto it I was like ‘okay, I need to make this character funny or something, right, because it’s like MacReady.’ And then I was finally just like, ‘no, it’s not MacReady.’ I need to just not think about that, it’s nothing like MacReady. And just because she’s sort of the lead of this film, doesn’t mean she has to have the same personality traits as the lead of the Carpenter film.”
Is it fun to get your inner Ripley on?
“Yeah, oh definitely. I mean Ripley, she’s just one of the best examples, especially in the first ‘Alien.’ Because she kind of ends up becoming more and more bad ass. But in the first one she really is just a smart woman who knows what’s going on and who’s trying to convince everyone else that there’s something bad happening. She responds in a way that women would aspire to. She’s someone strong, independent and really put together. So I think that in that sense, Kate is similar. I definitely didn’t try to copy her performance in any way, but she is such an iconic character that you can’t help but have it in the back of your mind.”
Did this feel like more of a take charge role than your characters in Scott Pilgrim or Live Free or Die Hard?
“I guess it is – just in a different way, you know? In ‘Scott Pilgrim,’ she has more of a ‘doesn’t-give-a-shit’ type attitude. So I guess she’s take charge, but really just for herself, you know? And I think Kate is much more empathetic. She’s caring, and strong, and trying to survive but also trying to help as many people as she possibly can. I think for me, she’s a more easily relatable character than a lot of other characters I’ve played. She was a lot of fun.”
“It was super refreshing for me when I read it. I was like, ‘wow, there’s like no romantic sub-plot, there’s no shower scene, there’s nothing like that.’ I kept waiting for something to happen. Like at the end, she suddenly walks in undressing or something, and it just never occurred. And it was like, ‘wow, it’s not coming at it from that point of view. It’s just these people in this situation trying to fight for their lives, and the woman is no different than the men.’ That was really refreshing for me, and really refreshing to play, as well.”
We Get Our Fill of Mary Elizabeth Winstead in Filler Magazine
Simply gorgeous and absolutely stunning! Check out these amazing photos looking all high fashion and glam in the latest issue of Filler magazine! Cannot get over the looks she’s done & her puppy Ambrosius makes her modelling debut! See all the pics in the gallery which include scans & outtakes!
Filler Outtakes:
Also, here’s some of the interview. Full interview can be read at the link posted.
I imagine it must be difficult for any actor to star in a remake or prequel of a popular film, but especially so in the “horror” genre where the fans are so passionate about the genre and its cult classics. Did you feel the weight of fans’ expectations on your shoulders while working on The Thing?
As a fan of the Carpenter version myself, I was actually hesitant to take this on because I absolutely did not want to tarnish the legacy of that film in any way. So I completely understand how many fans feel. What drew me to this was the intelligence of the script and the role, as well as the passion of everyone involved. I really got the sense that the filmmakers wanted to respectful and make something great. And I feel that’s exactly what they’ve done. They made something that can appeal to fans of the ’82 film, but also bring something new and excited to a generation who may never have otherwise heard of it.Your character, Kate Lloyd, is very different from those we know from Carpenter’s film — you might even say she’s unique to the horror genre itself, would you agree?
When I read the script, I was so please with the way the lead female role had been handled. She wasn’t a tough masculine tomboy, she wasn’t somebody’s love interest — she was an intelligent and strong, but in a very realistic way.Must have invigorating to play that kind of role?
I was so happy to play an action heroine who didn’t have superpowers, who wasn’t perfect looking, who wasn’t in spandex or a ripped tank top — just a woman put in a dire situation trying to find the strength to make it to the next day. It was my hope to put a character on screen who was just a real woman, and one that both men and women could root for and respect.Mary to Show Us A Sassy Mary Todd Lincoln
In a new interview with USA Today while promoting The Thing, Mary revealed that her take on Mary Todd Lincoln in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter will be feisty and sassy.
“She can definitely kick a little ass,” Winstead said of Mary Todd Lincoln while promoting her new movie, The Thing(opening Friday).
While not exactly historically accurate, Vampire Hunter promises to be a lot of fun. Abraham Lincoln (played by Benjamin Walker) does the bulk of the First Family’s vampire-slaying in the fictional account of the 16th President’s life. But Mary Todd Lincoln does “get involved,” says Winstead.
“(Abraham Lincoln) tries to keep this all from the family,” she says. “But she does get involved. I won’t say how. I don’t want to give it away.”
“In my research of her I really like her,” says Winstead. “There’s a lot of different takes on her. We focused on the more likable aspects of her personality, especially in the younger years. As she got older she was dealing with the death of her children and her husband and she lost it a little bit,” Winstead adds. “That’s to be expected.”
Sounds awesome! Can’t wait for ALVH to come out!
