Can you talk about the film’s love triangle involving Superman, James Marsden’s character and Lois?
“It’s funny you know because I wish I could speak eloquently and clearly on love, but I don’t think it’s really anything that someone can have the answers to. I think that everyone in life understands that there’s no reason to the heart, really. Superman is her great love. And as much as you try to push that away, or if you’re hurt by that person or confused by them or disappointed, there’s no denying what you feel in your heart, and that might be the denial that you see on the surface.”
How physically challenging was flying in Superman Returns?
“All the ladies know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s beautiful to watch, it’s not the most comfortable contraption that I’ve ever been in. You’re in a harness, and over the harness is like a bodysuit kind of thing, and then over that is the dress. I get claustrophobic really easily, so I remember just thinking, ‘I just can’t even think about this because even I couldn’t get this thing off if I wanted to,’ and that always freaks me out. The same as when I did Blue Crush. I had to have a head-cast made of me and it was, you know, just basically from here up [motions neck up] having plaster all around your head and just two straws sticking out of your nose. I remember just thinking, ‘Just chill out. It’s going to be fine. It’ll come off at some point.’
It’s just a strange feeling. And then the hanging…I felt worse for Brandon. I could deal with it but the pressure it gives on your lower body is just outrageous. I had more sympathy to him than me.”
What about the scene in the water? Was that actually you?
“Oh, yeah! I mean, that was all me. I’ve worked with water before obviously.”
But in a formal gown?
“Well, yes, I did have a couple scenes in the formal gown. But this one was much more…it’s being in a confined space as well. Obviously it’s a lot more action in terms of being thrown around and hitting my head and having those type of reactions as well. It was really fun to do on one hand, because when I saw the playback for those action sequences it was exciting because you can see how the audience will get really involved with those sequences. But it was hard work. It really is. And then that is the moment where you start to feel more like a stunt person at some point.
I haven’t been on a film this big and I loved it. But I love the independent films because it is such an amazing experience because it’s so fast and you’re really sort of in the jungle with everybody else, and just trying to figure it out. And with this, there will be three weeks where I’d just be kind of hanging from the wires and maybe do one shot a day. …It was fun but there were certain moments where I just thought, ‘So this is what it’s like to be on a big film. You have three weeks for one action shot.’ It’s crazy. It’s really insane.”
Would you do the sequel – or sequels – if asked?
“Oh I can’t wait. I can’t wait. I absolutely loved it.”
What would you like to see happen in the next movie?
“It’s funny because one of my huge fears is flying so that was a pretty full-on experience for me, living out that nightmare. I had a dream about this, actually. I remember I had a dream — this was before I saw the film - and I had a dream that I was watching the film and I saw my character just jump off a building. I remember watching going, ‘I never did that, wow, they must have added that in. That’s crazy,’ in the dream. So maybe that…I don’t know maybe it would be fun to just do a full-on [jump] — obviously not really jump off a building—but have some kind of fun big fall.”
