Last year Devin paid a visit to the set of Sucker Punch (Opening 3.25). His series of interviews will appear over the next few days. – Eileen
Could you talk about your reaction when you first saw the costumes you were going to be wearing?
Jamie: Blown away. It feels like we’re shooting four different movies. Each costume theme is so contrasting.
Vanessa: It’s fascinating the attention to detail they’ve created. Everybody’s costume is so defined, everybody’s costume is so personal. The first day we walked into our hang out lounge area and they just plastered the walls with artwork and we just stood there and stared at it forever.
Vanessa, will we get to find out the origin of the name Blondie considering you’re a brunette?
Vanessa: It’s a funny thing – in the brothel world she has her blonde moments. And I do too! But when it comes to the action she’s completely transformed into this total badass. It’s this kind of parallel thing.
Was it a conscious choice in taking this role to change it up a little bit?
Vanessa: I took this movie because Zack Snyder is an incredible director and just because the plot is fascinating and it’s very appealing. What actress wouldn’t want to do it? It isn’t me pushing aside what I’m known for, it’s just that any actor would want to do it.
This is our third set of actor interviews and all of the actors have given us different answers to the next question: Do you approach your characters in the fantasy world as extensions of the real world characters or as what Baby Doll imagines your real world characters to be?
Jamie: I feel like it’s in a sense Baby Doll’s fantasy world, but I feel like I took the initiative to play on what my character is in the brothel world. But it is an extension, something more powerful and confident.
Vanessa: Throughout the process I feel like this is Baby Doll’s fantasy, and once we go into the brothel we are an extension of who she is and what she thinks we stand for. I personally played it though as a real character. It is a different but it is the same person.
Can you talk about your dance numbers?
Jamie: I film mine tomorrow and she does her Wednesday. I’m the sexy French maid and my dance is a tango! Every dance is so different. Jenna’s dance is today and I saw clips of her rehearsal and just what the set decorator was able to do with the giant needle coming down a pole – how do they think of these things? It’s beyond imagination and creatively rich.
Vanessa: I do a belly dance. It’s a lot of fun. It’s very Moroccan themed. The costumes are very bedazzled.
Jamie: I feel like the dances show us the essence of the characters. Like Blondie – she’s dark and guarded, and your dance is sexy and mysterious and dark. With the French maid, Amber is more peppy and she’s sexy and strong but she’s more friendly and wants everyone to get along.
Jenna and Abby told us about how you guys bonded during the physical training. Can you talk about that?
Jamie: When you’re suffering together a very strong bond comes from that. We were encouraging each other and giving each other pep talks. I felt the bond immediately. First day of training, Jenna’s cheering me on from the sidelines. We came in at different times. It leads to other things; you’re physically exhausted and you’re drained and then we all go out and get coffee and maybe cheat with some desserts together. We bond like girls do. It’s an interesting dynamic because you had the physical and then the singing and then regular girl bonding.
Vanessa: My very first day I showed up not knowing what to expect in the slightest only to get thrown into three hours of martial arts and an hour of the most intense training of my life. I remember I was holding on to these rings and let go on accident and [the trainer] said we have to go again, and I started to cry – it’s the most frustrating feeling ever – but Jenna was right there say ‘Come on, V!’ Then I slipped again and Abby was right there telling me I could do it. Then Emily. You weren’t there yet! But knowing I had all these girls and they’re so incredible and passionate about what they’re doing.
Jamie: That translates on screen. You see the support. You’re in a terrible place – in a brothel and in an asylum and fighting orcs and knights. All you have is each other.
We’ve heard a lot about the Navy SEALs. What’s it like being trained by Navy SEALs. How often did they beat you?
Vanessa: They never beat us!
Jamie: They’re very calm. They’re aggressive. There’s the father who yells at you and beats you and there’s the father who gives you the silent stare. They give you the silent stare.
Vanessa: It’s very matter of fact with them. This is what you’re doing and you have no way of getting around it, so do it.
Jamie: Don’t think about it, just do it.
Vanessa: Once we got past that we did amazing things.
Can you talk about the point you felt comfortable shooting guns?
Jamie: Oh man, I don’t get the SAW. I’m a pilot, so I get the Glock.
Vanessa: It’s the most exhilarating thing I’ve ever done, shooting a 50 cal gun. It’s not necessarily a matter of comfortability, it’s a matter of confidence. You get behind that thing and you feel like the toughest person alive. You get this massive adrenaline rush.
Jamie: It’s the smell of gunpowder. We kind of love it.
There’s a lot of action and violence. How violent does it get?
Jamie: It’s PG-13. You can’t point the gun at the camera, you can’t show the knife going in. You can’t kill humans.
Vanessa: But you can kill orcs!