This is a rather old interview, from the November 2008 issue of Alt Press, but it was just posted online a couple of days ago, so.

“I don’t really leave my house too much,” KAT DENNINGS tells AP over what we can only assume is her home telephone. “It’s not that I don’t like people. It’s just that, well, I just don’t.” Maybe she’s too busy blogging (at katdennings.com) about her spider problems or downloading Bear Force 1 songs, but the 22-year-old actress has managed to venture outside to appear in movies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Charlie Bartlett and this summer’s The House Bunny. She was also recently painted blue for her role as an Indian goddess in Devendra Banhart’s “Carmensita” video. Not bad for a recluse, right? This month, Dennings will star as the titular Norah alongside Superbad’s Michael Cera in Nick And Norah’s Infinite Playlist, a movie that follows two New York City teenagers on an all-night first date.

Is your house still infested with spiders like you mentioned on your blog?
They never go away. I don’t know why this happens to me. I don’t know if I eat too much fruit or something, but I have bugs all the time, everywhere. It’s almost a joke.

Are you anti-fumigation?
Yeah. My mom told she got industrial pneumonia from doing that when she had termites, so she scared me forever. I can’t do it. All I can do is scream and cry and enlist unfortunate objects to put them to a spidery demise.

So you’re not above murder.
No. It’s kill or be killed, really. You know that daddy longlegs are the most poisonous spiders ever, right?

I didn’t know that.
It’s true. Well, someone told me, so I hope it’s true. I’ll fact-check this when it’s too late.

What about black widows?
I know, I know. That’s why I kind of doubt it. But apparently, daddy longlegs’ venom is supposed to be super-duper potent or something, but their mouths are too small to bite humans. So what if-what if-one of them was a crazy mutant daddy longlegs with a giant Mick Jagger gob and it’s crawling on your face. And you’re like, “Oh, I’m not gonna kill it-I’ll just carry it outside.” And then it bites you and you die. Right?

Right.
But, you know, if it’s possible and it’s not one of those super-fast scary [spiders], I’ll put it outside. And if I do smoosh them, I say I’m sorry.

To Mother Nature?
Yes. I really do feel bad. But I can’t handle it, you know? I’m sorry.

The fact that you even have a blog is kind of interesting because it seems like most movie people go in one of two directions: Total lockdown privacy, or they turn their lives into a terrible reality show. You seem to have found a happy medium.
Well, there’s nothing more douchebaggy than having an official site. It’s like, you love somebody, [so] you look them up, and they’ve got an official site with their headshot on the front, some Shockwave lilies floating around and some orchestral thing playing in the background. It’s the most ridiculous thing you could do.

And yet, you have one.
Right. But I’ve had mine for seven years, and I write on it about twice a month. There are barely any pictures. If you check out the photo section, it’s mostly pictures of hamsters. Writing is my other love, and if people honestly want to know anything about me, it’s all there. It’s just me being crazy in blog form. I would have a blog whether I was acting or not, just because I need to write my feelings down. I have video blogs on there, too. If you haven’t seen them, you should get on it. You’ll lose all respect for me, if you had any.

On your site, you say that Nick And Norah’s Infinite Playlist is the “movie of my soul.” What did you mean by that?
It’s just the dearest thing to my heart. I’m so in love with it. The process was the most fun I’ve ever had. [Sighs.] I just feel very touched by it.

Would you say it’s your favorite movie you’ve ever worked on?
Yes. Basically, when it came down to it, I was roaming the streets of New York City in the middle of the night with my friends. It was the most fun time ever. [Sighs, then laughs.] It’s true! We did all-night shoots because it was set at night, so we’d be on the Lower East Side at five in the morning with people screaming at us and throwing things at us. It was amazing.

The neighbors were upset?
Yeah, well, hipsters get mad if you infiltrate their special places. But, in all fairness, this movie is a love letter to those people and where they go-and to music. So if they have a problem, let’s talk.

Did you have any personal confrontations?
No. Sometimes drunk people would scream “Bitch!” at me, but whatever. I’m from Philly-I know how that goes. Just don’t look ‘em in the eye and everything will be fine.

How did you end up as Kali The Destroyer in a Devendra Banhart video?
This is interesting, actually. Devendra makes a cameo in Nick And Norah. On the day they shot his scene, he had the flu and was, like, on the brink of death. I gave him a hand massage, and we’ve been friends ever since. He asked me to be in his video and I said, “I’ll do it for friendship dollars-no money.” [Laughs.] That’s how it happened. Then I was painted blue and it was a beautiful thing.

What else have you been working on?
I did a little thing in this movie called The Dream Of The Romans. [In the film,] I’m impersonating my best friend from childhood. [I play] a spaced-out child with amazing hair [who is] very emotional.

Anything else?
Not that I can think of.

Because you haven’t left the house.
Exactly. When I get off the phone, I’ll be working on a smoothie.

THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE
Kat Dennings gives shout-outs to the music she loves by posting a list of albums on her blog that ranges from Feist’s Let It Die and Jeff Buckley’s Grace to Nirvana’s Unplugged In New York and the White Stripes’ De Stijl. But the one that sticks out like a bloody, tattooed thumb is Slayer’s South Of Heaven. “I love Slayer!” she enthuses. “My brother got me into them. I guess we love them ironically because they don’t like Jews. But hey: Jews for Slayer!” When we point out that Slayer’s reputation as anti-Semitic is a popular misconception-and the band’s longtime producer, Rick Rubin, is as Jewish as they come-Dennings seems pleased. “Oh, good,” she says, “Because the ‘South Of Heaven’ drum solo makes my soul fly.”
Dennings admits that although she doesn’t listen to much new music, she can’t resist an infectious chart-topper like “I Kissed A Girl.” “Anyone who doesn’t love Katy Perry is either lying or deaf,” she insists. In keeping with the same-sex booty-jam theme, Dennings also has a soft spot for the disturbingly hirsute, all-gay disco band who appropriately call themselves Bear Force 1. “They’re maybe the best thing I’ve come across in my entire life,” she beams. “I’m listening to them all the time. YouTube them-they’re amazing!”

Source.

Is This It?
She stars in the indie movie Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist – but does Kat Dennings know what her soul looks like? Yes! It’s a moose in a hat!

What’s new pussycat?

My new movie Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Watching it is like having a snapshot of maybe the best few months of my life so far. It’s a very special movie that makes you feel happy and tingly.

What becomes of the brokenhearted?

Hopefully they get over it. I had to.

Are “friends” electric?

Robot friends are. If I had a robot friend, he or she would be electric. I have a friend who wears a lot of neon so you could mistake her for being electric. And a friend of a friend named Neon. Isn’t that crazy? That’s going a little too far.

Are you being served?

Right now? I love that show. But I hope not. Interpret that as you will.

Did I shave my legs for this?

Well, I did today because I’m wearing a skirt. I prefer to have smoothness in my life. But I wear a lot of leggings and long skirts so I don’t always.

Do ya think I’m sexy?

When I was younger there was a lot of discouraging talk: lose weight. Colour your hair. Straighten your teeth. Get a tan. But I’m kind of a believer in everyone being born with what they need to be attractive. In all sorts of ways. And I don’t really feel like I want to change that much by myself.

Are we really happy with who we are right now?

Well right now I just ate a little sweet – I’m even going to have another one because they’re so small – and I’m in a nice well-lit room, so… yes.

Ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn’t've fallen in love with?

I love James Woods so much. I think he’s incredible. Videodrome is one of my favourite movies of all time and he’s such an insanely handsome nut.

What is hip?

It is an important part of your anatomy. Don’t break it as you get older because if you do it’s kind of curtains. I just broke a wire coat-hanger at my house.

As it happened I was thinking, “I’m talented at breaking stuff.”

I dropped my first iPod thousands of times and it only really conked out last year.

Who needs guitars anyway?

Guitarists. They need them. Without them what would they do with themselves? I’ve played every instrument you could possibly think of for 10 minutes. So I’m mediocre at everything. I can play drums, guitar, piano, violin, saxophone, clarinet, flute… Just not well.

When will I be famous?

That fame thing is a scary thought. I just had my first paparazzi moment and it was upsetting.

I was going to a friend’s party and it was very strange and surreal.

I really am pretty boring. There’s no reason to take pictures of me.

What does your soul look like?

A moose with a hat on wearing a polka dot bikini sitting atop a barn of dreams.

How clean is your house?

Really not very clean. This is a thing I was just thinking about. I have to clean it. It’s going to take time and blood and tears but, by God, I’m going to get it done. I don’t have a cleaner. This is something else people are surprised by. I make a lot less than you think I do.

Where next, Columbus?

Land, ho. I’m not calling you a ho. I might go on holiday with my best friend and my family, and my mum’s best friend and her son who’s my really good friend. It’s going to be so much fun. We’re not sure, but maybe Hawaii.

I don’t think I’ve had a holiday in my entire life that wasn’t about my dad’s work.

What are you doing for the rest of your life?

Living. Slowly.

Is this it?

Is this it?

• Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is out now