Welcome to Kat Dennings Online, the oldest current Kat Dennings fansite on the internet. We have been live since 6th August 2008, and we have the most extensive Kat gallery on the web, as well as detailed and constantly updated information.
All ours except Kat Dennings and you know, all of those images that are the only reason you're even visiting this site. Slavery and copyright infringement is illegal, okay. For more specific details, see the site page.
These are both from the Thor roundtables, but from different interviewers, so slightly different videos. Enjoy! I have no idea when this flow of Comic Con material is going to end.
One of my most memorable moments from this year’s Comic-Con was when I had a chance to sit down with the cast of Thor to talk about the blockbuster comic book adaptation. First up, Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings talked about what it was like to work with each other, newcomer Chris Hemsworth and director Kenneth Branagh (bonus: about their tech preferences here). Then, Hemsworth talked about taking on — and bulking up for — the role of the God of Thunder.
How did Chris Hemsworth stack up as Thor? Natalie Portman: Chris is fantastic. He is truly, truly talented. He can do anything. He’s got a great sense of humor, he’s got great emotional depth. He’s a very, very smart guy and he’s so nice. He’s truly, genuinely, a wonderful person. He’s exactly the kind of person who can handle this situation. Because you know it’s a big, big deal, and he’s able to have perspective, know what it is, and he’s so kind. He’s just a really great guy.
Kat Dennings: He’s got a good family. We met his parents — they’re lovely. He’s just a good person.
What was the experience of working on such a large-scale action movie like?
KD: Well, it’s certainly the hugest thing I’ve ever been a part of, in pretty much every single way. I’ve worked with amazing people, but I really idolize Kenneth Branagh — for a really really long time — so it was pretty crazy to actually be able to work with him. I mean, we had a table read, and Anthony Hopkins was there: What?! The caliber of actors in this movie, including Ms. Portman, is just pretty much a dream for me and the most exciting thing, in a different way than I’ve been excited about other things, in a stars-in-my-eyes kind of way.
Were you intimidated?
KD: Yes, I was, but quickly made comfortable by my friends. And Ken, who is the most gracious, loving, supportive director you could ever, ever work with, so it quickly went away.
Did you and Kat know each other before?
NP: Yes. It was a great, great gift that we got to work together. It was really lucky. It was a fun movie to begin with, and it amplified the fun by a million.
KD: Someone asked me, “So your friendship with Natalie Portman clearly got you this film.” I’m like, Natalie Portman had no idea I got this!
NP, to KD: I was like, “You would want to do this? That’s the coolest thing ever!” [And] when they told me they cast Kat, I was like, “You got Kat?! That’s so cool!” It was amazing.
This is your first movie in 3D; how does that feel?
NP: Everyone’s going to know how flat-chested I am now! It’s going to be evidence.
What’s it like being involved in such a big project?
Chris Hemsworth: It’s a combination of daunting and exciting. You come onto something that has a pre-existing fan base for many years, people know more about your character than you do, which you don’t usually do as an actor. You want to make sure you pay homage to those guys and respect it, but also introduce it to a new audience in the right way.
Can you describe your physical transformation for Thor?
CH: I put on a lot of weight — I put on about 20 pounds at one point. It was purely eating, eating, eating, working out and working out, trying to sleep as much as you can — that’s the other third of the equation. The eating was the biggest thing; since stopping shooting I probably work out the same but don’t eat as much, and I’ve probably lost 15 pounds or something. Chicken breasts and protein shakes, boiled chicken . . . clean meats, the right carbs. Sickly stuff.
How was it working with esteemed director and actor Kenneth Branagh?
CH: He’s incredible. The first play I ever did was Much Ado About Nothing, so we all studied his film over and over again, so to come full circle and work with him now is incredible. Ken is one of the [first] people I’d ever been challenged [by] . . . changing things, doing it differently. It really gets you out of that bad habit of saying “Oh no, my character only does this.” I think when you lead yourself like that you limit possibilities, and Ken was all about experimenting and just going for it and taking that risk.
What was it like seeing the trailer for the first time at Comic-Con?
CH: It was crazy, a nerve-wracking experience being on that stage. I felt like a fan sitting there watching this thing come to life.
What are the Thor monsters like?
CH: There’s the frost giants — big ice monsters — [there's a] huge battle there. Thor is a God throughout the nine realms fighting monsters, and then there’s Thor on earth as a human fighting humans, so it was nice to figure out the two fighting styles and how strong is he here, and weak here.
CH: In the beginning I had a bunch of [Thor] comics, and someone would give me a Thor doll as a joke, and a hammer, and I had all these things around my house. My manager gave me a record of the Thor soundtrack from years ago. And I’m like, wait a second; I’m playing this guy, I can’t have all this around my house. I’ll make a fool of myself. So I boxed it away and gave it to someone else.
Thor has a few lovely ladies in his life. There’s Siff, the fellow Asgardian warrior. There’s Jane Foster on earth. The movie even adds a third, Darcy. Kat Dennings plays Foster’s student assistant.
Kat Dennings Talks Thor
“I think the Darcy role was expanded as we went through the rehearsal process,” Dennings said. “So she started out as something and ended up as something else. It was pretty great. There is a pretty great female presence in the film with Jane Foster and Darcy and Siff also and Friga, Thor’s mother.”
Dennings’ focus was on scenes with Natalie Portman. “Darcy makes food for Jane and mixes her Kaschi in the morning and basically she’s a new invention. She’s not in the comics. She just sort of hopes to be like Jane one day. She’s a hesitant student. Not to be biased, but I really like our relationship in the movie. I mean, we haven’t seen any of it but I know. I feel like our love in real life came out.”
Even though she was a new character, Dennings knew her Thor. “I’ve read a lot of the comic books just growing up, and I sort of felt for me anyway that I should sort of view the script as its own thing and not try to compare and contrast the previous stuff and just treat it like its own little universe. And Darcy wasn’t in the comics so I didn’t have to worry about continuity or anything like that.”
It was also Dennings’ first big budget blockbuster superhero film. “Our first AD had his own voice throwing equipment so he was standing in video village and he’d be like, ‘Back to ones.’ His voice would echo through the whole outside. There were hidden things. It was pretty big budget I would say, pretty nuts. And everyone was so good at their job. If you were like, “Oh, man, I could really use a piece of toast made out of rubber,” somebody would be like, FWING! They were so prepared it was amazing. I had come off of something that was done for like two dollars and then I came and did this. I was like oh my god. This is awesome. It felt good. I’m not going to lie. It was pretty great. I don’t know how many more movies I’ll be in like this but it was good to have one.”
Posted in interviews on April 12, 2010 at 7:42 pm by yuzu.
With Thor on the way, and few secret projects in her back pocket, Kat Dennings is rising to the top of a crowded under-25 actress scene – mostly due to her alternative and quirky style (check out her Twitter for confirmation). She’s also from Philadelphia, and really, you can’t go wrong there.
Her latest movie Defendor, a low-budget drama focusing on a mentally unbalanced construction worker (Woody Harrelson) who dons a mask and cape to fight crime, hits DVD Tuesday, and it’s not exactly your typical superhero flick…
Matt Patches: Was there something in particular that attracted you to Defendor? The movie is all sorts of crazy.
Kat Dennings: It is crazy. The movie had a lot of unexpected turns, and when I read it (not to give too much away), I cried quite a bit while reading it, and that’s something that doesn’t really happen much to me, because I’m kind of a hard-ass. Nothing really penetrates my shield of…unfeelingness. I’ve read a lot of scripts in my life, so I have to pay attention when something hits me like that.
MP: When I was reading up on the movie, a lot of people were describing the film as a “dark comedy”…but I thought…
KD: It’s not hilarious!
MP: Not, it’s not, it’s actually kind of upsetting at times, but it was engaging watching you and Woody [Harrelson] perform and bond over the course of the film. It has its funny moments, but was the set light or particularly serious?
KD: No, no, I’m glad you see that because some people are like, “oh, dark comedy” and I’m like “not really, man.”
MP: Ha, ha, it made me a little sad.
KD: Yeah, there are moments of levity and can be very funny, but it is not a comedy – to me. It wasn’t a funny set. Woody had a real character he had to transform into, and so did I. I may look like a prostitute, but I’m not a prostitute.
MP: I don’t know what prostitutes look like, so I can’t really judge.
KD: Yeah you do!
MP: [laughs] Well…
KD: We both had pretty intense characters to play, and they involved a lot of concentration. And in his case, getting what he was doing just right, and for me, holding the crack pipe right…it was challenging, it really was. And emotionally taxing.
MP: We’re all pretty big comic book nerds, but while Defendor revolves around a costumed do-gooder, it’s not your typical superhero movie. Was there ever talk about how to make the movie like the big budget action movies we’ve become so accustomed to?
KD: I don’t know, there have been a lot reactions to it. Some people say, “it’s a superhero movie!” And other people are like, “it’s a drama!” But I never saw it as a “superhero movie”, I saw it as the story of Arthur and Katarina, what happens when they’re together.
MP: Did you do any prep for this movie? I know you don’t look like a prostitute, but did you go and hang out with any?
KD: Actually, I did.
MP: Really. So what is it like hanging out with prostitutes? I want to reiterate: I don’t know.
KD: Just keep saying that. It was one of the most emotional work experiences I’ve ever had. It’s incredibly sad and heartbreaking, what those girls go through. And when you don’t know much about it, you’re kind of like, “oh, hookers, drug addicts, whatever,” but you can’t possibly understand a person and the things they do what they do. It’s terrible, but sometimes it’s the best option for some of them. Talking to them opened my eyes and made me a lot less judgmental.
MP: So now you’re filming a movie that couldn’t be any more gigantic than Defendor. Who do you play in Thor?
KD: I play Darcy, and she works with Jane Foster [Natalie Portman] and that’s about all I can say!
MP: And just to make sure you’re involved with every superhero movie out there, your buddy Peter Sollett might be directing his own comic book movie. Any chance you two might work together again?
KD: Pete is one of my closest friends still, I talked to him this morning! He’s a wonderful person. I’ve been begging him, asking him when we’re going to do another movie together and he’s like, “I don’t know!”
MP: Well, tell him to put you in The Runaways.
KD: [laughs] I’m very proud of him. I’m going to try, man. I’m going to…manipulate our friendship [laughs]. I want to work with him over and over and over again.
MP: Do having something specific that you’re a total geek about?
KD: Hmm, everything? [Asks her brother what she's geeky about] Japanese things? Japanese things. I’m a pretty big manga fan, and languages. And authors I like, like Murakami, Richard Brautigan.
MP: Do you have anything lined up next? Or maybe things you hope to do that you haven’t yet?
KD: Something that I’m working on right now that hopefully will pan out is directing. We’ll see, it’s the kind of thing that I’ll say more about and then it’ll be in print and it won’t pan out and I’ll be like, “oh God.” It’s something that my brother and I wrote, but nothing’s set in stone. We’ll see.
Posted in interviews on March 1, 2010 at 9:43 pm by yuzu.
This may be one of the best interviews I’ve ever done. Steve is the interviewing master and has done way more than me, but I’m really proud of this one because it eventually turned into a conversation. It helps that Kat Dennings is a ridiculously cool chick. I spoke to her because she co-stars in the new movie Defender, which hit theaters in limited release a few days ago.
Usually, the interview is the standard Q&A and later I judge how badly I did (my apologies to Diablo Cody/Ellen Page and to Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg/Nick Frost). But Dennings has certified geek credentials and while I had to bring up Thor because she’s in it, she knew her comics and grew up with them. It’s clear that it’s not just being in a big blockbuster movie, but being in the Marvel Universe. All she could tell me was that her character is not from the comics and they haven’t shot her scenes yet.
We also talked about comics in general, her upcoming movie Daydream Nation with Josh Lucas, her involvement in social media and how she’s switched from keeping a blog (that she started back in 2002) to Twitter (I recommended that she follow Roger Ebert), among other topics. Hit the jump to read our conversation and hopefully you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed having it.
DENNINGS: Please excuse my voice. I’ve got some allergies so I sound a little hoarse.
Oh, don’t worry about it. So I was wondering, was Defendor a project you went after or was it a project that came after you?
DENNINGS: Ah, you know what, it felt a little bit of both. I got the script and went bananas for it. It was just really original and dark and messed up, really messed up and it was beautiful at that same time. And the role, for me, was….and a really long time before anybody else was attached…it was just the story. And my role is, on the page, she’s a crack addicted-hooker; just as a little kid smoking crack and selling herself. So it’s a really daunting thing to take on and I was just sort of thinking, “I don’t know if I can pull this off. I’ve never felt any of the things that she’s feeling. I’ve never done any of the things she’s doing, you know? So in that sense I kind of went after it immediately and I knew they were interested but I think [writer/director] Peter Stebbings, a pretty normal person looking person, and he was kind of like, “Can you do this?” and I was like, “I don’t know, man.” And he had me come in and I auditioned with other girls and I guess he showed the tapes to Woody or whatever and it came together. It’s amazing. I’m pretty happy because I got it.
Speaking of Woody, he’s known for improvising a lot and I was wondering what was it like working with him knowing he has that style?
DENNINGS: He didn’t improvise a lot.
Matt: Really?
DENNINGS: He might be like me and that certain thing that I like to improvise a lot and other times I stick to straight to the page. It really depends. Like maybe once in a while like he and I would change a line but pretty much we pretty much set it totally to the script. There might have been one or two words that were changed, but barely.
Matt: Okay, okay.
DENNINGS: Yeah.
Do you prefer actors who improvise a lot and that sort of style on-set?
DENNINGS: No, I mean I think in comedy it’s sort of like there’s a bigger opportunity for improv, depending on what you’re doing, but like Judd Apatow is improv, you know? And it obviously works, for me anyway. But with drama, it depends. It depends. I mean it depends on how you’re both feeling and kind of improves the scene. If it improves the scene, great, if not, just forget about it.
Right. I was actually doing some research for the interview last night and I noticed you’ve kept up a personal blog since 2002.
DENNINGS: Yeah. Right? Isn’t that crazy? Oh my God…8 years.
Yeah. And I was wondering as you become more successful over the years, has it been difficult to keep up with blogging? Do you wish you could post more? Or do you find that Twitter is sort of a better way?
DENNINGS: No. it’s sort of almost like a…I don’t know…you know I have had this blog forever and I used to write in it like twice a week or once a week or whatever, and now, you’re right, it is really hard and the thing is kind of like rushed half-assed posts, but I kind of don’t want to. And I mean like if I post I want it to be really well thought out and that’s sort of why…it’s the blog is kind of winding down. I mean, I’ll leave it up for the archives but for the most part, yeah, I mean I doubt I’ll be doing that because I have a Twitter now, which is so…you know, whatever what you’re doing but it easier because it’s a couple of sentences and you’re done. And it’s your problem if you make it fun to read.
All right, no. I’m on Twitter and I feel it’s entertaining as long as you’re not “I’m eating a sandwich now …”
DENNINGS: Right, exactly. And you can do that with irony but it’s, yeah, it’s a funny challenge for a writer and yeah, I enjoy it. I like it. I like it a lot actually. There’s some amazing people on there.
There are, yeah. Roger Ebert is like the most interesting guy. It’s weird that he…I wouldn’t have thought of him you know from “At the Movies” but he’s amazing on Twitter.
DENNINGS: Really? I don’t have his thing…you know who’s on there is Nick Frost and…
…and Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright.
DENNINGS: Yeah, Simon Pegg and my friend Edgar.
Yeah.
DENNINGS: …they’re all on there and they are hilarious.
Yeah, they are fantastic. I think it’s when they started slash-fic-ing Hot Fuzz.
DENNINGS: Oh my God, that was outrageous.
That was the best.
DENNINGS: That was so stupid. I just love when they talk to each other. Brings me great nerd joy.
Indeed. So I was wondering, did you ever think you were going to be involved in Marvel’s….one of Marvel’s biggest super hero movies with Thor?
DENNINGS: No. I mean I had hoped. I mean it’s the kind of thing as a little kid that you want to do, you know? I mean my brother had all those comic books and he had action figures and I grew up with that stuff. So yeah, it’s almost like wanting to be a Princess. It’s like you want to be a superhero, too. It’s incredible. It’s such a dream. I really can’t believe I’m in this movie. I’m so excited. I’ve been thinking about it. It’s almost like when little kids know they’re going to Disneyland and they get really excited and start counting the days. That’s how I am.
So, I mean I know filming has started but have you shot your scenes yet or is that still coming up?
DENNINGS: No. All my stuff is towards the end, yeah, towards the end of the shoot.
Okay.
DENNINGS: Yeah no, I just can’t wait. Everytime…I remember when I had fittings like before I left I had a bunch of fittings and a bunch of hair and makeup tests and I was so excited. I would wake up like an hour or two early. Because I mean it’s Kenneth Brannagh man. I mean he is one of the greats. One of the legends.
Absolutely. You can only really think of him with something….Thor is so different and getting the guy who directed Hamlet.
DENNINGS: Yeah. I mean, it’s such an incredible idea. I mean he is the…first of all besides being obviously one of the greatest living actors, he’s the nicest man. The nicest, most wonderful man. I’m just so excited. I’m like everybody.
So I take it, are you a comic book geek?
DENNINGS: Yeah, totally. Totally, yes, yes, yes.
Have you sort of…is your character in the comics?
DENNINGS: No. She’s not. She’s a new invention. Yeah.
Okay. I believe I read, and correct me if I’m wrong, that your character is a friend of Natalie Portman’s character?
DENNINGS: Yeah. Yeah. I don’t know how much I can say.
Okay. Are you actually a god in the film?
DENNINGS: I can’t tell you…
Can’t tell me? Can’t tell me anything? Okay.
DENNINGS: No, I can’t tell you.
That’s fine. Are you prepared to go to Comic-Con with this movie?
DENNINGS: Oh God. If they need me to go, I’ll go. I don’t know if I’m going to have to go but if they…believe me I will do anything. I will follow Thor anywhere.
Excellent. Excellent.
DENNINGS: I hear Comic-Con is crazy.
It’s absolutely insane. I went last year and the “Iron Man” panel alone was just insane.
DENNINGS: Oh God.
Just one of the craziest moments ever.
DENNINGS: I can only imagine.
Yeah. So, is Thor going to be, do you know if it’s going to be a long shoot? I mean when are you planning to shoot and are you doing any movies in between?
DENNINGS: I just did…they started shooting in January, I believe. And I did a film…I just got back from doing another one. So yeah, I did one in between, but I am….yeah Thor is a very long shoot, but again, it has to be a long shoot. It’s an epic.
Right. Have you seen sort of any of the costumes or anything because a lot of people are wondering, you know, this one is so different from “Iron Man” or even “Captain America” because it’s taking place between two different worlds? It’s sort of like a weird mix of “Lord of the Rings” and “Spiderman” almost. At least that’s what it seems like from the plot synopsis.
DENNINGS: I don’t know, you know? I’ve seen some amazing, amazing things. And listen believe me, I’ve been where you are and wanting to know stuff because, you know, it’s Thor. It’s part of all of our childhood. But the thing is, I signed maybe 25 confidentiality agreements about this kind of thing.
Right, right. Okay.
DENNINGS: So I understand and I feel your pain, but I can’t tell you anything.
No, no I don’t want to press you on that. I definitely know they’re trying to keep it under wraps and I think you kind of have to.
DENNINGS: Listen to me, listen to me. It’s going to be worth every moment of waiting. I promise.
Matt: Okay. When they moved it back from this year to 2011, a part of me died inside.
DENNINGS: I know. Believe me like I’ve got so many frantic like fan-boy questions and I’ve been like “I understand. I’m so sorry. I wish I could say more, but I can’t.” But I assure you, like it far surpassed any of my wildest fantasies about what this movie could be. I mean it far surpassed it. It’s just going to be glorious.
Matt: Excellent. So, the film you’ve done in between, is that Richard Linklater’s Liars (A-E)?
DENNINGS: No. It was….that one’s on hold. But I have this movie called Daydream Nation, which is another small budget movie. Another Canadian filmmaker. Amazing script, amazing Josh Lucas is in it with me. He’s incredible. Andie McDowell is in it. Obviously also incredible. And Reese Thompson-amazing. Everyone was great. Really good movie. Really, really different role for me. But that’s another…
Can you talk about your role in that film a little bit?
DENNINGS: Yeah. I play this girl called Caroline Wexler and she moves kind of from a bigger city to a very little tiny hick town sort of in the middle of nowhere. And she finds herself falling, I guess, for 2 men. One who is a man, Josh plays her teacher, and one who’s a boy who’s her age or a little younger. And it just starts off with a chain of events and it’s a very beautiful kind of languid movie. Like it’s a little bit….the filmmakers said like it referenced Badlands. I don’t think it’s anything like Badlands but it sort of has that dreamy quality to it, but it’s very, very, very suspenseful. Like it’s really, really cool.
So it’s not like Badlands but it’s definitely sort of a suspenseful small movie?
DENNINGS: It’s suspenseful. I mean it hasn’t been cut together but from what I gleam of it and from what I felt when I was doing it, is it’s sort of like a mystery 30’s love story but it’s very dark and kind of you know, it’s her teacher and she’s lying and there’s a lot of….there’s murder and there’s….just…
All that good stuff that we all go through in high school.
DENNINGS: Yeah, all that stuff I love about movies. I’m really excited. I’m pretty proud of this movie, so we’ll see.
Cool. I just wanted to roll back to Defendor because one of the things I noticed about it and how it deconstructs the superhero and Watchmen, did that 20 years ago in comics but now we have comic-book movies, and you get the Watchmen movie and Defendor and Kick-Ass coming up and I was just wondering sort of what are your thoughts on that?
DENNINGS: Oh well yeah, it seems like it’s sort of like the time, you know? But that said, I grew up with my brother’s comic books and his super hero…is action figure collection and all that stuff. It’s almost like fairy tales are always around in one way or the other. They are kind of fairy tales when you think about it. So yeah, the thing about this one is that it’s not glossy. I mean he doesn’t have a cape. He doesn’t have any powers, you know? Or does he? He’s like a hero. He’s a true hero is the point of the story and yeah, he fights crime with marbles and bees and lime juice. But he’s as much of a hero, if not more, than any other super hero. So and yeah it’s a dark film. It’s very sad. It’s very beautiful and very funny. You know, so it’s not your typical comic book film. I mean it’s really, I’d say more sort of a real character…Woody is outrageous. I mean he’s good at everything but he’s really incredible in this movie. I really want people to see it. I mean, if you’re a movie buff, if you love movies I know it’s hard to find this one. I know it’s going to be in like 2 theatres or something but I mean it’s really worth it. It’s worth it.
Kat Dennings is a sweetheart. I knew this when Rusty interviewed her in Dallas last year with Michael Cera for NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST, but I had forgotten how easy it is to carry a conversation with her. Yesterday I spoke with Kat about her new film, DEFENDOR, which she co-stars in with the great Woody Harrelson. DEFENDOR follows a regular – but very eccentric – guy (Harrelson) who takes it upon himself to fight crime and stop an evil drug lord, whom he calls Captain Industry. This isn’t your ordinary comic book film, as Defendor never gets his way and always gets his ass kicked. God bless him for trying.
Check out our interview after the jump, where we talk about the hesitations of working with a first time director, how cool Woody Harrelson is, and what it’s like working on two comic book movies that go in completely different directions. If you don’t know the other comic book movie I’m speaking of, may the Gods have mercy on your soul. Or at least Thor, because he’s lurking just around the corner.
Chase Whale: Talk about how you got involved with the film.
Kat Dennings: Well, I got the script and no one was attached at the time I read it, so it was purely for the story. And I read it and I remember sitting on one couch, my mom was napping on the other couch and I was crying. I don’t cry very often, I’m a pretty tough cookie, especially with the amount of scripts that I’ve read I’m pretty jaded by this point. But I was crying and I was trying to keep it together and not wake her up and so I knew “I have got to do this.” The role is really different for me. There was really nothing for me to hold on to personally, because I’ve never been through anything that the character’s been through, obviously. Or not obviously, I don’t know [laughs], she’s a crack-addicted prostitute!
So I just knew that I really wanted to do it, I didn’t know if I could pull it off but I wanted to try. And I met with Peter [Stebbings], the writer-director and we had a lot of really good talks and both of us were just like “I wonder if I can do this.” And I came in and I read, you know, like you do with a normal audition and there were other people there and miraculously it came together. I’m very lucky.
CW: Going back to Peter, this is his directorial debut, whenever you got the script did you have any hesitations, or whenever you signed on did you have any hesitations? What did you do to put trust in Peter for his first film?
KD: The thing about first-time directors, it’s always kind of a risk, you never know. But the saying is, or whatever, everyone did something first. I mean, Scorsese did a first film, everyone does a first film. So it’s a coin toss, you either a get a maniac who’s going to lose his shit and not be able to do anything. Or you’re going to get a poised person who’s learning but really dedicated, and that’s Peter. Peter really took charge. I remember once Woody [Harrelson] got attached and once I got the job, we all had a meeting–me, Woody and Peter. And we talked for a long time and ate vegan food and I came out of there and was like “All right, sold.” I mean obviously, with Woody being in it…
CW: Going into Woody, his character is such a unique character, I’ve never seen him play something like this before. What was it like working with Woody playing this very unique character?
KD: As you know, first of all, Woody is one of the world’s most incredible acting treasures. He’s a sweet, wonderful man, incredible actor. One of the true greats. I mean, he’s been great in everything. He’s a legend, you know? We had a lot of talks about what are we going do. We had a lot of rehearsals, and I had never had this experience and he hadn’t either, where we were like “I don’t know what I’m doing.” Both of us! [laughs] First of all, every rehearsal process is different, sometimes you don’t even have one. But we had time to rehearse and both us were just like “I’m not gonna feel like I’m the person until we’re both on set and we both have our costumes and makeup on. Until you’ve got on a helmet and I’ve got a crack pipe.” [laughs]
And we both met with a lot of people who were really in these situations. Like Woody met with a young man who had Fetal Alochol Syndrome, which is what Arthur [Harrelson's character] has to deal with. He really made a nice bond with person, he was a great guy. But sadly this man had passed away during the film which was pretty rough for all of us. But I had met some people who had been sex workers or were currently sex workers or had been addicts or were currently addicts and it really gave me a big time reality check in my own life.
Also, with Woody’s character and my character you have these preconceptions about what kind of people they were. Like, yeah, she’s a prostitute and she smokes crack but she’s all these other things too, and she got to this point because of this. And what I learned is that anyone, from any walk of life or from any childhood situation can slip down that slope. It’s pretty sad, you know? But the film is a lot of things, it’s a superhero movie, it’s a comedy, it’s drama, it’s beautiful. We had the premiere the other night…and it just kind of all came together all of a sudden. I was a little bit sad, I just hope people see this movie. It’s a really good one. I’m really proud of it.
CW: Yeah absolutely! My next question is, this showed at Toronto and it got picked up and now it’s being released, how cool does that feel? Because there’s so many great films that just have a tough time finding a distributor and it’s so depressing.
KD: It’s incredible, especially I think this year was a tough year. Because you know, a lot of financial problems. Every studio had a budget and everyone was having a hard time. So for this to get picked up during the recession, it’s pretty amazing. And this is not a face movie, it’s kind of a fucked up movie. So it’s refreshing. It’s so great. I’m so happy and I just want people to see it. And you know, it’s coming out on DVD relatively soon, so if people see it that way great. There’s a lot of insight on that commentary, let me tell you.
CW: You’ve talked about how DEFENDOR is kind of a fucked up, character study/comic book movie. You’re doing THOR, what was it like working in the same genre but at two completely different ends?
KD: Polar opposites. I actually haven’t started filming my part of THOR yet. So the fun is still to be had for me. But yeah, it’s a complete disconnect. It’s like, one you have a very small budget, a 20 day shoot, kind of very intense, cold, sad beautiful small film. And then you have a huge epic explosion of gorgeous worlds and all this legend and Kenneth Branagh and Anthony Hopkins! [laughs] I don’t know, they couldn’t be more different. I can’t wait to feel how that feels. I really can’t wait to experience that. All the rehersal we had for THOR, the fittings, everything! I’m so excited. It’s like waiting for Christmas.
CW: It must be really cool to be in two comic book movies that both have their own charms.
KD: Yeah! For different reasons. But essentially, every hero has the same appeal. Your hero is supposed to have an honest soul and truth, purity and justice. Obviously THOR is Thor. And Chris Hemsworth, I mean honestly, it’s pretty daunting just talking the way Thor talks and Chris, the second he opened his mouth I almost passed out. He’s just so perfect. Obviously he’s a physically beautiful person but you just buy every word he says. You completely believe him, he’s got this amazing quality about him. And Woody playing Defendor couldn’t be more honest or more truthful and justice is his thing. So essentially heroes are all the same, except for like, Tony Stark, who’s kind of a dick [laughs].
CW: With DEFENDOR being a different type of comic book movie, it’s about a regular guy taking matters into his hands. What do you think people like about that?
KD: Well, I think we all have those revenge fantasies. I know I do [laughs]. You know when someone offends you and you just want to leap from building to building and rip their tonsils out…or maybe that’s just me…[laughs]. But it’s interesting because you know, what is a superhero? What is it? What makes the superhero? It’s the outfit and sometimes you have powers. But you know, Batman doesn’t have any powers! He’s a dude. And who says another dude can’t be a superhero? Like, you don’t have to have a cape and weapons to be a badass.
As you all hopefully know by now, Defendor is being released in cinemas across Canada tonight! And then in LA on Monday, where our own Rachel won a pass for two to the premiere. It will be awesome to hear what she has to say about the film over the weekend. :)
Have a pre-film interview with Kat from the Province:
She grew up toddling on the rolling green lawns of Bryn Mawr, Penn. — home to the world’s best women’s’ college and Katharine Hepburn’s alma mater — but Kat Dennings says while she fell in love with the classics, it wasn’t exactly a literary thing.
“I love the old musicals like Top Hat and An American in Paris,” says Dennings, who registered as a bona fide blip on the ingenue radar in the wake of playing Norah opposite Michael Cera’s Nick of Infinite Playlist fame.
“I didn’t want to be an actress from the very start. I went through a ballet stage first. Then I wanted to be a mermaid.”
Now starring in actor-turned director Peter Stebbings’s debut feature Defendor, Dennings says she has no problem taking on a variety of different roles, or even playing the crack-addicted sex trade worker (as she does in Defendor), as long as she maintains her personal and professional integrity along the way.
“I don’t really care if the choices I make are good or bad, but it’s important to me that they’re honest,” she says.
When it came to Defendor, Dennings says she was interested in taking on a low-budget project that seemed, in many ways, to be a labour of love for director Stebbings — as well as an ode to the steely-hearted city of Hamilton.
The story of a mentally challenged man who decides to clean up “the Hammer” by donning black clothing and taping a big “D” to his chest with duct tape, Defendor tells a familiar vigilante story with a human twist.
Stebbings says he was well aware of the archetypal source material he was working with, but wanted to strip it down to the basic mechanics of good and bad, and stick as close to the baseline as possible.
“I think people need to see how a lot of people in our society live. We turn a blind eye to all the invisible people out there, whether they are dealing with drug addiction or a disability,” says Stebbings.
“I spent a lot of time in Vancouver and I used to go to the First United Church at Hastings and Gore. I definitely saw how the other half lived,” he says.
Dennings wasn’t all that familiar with that other half, but in order to play the role of a teenage prostitute in this Canadian take on Taxi Driver, she did spend some time with a spokesperson for sex trade workers.
“I worked with a woman who was very familiar with this world and it was really helpful because this character [ironically named Kat] isn’t anything like me at all. She has nothing to hang on to,” says Dennings.
“I have a great family and supportive friends and I’ve been blessed in so many areas of my life. Kat, the character, has none of what I have. She’s got nothing to latch on to,” she says.
“I have to say, being in Hamilton for four or five weeks was also a huge help. That city certainly gets you in the right mood to smoke crack,” she says, her tone a perfect deadpan.
Starring opposite Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson, who plays Arthur Poppington (a. k.a. Defendor), Dennings says she found all the support she needed on set because Harrelson is the kind of actor who commits completely.
“If Woody hadn’t been there, the movie would have fallen apart. You have to believe in Arthur, and I swear, every time we were in a scene together and I looked into his eyes, I believed. He really transformed into Arthur — without tricks or anything — and that kind of made the experience for me.”
Dennings says she has no overall design on her career. She’s going to take it one part at a time, and right now, that would mean playing Darcy in the forthcoming Thor movie directed by Kenneth Branagh.
“Ah. I don’t know. I want to keep growing. Hopefully, I can do more comedy. I really like it and I think growing up, my favourite two actresses were Bernadette Peters and Madeline Kahn. They were great actors who made funny look easy. And that’s probably the hardest thing there is to do,” says Dennings.
“If they ever remake The Jerk, I’m going to fight to be in it.”
Posted in interviews on October 6, 2009 at 11:19 am by yuzu.
Kat Dennings Wants ‘Hack/Slash’ Movie, Makes Pitch For Comic Book Movie Role Posted 11 hrs ago by Rick Marshall in Devils Due, Video
“Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” actress Kat Dennings isn’t the first name you’d associate with comic book movies, but when we had the chance to sit down with her during the Toronto International Film Festival, she was quick to name-drop an adaptation she’d like to bring to the big screen.
In town to discuss her upcoming, pseudo-superhero movie “Defendor” with Woody Harrelson, Dennings called out action-horror series “Hack/Slash” when asked if there were any books she’d like to play a role in adapting.
“You know who’s a cool girl comic book thing?” said Dennings. “Hack/Slash!”
Last we heard from the “Hack/Slash” front, commercial director Fredrik Bond had taken over directing duties on the film, replacing Todd Lincoln. The Devil’s Due Publishing series is currently in development with Rogue Pictures, the Relativity Media subsidiary responsible for “Shaun of the Dead” and “Doomsday.”
“Hack/Slash” stars Cassie Hack, a girl who travels the world hunting supernatural serial killers with the help of her partner, a lumbering giant named Vlad.
Justin Marks, the screenwriter for “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li” and drafts of the “Super Max,” “Grayskull” and “Voltron” movies, penned the script for “Hack/Slash.”
