I went into this movie expecting a good time with some familiar characters, and that’s exactly what I got. I felt that the casting was brilliant, even with the older actors, and the basic premise remained: The Olypmic gods depend on their children and humanity to keep the traditions of Western civilization alive.

Was I disappointed that the Great Prophecy was ignored? Sure. But you know what made me happier? The fact that they didn’t set this movie up to be an automatic five-picture deal.

They’re giving people a chance to explore Rick Riordan’s world, and if this movie leads to a sequel, than great. (But I should note: Any sequel should include the more complicated villian arc. Hades being the bad guy is too pedestrian, even for a children’s movie.)

If not, we were given an entertaining film that stands well on its own. And what it lacked in plot, it more than made up for in special effects, in my book. In the future, they can bring more complex elements, but if they don’t I’ll still enjoy the gist of the highly imaginative world the author brought to us in the first place.

In my mind, this movie is the perfect example of staying true to the vision without treating the source material like an ironclad gospel. And if you are truly upset that a certain character is brunette instead of blonde, or that another is black instead of white, well …

We’ll always have the books.

Source: The Baltimore Sun

Written By: Nancy Knight

Related posts:

1. The Writer, Craig Titley Interview
2. Erica Cerra Interview
3. Interview of Alexandra Daddario

Maria Olsen (nee De Boer), who was an integral part of East London’s amateur dramatics scene before she married her Los Angeles pen pal, Kevin Olsen, five years ago, has made a name for herself in Hollywood as a horror actress, having appeared in scores of scary movies.

Landing a role in Percy Jackson, which stars Pierce Brosnan and Uma Thurman, was a huge coup for the accountant turned actress.

“It was very exciting when I booked the role and I knew this would be a great step up in my career,” said Olsen. “This was my first film as a principal talent – all the others had been independent films.

“Hopefully, it will lead to other awesome roles.”

Olsen plays a Fury, one of the Greek deities of revenge, who has taken on the persona of substitute teacher Ms Dodds.

Once she has managed to isolate teen scholar Percy Jackson, she changes back into the Fury, giving young Percy (played by Logan Lerman) the fright of his life.

Thanks to her spine-chilling role, children who recognise her now give her a wide berth.

“Kids are now recognising me in the street – although some are too afraid to approach me! That’s just a whole new dimension for me.”

Working with Brosnan, who plays Chiron, the centaur teacher in the fantasy adventure, was “a joy”.

“Pierce is the epitome of an English gentleman – quiet, professional, always helpful and extremely dignified. When he found out I was South African he told me about his recent trip to Cape Town.

“I wasn’t on set when it happened, but I heard he saved Uma Thurman and others from a nasty accident when one of the vans on set rolled down a hill. Chiron the centaur turned into 007 the hero!”

Although she did not share any scenes with Thurman, Olsen said working under acclaimed director Chris Columbus, who rewrote the script to extend her role, taught her that “subtlety works best”.

“He brought my performance right down to the detached, creepy, but intense thing you see on screen. His directing style is simply wonderful. Just quiet little chats with us on set with no drama.”

Olsen is thrilled with the reaction the movie has received since opening in the US on February 12. “It shot to No2 spot at the box office on Valentine’s Day weekend and was exceeded only by Valentine’s Day (movie). At the moment it’s right up there with Avatar and The Wolfman and I’m very pleased it’s doing so well.”

Source: The Weekend Post Online

Writer: Barbara Hollands

Related posts:

1. Maria Olsen interview: What do you want to ask her?
2. Maria Olsen as Mrs. Dodds/Fury
3. Percy Jackson Movies Interview of Maria Olsen!!!

Did you read the Percy Jackson books prior to getting the role or once you were cast?
I hadn’t heard of the PJ book series prior to landing the audition but, as soon as I did, I researched them and bought the first book. I actually read the first half of The Lightning Thief on the morning before my audition and the second half in the afternoon after my audition! I then bought books 2, 3 and 4 – book 5 wasn’t out at that time – and read, and enjoyed, them all. I haven’t bought book 5 yet as I’m waiting for the paperback copy to come out so that I can have a full collection of the first paperback editions of each book.

How did you like them?
I really enjoyed them as they are fun and lighthearted reads. The characters are really well drawn – especially Percy and Annabeth – and the stories are a wonderful way to introduce new readers to Greek mythology. My favorite characters include Nico di Angelo and Thalia Grace, but my all time favorites are Hermes’ talking snakes, George and Martha (I want a rat!!) =)

How did you get involved with Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief?
My agent submitted me on the role of The Fury to the casting directors who were casting the movie, and I was lucky enough to be called in for it. I auditioned against about 40 other actresses for the role and was one of 3 to get a callback. Two weeks or so after the callback, production told me that I had booked it. Great excitement ensued, obviously! It was an awesome role and things got a whole lot awesomer when, after he cast me, Chris Columbus, our amazing director, wrote the scene at Yancy Academy where I meet Percy for the first time. The Fury had become Mrs Dodds / The Fury.

What was it like to play a monster?
It was awesome playing a monster and I had great fun doing it. This wasn’t the first time that I played a character that was, let’s say, aligned to the dark side of the force, and I have done so numerous times on both stage and screen. I usually get chosen for these types of roles fairly regularly as I have an intense on-stage and on-screen presence. It was an unusual honor, however, to be picked as one of the few Percy Jackson monsters to appear in the first movie and I’m now part of a very elite group.

What did you have to do for the special effects for turning into a Fury?
As I did all my own stunts and had to be filmed while leaping off the scaffolding, I had to be trained in harness work. The Percy Jackson stunt team was absolutely wonderful and, because of their help, learning how to climb the scaffolding while wearing the harness and then to jump off it onto the safety pads below was a pleasure. The scaffolding that you see in the movie was, however, higher than the one I trained on, but, although I had two stunt doubles standing by, I did do all of the jumps myself. As the Fury is CGI generated, I also had to undergo a full-body CGI scan while in costume, and this basically involved standing perfectly still for about 30 seconds at a time while the computer scanned me in from different angles. I also voiced the Fury – I have a natural rattle in my voice that I use when I voice scary characters – and the Fury lines had to be recorded separately on a special sound stage in order to get them exactly right.

How did you first get started as an actress?
I start performing on stage in South Africa when I was 6 and have never looked back since. In 2005, I moved to Los Angeles and, in 2006, made the decision to move from stage to screen while still continuing to perform on stage in both Los Angeles and New York. I was lucky to accumulate a number of noteworthy on-screen roles in a very short amount of time which led directly to my signing with my agent in November 2008. In January 2009, my agent got me my audition for Percy Jackson, which I was lucky enough to book. I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next =)

When you’re not acting, are there things you like to do? Like a hobby?
When I’m not acting, I enjoy writing and knitting. I’m working on my Scary Scarves series at the moment – cool winter scarves with fun scary designs like Christmas spiders – and I actually hope to begin selling them soon.

What other projects are you working on?
At the moment I’m waiting for finalized scripts and shooting schedules for several independent features – drama and horror – and also several shorts. I’m also involved in promoting several features that are currently making the rounds on the festival circuit, including the incredibly intense horror “Shellter”, the zombie-comedy “Die-Ner (Get It?)” and the drama “Blue like the Morning”.

Do you have any funny or interesting stories about making Percy Jackson?
Brandon T Jackson was absolutely awesome on set and he kept us laughing all of the time with his antics. Pierce Brosnan’s wheelchair also had a mind of its own and would often do interesting things that he hadn’t programmed it to do. Logan was amazingly cool all of the time and things started to get interesting when his stunt doubles were also on set as it seemed that there were as many Percy’s as there were Hydra heads! I have actually never worked with a friendlier and more professional cast and crew and the movie was a joy to make.

Gallery of photos of Maria from the trailers

Related posts:

1. Maria Olsen Interview
2. Maria Olsen interview: What do you want to ask her?
3. Maria Olsen Live Webcast

Film School Rejects: Anyway, thanks for taking a little time to talk to me today. Hopefully I am not interrupting anything to terribly important.

Craig Titley: Uh, no.

Cool. Well, let’s talk about mythology, I guess, because I hear you are relatively well-schooled in mythology. Is that correct?

Yeah, I guess so. I guess so.

Your background is in mythology, right?

Yeah. Yeah, I am getting my PhD in mythological studies. I’ve done all the classroom and just have to finish the dissertation. Then it will be Dr. Titley, which sounds like a plastic surgeon.

Sounds like a very successful plastic surgeon, actually.

[laughs] Yes.

So is that, your interest in mythology, what drew you to Percy Jackson?

Yeah, very much so. In fact, I had just finished all my classroom work, literally, within weeks when Chris Columbus sent me the book to see if I would be interesting in adapting. It could not have been more perfect, because you always look around for that great assignment that will inspire you. And I have always loved mythology, and the Gods, and those old gray, hairy [xx] Greek gods like Jason and the Argonauts. So when I saw this and this fun twist of sort bringing these Gods and monsters we all know into the modern world, I was completely stoked and excited to do it, and here we are.

Is there anything that you maybe added? Based on your knowledge of mythology, are there any little details that maybe weren’t originally in the book that are in the movie?

Um, yeah, probably. And actually, there are a couple of details I wanted to add that got left out. On occasion, I think I was Mr. Smarty Pants a little too much, but it didn’t look mythically correct! For example, one of my favorite…one of the things that got left out that I really liked was something people may or may not know. The goddess of Athena is one of the three virgin goddesses, yet Annabeth, in the movie, is her daughter. I’m like, “This can’t be! This can’t be!” They were like, “Nobody is going to care.”

So in one draft, there is actually a line in the script where I think Percy is like, “Wait a second, how could you be Athena’s daughter? She is a virgin goddess. What happened?” And Annabeth says, “The ‘60s.” So there were things like that that I tried to do that completely weren’t necessary. I had to realize that nobody except my 20 classmates is going to care.

Fair enough. Although, all 20 of those classmates will probably be in the movie theater angry at the things that are missing.

Yes, I’ve already explained to them. And let’s face it-myths, even in the day of Homer, myths were changing and altering. So who’s to say that in the past 2000 plus years that Athena didn’t have like a crazy night, you know?

Yeah. Well, you know, there was the ‘60s.

Yes, exactly. I mean, come on! You know, making it through high school is hard enough! 10,000 years? Please!

Now, you have adapted a lot of different things. You know, Scooby Doo was adapting a cartoon. Cheaper by the Dozen was a remake, correct? It was based on an older movie. And then you worked on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which is based on something a few people have heard about.

And 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which I just did for Sam Raimi.

Yeah. What is different about adapting a popular kids or young teen book?

Well, this one, because they were so popular, it is sort of walking that fine line of…you know, you get two hours to make a movie, and if you put everything that is in the book into the movie, you would have a 4 ½ hour movie. So it’s the age old problem that goes all the way back to, you know, the Wizard of Oz up through Lord of the Rings. It’s: What do you keep? What do you take out? How do you make it feel like the book even though it is its own thing and you are going to have to… you know, when you start pulling things out because of the constraints of a two hour movie, there are sort of holes that have to be filled with original material. And it is sort of like half a creative challenge and half a logistical challenge of trying to keep sort of the spirit and the characters true to the source material as much as possible so that it still feels like the source material. You don’t want to, like reinvent the wheel and invent new characters at the sake of other changes and personalities or anything like that.

So it is quite challenging. And it is more challenging with a book like this that has such a huge fan page. You can start imagining all the hate mail that is going to come, like, “Why did you take out this scene?” But there is no way around it. Somebody’s favorite scene is probably not going to be in the movie.

Now, are there certain things that you look …certain types of story elements maybe that you look to take out first? Or do you go to that like most insignificant character and instantly pull them out or something?

I think you sort of design the narrative through line and then once you have a solid handle on that, what is going to drive the story, it becomes quite clear what scenes you can take out and which ones have to come out.

You know, there are scenes in the book that I really, really liked, but they didn’t sort of serve the narrative of the two hour movie, so there was really no reason to keep them in. You know, you don’t want to, like, force it in unnaturally so the movie comes to a grinding halt.

See, I think once you determine that, it becomes a little easier. And then also, on the other extreme, you look for the set pieces that are like really juice, like the Medusa sequence and things like that. And you know you don’t want to lose those because they are just like so incredible. You don’t want to lose like the key monsters that everybody knows in favor of sort of a lesser one.

Right. Cool. Now, and working with Chris Columbus, who…he’s had a little experience working on adaptions…

Yeah, just a little bit.

Was there clear vision up front? I know you mentioned that he was the one who kind of brought you onto the project. Did he have kind of a clear vision for what he wanted or did he say, “Go do your thing?”

Absolutely very, very clear vision. He made the whole process somewhat enjoyable. We, as writers, aren’t supposed to have fun writing. And this was, because one, he had a clear vision. Two, he’s got like this crazy Energizer Bunny energy. And three, just like this boundless imagination.

So unlike most projects, even if there is a director involved, when you get stuck and you are banging your head against the wall, it is kind of just you against the world, I would just simply send an email to Chris, who is a very accomplished writer, as we all know. Normally, you are thinking, “OK. I’m going to have to wait like four days for a response.” Like within two hours, “Hey, why don’t we try this?” And it is always like the perfect answer. I’m like, “Yeah, OK!” It made my job much easier, so it was great having somebody like him in charge.

Right. And thinking of kind of Harry Potter and all of these…I mean these teen fantasy novels are just exploding, and there is a ton of them out there. And they range from Harry Potter being kind of the most successful to stuff like Eragon, which was supposed to be like this three part series and only barely got through the first one. What do you think, in the end, now that the project is finished, separates a franchise like Percy Jackson and the first movie from some of these other teen novels?

Well, first and foremost, it is a self contained movie, unlike things like The Golden Compass where they set themselves up for failure by making it just part one. This is a self contained movie. Two, I think what sets it apart from the Potter movies… It obviously is a fantasy movie with three lead characters, so people are going to draw the conclusion. But once they see it, it is very unique. I mean this is a road movie, basically. It is a journey from heaven to hell, if you will, from the east coast to west coast. And the Potter movies were never that.

And also, I think it is the Greek gods making their, sort of, comeback for the first time since the original Clash of the Titans. I think every generation needs their gods. And kids and adults…we love ‘em. They are with us everywhere. I mean you go to a Mobil station, you see Pegasus. The gods are everywhere and it is just time to see them in the movie theaters again.

Well, and it seems like they are getting kind of a big comeback this year with this and Clash of the Titans. I mean is that exciting to you and your 20 classmates?

Oh yeah, the academic world of mythology is all a buzz with this, you know? The gods are back. Polytheism is back and they’re in the consciousness again and you could never keep them down. And there are many academic essays being written right now probably about that sort of come back of the gods and what it means psychically and all that stuff.

Interesting…

But, yeah, I get all the academic journals and they’re quite well aware of this and it’s fascinating and all their little theories as to “Why now?”

Well, there are a few good stories in there somewhere, you know?

Well, yeah.

Now, is there one particular story in mythology that you’re kind of drawn to? Do you have a favorite somewhere, and is it in this movie?

Oh, my gosh. Well, ooh boy, there are tons. I don’t know if I could pick one. It’s like picking your favorite movie. But I do love Medusa. Ever since I saw this Hammer movie, the 70’s called The Gorgon when I was a little kid- which they didn’t reveal Medusa in all her snake-haired glory until the very end which freaked me out, so I’ve been, like, obsessed with Medusa ever since, so I was very excited about that. And Poseidon has become sort of one of my favorite Gods. He was very much… sort of the God, if you will, of the 20,000 Leagues script as well through lack of comparison between Nemo and Poseidon. So I’ve been in this Poseidon world for a while and I’ve learned to fall in love with him. He’s pretty much my favorite God. Poseidon and Hermes.

So it kind of worked out because both Poseidon and Medusa, from what I understand, are big parts in this movie.

Big parts- yeah.

Now this is a series of books. Do you think it’s something that pending the movie making millions and millions of dollars and the studio saying, “Let’s do another one,” is this something you want to stick with and keep going with?

You know, if the movie does well and they decide to make the other books I would be honored to be invited back. But I don’t think any decisions have been made. I think everybody’s sort of focused on this one right now; making sure it’s the best movie as possible and making sure people go see it instead of The Wolfman.

And I think it’s interesting that you mentioned it’s a self-contained movie, because it feels like the natural inhibition for all these franchises has been to lead into the second movie whether or not the money is there to make that second movie already.

Yeah. I think the lesson is: don’t get cocky. I think we learned that from The Golden Compass.

Fair enough. Now in all the press that you’ve done, is there anything that you haven’t had a chance to say about Percy Jackson that maybe you haven’t been asked yet?

Um, hmm…

Is there anything you want people to know about it, maybe?

Yeah, I think I would want people to know, personally, just having…being a fan boy, you know, I grew up in the hay day of Amblin and I remember that day watching Young Sherlock Holmes realizing the same guy’s name was on my three favorite films. That was Chris Columbus as writer of Gremlins, Goonies, and Young Sherlock Holmes, which I call the holy triumverant of the Amblin films.

And then he sort of went off and started directing comedies, like Mrs. Doubtfire, Home Alone, things like that, up to the Potter movies. And for me this is kind of Chris, in a way, returning to his roots and making one of those big, sort of, fun action-adventure movies with great characters and a sense of humor about it, much like those three films.

And, you know, I don’t think that’s a coincidence either because the DP he chose for this film was the DP of Young Sherlock Holmes. And the movie looks gorgeous. It feels kind of Amblin-esque. And I don’t know if it was conscious on Chris’s part, but it feels to me, as a fan boy, I think the movie that it’s kind of his return to his roots in a way. And I don’t think anybody has noticed that or talked about that. I don’t even know if he’s talked about it or is aware of it. But just me as a fan boy, it’s very exciting to see Chris doing that.

That actually makes me even more excited to see the movie.

Yeah, yeah. It’s… I guess I’m allowed to say I saw it, but it moves, man. It was just like the fastest 2 hours I ever spent in a theater. Usually they seem to go slower when you’re involved in them. But not in this case.

Very cool. Now I wanted to ask you about 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea just briefly because there seems to be a lot going on with the two 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea movies and we just saw what happened a couple weeks ago with Disney pretty much dumping the project for the time being. You know, where does the other one- the one you had set up at New Line- where does that one stand, at least from where you’re sitting?

Well I think right now it stands back at a good position because there had always been sort of a pull position between the two projects, even though theirs was technically a prequel of Verne’s novel and ours was an adaptation of the novel. So they could’ve both existed, but studios aren’t going to, you know, see it that way.

So it was always like we would take the lead because our script was done first, you know, and then New Line sort of got downsize where our project was and then during all of that craziness of working out with the script, you know. Then Disney jumped ahead…they had McG attached to them and then ours was dead. So now that there’s has, you know, died, I assume, we’re very much back alive. And, like you said, this all happened recently so I’m assuming we’re going to be out for directors real quick- trying to take advantage of this while we’re in the lead again.

And yours is a more direct adaptation of Jules Verne’s book, right?

Yeah. It’s an adaptation, but we had to invent the whole story because there’s not a real narrative thrust in the book- It’s very episodic, kind of like a travel log. So it’s an adaptation, but also, we had to invent a lot of the story. But, totally, it’s a lot like Pirates of the Caribbean. It’s just like a lot of fun action, adventure, humor. The best script I’ve ever written.

Really?

I sometimes read it and like, “You did that? Wow! Not bad, bud.”

Now, my last question’s kind of a vague question, but it’s always interesting to me. If you were given kind of free reign over what you did next- something that you haven’t already written- is there like an outline somewhere in your office or an idea floating around in your head? Like, what would you do next if given complete freedom?

Well, there are a couple of pet projects that I’m doing on speck. They’re very much unlike me. One is a very small movie- small like Dazed and Confused, American Graffiti -- that I want to direct. It’s [a] period [piece]. And that’s one. I won’t say too much about it. And the other one is actually a historical Victorian era biopic. Believe it or not… about a pretty insecure character. In my spare time I’m sort of specking these both out.

And looking to eventually take the director’s chair…

On this little, small one I’m going to direct it. I want to start so small that if I suck it won’t matter. Because I don’t know A, if I like directing, two, if I’ll be good at it, you know? If I like it, I’m good at it, I’ll keep doing it. If it’s one or the other, I’ll decide. But if I hate it and I suck I’ll just stop.

Do you feel like you’ve learned a lot? I mean, you’ve worked on several different projects with different directors and do you feel like you’ve learned a lot of things that you could take to directing a smaller movie, or any kind of movie?

Yeah, absolutely. I’m a lot more confident having been around all sorts of sets. I’ve started my career as Joe Dante’s assistant… one of his assistants. So I’ve been on sets around really good directors quite a bit. So, yeah, I picked up some things there. My only downfall is I’m a wee bit of a perfectionist, which you have to, like, kick that thing out, so. I could spend a hour writing on an adjective, you know? I think I’d go on the set like, “Eh, let’s try the lights here. Eh, let’s try it here.” So that’s the only thing I got to… the demon I have to overcome.

Source: Film School Rejects

Writer: Neil Miller

Related posts:

1. Craig Titley, The Screenplay Writer
2. Interview of Alexandra Daddario
3. Logan Lerman Interview

The survey is closed. Thank you for all of your responses. You will see your questions answered shortly.

Related posts:

1. Maria Olsen as Mrs. Dodds/Fury
2. Maria Olsen Live Webcast
3. Maria Olsen Interview

IESB: How did you get into acting? Was it something you always just knew you wanted to do?

Erica: I probably always knew. I started really quite young, at about five years old. As a child, I just liked to entertain and act goofy. I was always the class clown, so that was my inclination that I should get into the entertainment field, in way, shape or form. And then, coincidentally, the woman who babysat us had a brother who opened up one of the first agencies in Vancouver with his wife, so she put us in contact with them and it just went from there.

When I was young, I did quite a few commercials, and then a couple TV shows. I was in about sixth or seventh grade when I filmed my first show, so I was barely ever in school. I was thrown in and out, with on-set schooling. And then, at 13 or 14, I just wanted to be a kid and not be taken out of school. As I got older, when I was about 20, I started to think, “Okay, what do I want to do with the rest of my life?” I’d had jobs doing anything and everything, like office jobs and resale jobs, just trying to figure out what it was that I wanted to do, and acting was always still a big part of my life. So, I tried it again and, thankfully, it worked. I get to work as an actor. It’s pretty wonderful.

IESB: Do you feel like having taken that break gave you a better perspective on it, as an adult, since you had more of an idea of who you were before you started playing other people?

Erica: On one hand, I think, “If I had stuck with it, would I be on a network show, and could I have been doing that for the last 10 or 15 years, or is it better that I did it this way.” In all honesty, you just have to be happy with the path that you chose, or you could just sit there and live in regret. I was able to live.

You look at some of the celebrities that were child stars and they all went crazy in front of the limelight, and I’m glad that I didn’t do that. Everyone goes crazy. Most teens all do the same things, be it you date the wrong guy or get drunk at a nightclub where everyone sees you. I’m glad that I didn’t do any of that in the limelight because that would have been a lot of crap to crawl out of later. I’ve gotten way more life experience, and I didn’t have to experience it with the eyes of the world watching me. I’m glad that I went the way that I did.

IESB: How did you get involved with Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief?

Erica: It was a regular audition for me. Because they filmed in Vancouver, they were holding auditions and, that being said, I can’t take away from how lucky I feel to have had an opportunity to play any role in the movie. I was incredibly lucky to be one of the cast members in the film. I auditioned about four times because I had auditioned for a couple of the other, larger roles and then was brought back in for a couple different roles, and then ultimately ended up getting cast as Hera.

IESB: For those who might be unfamiliar with the books this film is based on, what can you say about it and who your character is?

Erica: I’ve read four out of the five books. For the first film, they squished the first and the second book together to make one larger script out of the two. My character, Hera, is the wife of Zeus (Sean Bean). Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) is half-God and half-human, and the God is Poseidon (Kevin McKidd). He goes on all these adventures, trying to save the world from a crazy thing that’s going on in the Gods’ world.

Humanity has no idea about what’s actually happening. He’s got powers because Poseidon is his father, so he’s able to control water. In the first film, Hera is introduced to have a larger storyline in one of the later films. In the stories, the Gods are there to guide Percy and the other two kids on their missions, and help them out, give them advice and lead them down the right path. In one of the stories, Hera helps Percy escape something.

They have changed the story from the books, so it’s hard to tell where they’ll go and what they’ll do, but the Gods are there to guide Percy on his adventures and help him achieve his goal. There are a lot of characters that aren’t in the books, that are in the movie. For the most part, Zeus is in the book for all of 30 seconds, and he’s a very large player in the movie. They’ve changed the script quite a bit. They were very, very secretive with the script, so you only really knew what you needed to know. I’m thrilled. It’s really, really exciting.

IESB: What was the experience of making such a big, fantastical story like? Did you feel like you’re living our your childhood fantasies?

Erica: For me, I absolutely love fantasies. I always have. There’s two things I would absolutely love to do in my career, comedy and fantasy. The idea of dressing up and portraying some sort of odd, mythical creation of your own, in my mind, is what the film industry is about and what entertainment is about.

Don’t get me wrong, I would take any job. I love working. But, from where I’d like my career to go, taking a job on where you’re creating another human being is so much more exciting to me than the idea of playing a police officer, or something more human. I look at Johnny Depp’s career, or Cate Blanchett’s, and that gives me real excitement. I would love to have their careers, and I aspire to take on those sort of roles. It totally takes me to my childhood and I just absolutely love it.

IESB: Did you have to deal with a lot of special effects?

Erica: I also work on a TV show called Eureka and we deal with special effects, all the time. In Percy, there was a special effect that we worked with that was really interesting to film. When they introduce the Gods and Goddesses, there’s a really interesting effect that goes on between the Gods and the humans. It was very funny and interesting to watch them work it out.

IESB: Does working with effects come easy for you, or did it take some adjustment?

Erica: Because I love make-believe, it’s easy for me. That’s always how I functioned. I was talking to another actress on Percy about where we’d like our careers to go, and I said I wanted to do fantasy, and she said she would love to do one of the cop shows because, when it comes to special effects, fantasy and make-believe, she can’t really wrap her head around it.

For me, it was just something that I always thought was really neat. You let your own imagination create something, and then, when you get to see it after it’s all said and done, it’s neat. So, I don’t find it that difficult. Eye lines are hard sometimes. When you’re working with other people and there’s a monster that’s supposed to be running around, you’re like, “Oh, God, where are my eyes going?,” ‘cause you can’t see anything. Sometimes, they have a little toy that they’re throwing in front of your face, but for the most part, it’s nothing. It can be tricky, but it’s always fun.

IESB: How did you originally get involved with Eureka?

Erica: I had actually moved to L.A. for pilot season and, coincidentally, three months later, I got a pilot that filmed in Vancouver, which is a story that a lot of actors tell. You go to L.A. to find work back home in Vancouver. So, I auditioned for it, but initially I was told that they wanted someone like Chyna and I am far from that look. I auditioned on a Monday and booked it by that Saturday, so it was a really, really quick process, thankfully.

IESB: What was the initial appeal of that show for you?

Erica: Working in Vancouver, there’s a lot of sci-fi shows. That’s a lot of what goes on in Vancouver. It’s funny because, as thankful and as blessed as you are to work, and I know a lot of brilliant actors out there that don’t work, you wonder, “Do I want to do a genre show or not?” Once you do a genre show, you can get typecast, so it can be a bit fearful. But, I read the script and I was incredibly interested because the story was unique. There’s no other show on television like Eureka. My character was so cool.

Growing up, I was a tomboy, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become a lot more feminine and I’m more comfortable with my sexuality as a woman, and I don’t mind dressing up and looking pretty. When I initially got the show, I was like, “Oh, thank God, a low maintenance character with no make-up, her hair in a bun or ponytail, and wearing a uniform all the time. This is pretty great.” I love that the show can go anywhere.

There are so many directions that they can go with the storyline. Last season, Salli Richardson-Whitfield got pregnant, and they wrote it in for her character. It’s neat that you’re on a show where they can just go wherever they have to. There’s not a lot of comedy in Vancouver and that can be really frustrating ‘cause I love comedy. So, I feel incredibly blessed to be on a show where I can make people laugh. I’m very thankful. I’ve learned a lot. I work with wonderful actors. I have nothing but great things to say about the show. We’re going onto our 4th season, and I hope we can keep going, at least for a little while longer. That would be great.

IESB: How are you most different from Jo Lupo?

Erica: The character is incredibly stubborn, and I’m also stubborn. I like to wear make-up more. When she does get out of uniform, I’ve dressed her very generic, like a white t-shirt and blue jeans, or a solid color shirt and solid pants. I’ve really made her the every day plain Jane with wardrobe, where I’m definitely a little bit more expressive. I like to wear things that are a bit more feminine. I also like to wear my hair down. I cannot stand wearing my hair up. That drives me nuts, every day. For the most part, my hair is always down. I’m just more feminine now, since I first got the part, but I’m like Jo, in a lot of ways.

IESB: What did you think the first time you saw yourself in the police uniform?

Erica: When I got the part, they said, “Do you feel comfortable cutting off all your hair?,” and I was like, “Well, I don’t know.” My hair is quite long, and I had to tell them yes or no before they would sign the contract with me. So, I took a leap of faith and said, “Yeah, whatever. Let’s cut my hair off. It’s liberating. Let’s do it.” I got there the first day and the hair stylist was there and there were network execs standing around going, “How are we going to cut off her hair? She’ll look like a little pixie.” The hair stylist was like, “I think she’ll look more feminine, if you cut her hair off.”

So, they put water in my hair, made my hair go fuzzy and curly, drew in eyebrows to make them three time as thick as they are and were contemplating the option of putting a scar across my face. I was sitting in the chair like that and one of the two creators of the show walked in, looked at me and went, “What the heck are you doing to her? Why does she look crazy?” And, they were like, “We don’t know what to do with her. She’s cute. How do we make her not cute?” And, he said, “Can we just put her hair in a bun and leave her as is? Why do we have to make her look like she’s been through a war.” Thankfully, they agreed.

That was just the funniest day of my career. So, they put my hair in a bun, threw me in the wardrobe, went with no make-up and grew in my eyebrows a little bit. I was like, “Okay, this I can do.” I wish I had taken a picture of how it all started because it was hysterical. I kind of looked like Oscar the Grouch. It was crazy. So, I was good in the uniform. I was like, “I look like a tomboy. I can do this. It’s cool.”

IESB: Do you have any idea what viewers can expect from the upcoming season?

Erica: I have my own ideas that I vocalize to the writers, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m going to get any of what I’ve suggested. So, to be completely frank, I have absolutely no idea what to expect. When I started out, Jo Lupo was a tomboy and they wanted her to be really butchy, so I did that. The second season came along and they were like, “Okay, the audience isn’t necessarily a huge fan of that, so let’s soften you up a bit.” And then, they introduced a boyfriend. In the third season, they softened me up even more and she got emotional with her boyfriend. I don’t know what’s coming up. Marriage, children, war? I have no idea where they’ll go. Personally, I would like to go back to a bit more of the aggressive Jo. I’d like to fight and do that stuff a bit more. I’d like a little less love and a little more muscle and braun.

IESB: Being a fan of fantasy yourself, can you understand the sci-fi fans and their loyalty and dedication to the genre?

Erica: Absolutely. I’ve got such a nerd inside of me. I have some girlfriends who are like, “I don’t know how you watch that stuff.” My fiancé will go out and play golf or hang out with his buddies, and I’ll stay home and watch Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings. I do get it. It’s an opportunity to just get lost in a magical world, or a world of make-believe, and leave your reality behind. You can just get lost in this little mythical world. I totally get it. I think it’s great.

IESB: What is The Stranger and who do you play in that?

Erica: The Stranger is a movie about a man, played by Steve Austin, who has something called Dissociative Fugue. He loses his memory, but for a short period of time, and that it comes back in bits and pieces. In the movie, we’re first introduced to one another when he’s found by the FBI and they bring in a psychologist to assess him and help him jog his memory, as to who he is.

He and I meet and I grow an attachment to him through bumping into one another for about two years, and he can never remember who I am. I’m very familiar with him and his case, where he has absolutely no idea. Every time he’s found, they bring me in to help jog his memory. My character has taken the responsibility of finding this man before he gets himself into anymore trouble. That’s where the story leads off, and I take it upon myself to help him.

IESB: How was it to work with Steve Austin?

Erica: Steve surprised me in a lot of different ways. When I first got the part, just because of his wrestling character, most people were a bit worried for me. They were like, “What if he’s an ass?” And, the first memory I have of Steve is from when I walked in for the read-through and, the minute I walked in the door, he stood up as a gentleman and shook my hand. He towered over me. He’s about three times my size.

He’s very funny and he’s very good-hearted. He really did shock me. I had a really great time working with him. He’s incredibly easy to work with. He’s very gracious and will do anything and everything. It’s really important for him to be successful and for his project to be successful. He started off in a very small part of the wrestling business, and he worked his way up and kicked butt to get where he was, as a wrestler, and he became a huge star. That’s his motivation. That’s what he wants. When he decides he wants something, he works very, very hard at accomplishing it. And, he’s really eager to learn, which was really cool. He’s decided that he wants to be an actor, and now he’s totally willing to learn everything and anything he can to make that attainable.

IESB: When you’re not acting, are there things that you’re equally as passionate about?

Erica: Yes. I really do love cooking. Dinner time is important to me. By about three o’clock, I start my preparations for dinner ‘cause everything is made from scratch. I make my own stalk for my soups. I’ll make my own concoction of sauces. Cooking is my only every day responsibility. As an actor, we go from working really hard to doing absolutely nothing and, if we don’t keep some sort of consistency or schedule in our life, it’s really, really easy to get bored, uninspired, tired and lazy. For the most part, cooking is my opportunity to just be with myself. It relieves my stress. I don’t think for the couple of hours that I’m doing it, or I do, if there’s something going on in my life and I need to work it out. Sometimes, I listen to music while I’m doing it. It’s nice. If I wasn’t an actor, I think I would have been a chef. My mom loves to cook. She’s got a pasta manufacturing company, she teaches cooking classes and she does dinner parties at her house. My grandmothers are both amazing cooks and always have been. It’s in my blood.

I’ve also just taken up singing lessons. On Eureka, there was an episode that I sang, and it’s something that I have always wanted to do. I thought that if I could sing on set with my peers watching me, and then have it air on television where everyone will be watching me, then I could go in to take some lessons, so I did that. We were supposed to do a musical episode on the show, and I don’t know if we’re still doing that now or not, but I thought it was time to learn how to actually sing. And, I like reading and painting. I’ve been painting for the last year.
Source iesb.net

Written by Christina Radish

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For an eighteen year-old actor, Logan Lerman already has quite an impressive body of work. From the critically acclaimed television series Jack & Bobby to indie films like My One and Only and action movies like 3:10 to Yuma, Lerman’s been hitting Hollywood on all fronts. You can now add “epic” to his list of credits. In his newest film, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightening Thief, Lerman plays the title character who is the prime suspect in the disappearance of Zeus’ lightning bolt. Percy embarks on a journey to save his mom and catch the real thief. The movie, directed by Harry Potter helmer Chris Columbus, has an all-star cast that includes Uma Thurman, Pierce Brosnan and Catherine Keener who plays Percy’s mother. Even though the movie is based on the best-selling teen book series of the same name, Lerman assures us that this is a film for all ages. “This movie relates to people in general,” he says. “It’s about the life struggle of taking your weaknesses and trying to make them into your strengths.”

How did you first get the acting bug?
I’m from Los Angeles and it was accessible. There’s always a place to wait in line for an audition and I kind of begged my parents to take me. My mom nurtured my career and helped me climb the ladder. I have had a passion for movies from a young age. I first got interested in acting when I was probably four or five.

What movies inspired you growing up?
Movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. I remember the first time I saw these movies in the theater and it really got me into filmmaking.

This film is based on a popular book series. Did you read the Percy Jackson books prior to getting the role or once you were cast?
I read the book right after I read the script. The first thing that really attracted me to being a part of this film was seeing Chris Columbus’ name right on the title page of the script. I read the script and loved it. Then, I read the book. It was a really backward process.

You play Poseidon’s son. Does Percy feel any pressure living up to his father’s legend?
I don’t think that’s even issue for him. For him, his motive the whole time is to get his mom back. Save the world above anything, but get his mom back. I don’t think Percy felt any pressure.

When you are acting in an epic film like this one, or an indie film, do you approach the roles the same way?
It’s all about understanding the tone of the film and feeling comfortable enough to experiment on-set and understand your character enough to do so. I approach it the same way every time, but all movies are different. Being a fan of film, you kind-of have an understanding of what this movie is going to be – or whatever movie you’re working is going to be.

What did you learn from Chris Columbus during the making of this movie?
I took this chance to really see how these types of films are made, to understand how these big budget fantasy flicks come about. Months before filming, I stayed in the production office during pre-production and studied everyone and the whole process. I also take every movie as a learning experience. I can’t pinpoint specific things, but I learned the process and how great directors like Chris Columbus do their job.

Many people are saying this is going to be the next Harry Potter franchise.  How did you deal with the hype and expectations walking into this?
I think a lot of people are saying that mainly because Chris Columbus’ name is attached to both films and we are selling it as: “from the director of Harry Potter.” However, they’re different movies. Do we want it to be as successful and as loved the Harry Potter films? Of course, but they’re pretty different stories. This movie is transferring Greek mythology into the modern day. It’s paralleling classic myths and introducing a new demi-god into the modern day world.

What did you find the most difficult part of making this film?
The stunts. It was the first time I was involved in a stunt-intensive filming process, so it absorbs a lot of your time. All of your spare time goes into perfecting your stunt work.

What was it like working alongside Pierce Brosnan?
Awesome. Pierce is a true gentleman and a really great actor to work with. He’s quiet and perfect. Outside of work, I got to know him personally. He’s such a great guy.

Do you think New York City played an important role in some of the scenes in this movie?
The film is about finding adventure in your life. I think New York City is the perfect location for many of the sequences and scenes.

I heard that you applied to NYU.
Yes. I did.

Do you know what you’ll study?
Creative writing. My real passion is filmmaking. I want to be a filmmaker one day and be involved in writing and directing.

What directors inspire you?
Oh, I can go through a whole bunch of them. Just to name a few: David Fincher, Stanley Kubrick, Wes Anderson, Spike Jones and Peter Bogdanovich. I can keep going, but you don’t want to hear the whole list.

Since you’re in an empire state of mind, any restaurants you frequent in Manhattan?
I haven’t gone out much. I was lucky enough to try Nobu. It was one of the most delicious meals ever! My favorite food has to be sushi.

What advice do you have for young actors starting out?
Have perseverance and stick with it. Please don’t be in this business if you’re looking for social gain and popularity. Make sure you have a true passion for movies and enjoy what you do.

What keeps you grounded as a young actor in Hollywood?
I keep the same perspective that I’ve always had. That perspective comes from understanding other people’s perspectives around the world that I have seen so far. Keeping true values like family and friends is also important. Also, I keep in mind that my real passion is movie making – the magic that happens when you go into a theater and everything that goes with it. You can get lost in the whole social aspect of being in this business, but I have no interest in it. It’s purely movies to me.

What do you want people to walk away with after watching this film?
I want people to be entertained – to lose themselves for two hours and have a good time. If they want to peel away the layers at the end of the film, they will have a lot to talk about. There’s a lot to discover.



Source BlackBookMag.com

Written by Steven Priggé

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Interviewer: Have you seen Percy Jackson yet?

Pierce Brosnan: I saw it with a bunch of schoolchildren.  My eight-year-old said it was the best film I ever made.

Interviewer: Medusa is not too scary?

Pierce Brosnan: Oh, she’s scary.  She’s good and scary but she looks gorgeous.

Interviewer: You have to scare the kids a little bit.

Pierce Brosnan: They always want to be scared.

Interviewer: You play a Centaur in this film.

Pierce Brosnan: Yes, I play a horse’s ass.  I say it in the movie, but it is self-evident.  I play Percy’s mentor.  A professor, but when he enters the mythological world I am a Centaur there to protect him and oversee his learning.  And as a Centaur I have the body of a wild hippie.  It’s much like the Grateful Dead meets Secretariat.

Interviewer: Lots of mythical beasts in this picture. . .

Pierce Brosnan: Yes, there is a Minotaur [pronounced, of course, mine-oh-taur] but I don’t do much battle, I am not very physical in this piece.  I am a guardian.  Wise and bold and, you know, showing off a good pair of legs.

Interviewer: Is this the first fantasy film you’ve done?

Pierce Brosnan: On this scale, yes.

Interviewer: Would you return to that?

Pierce Brosnan: Yeah, we’ll see, there are four other Percy Jackson books.  We’ll see how successful this first one is.

Interviewer: There’s the college fund for the grandkids right there.

Pierce Brosnan: You better believe it.  Believe it!!

Source Ugo.com

Written by Jordan Hoffman

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SCOTS star Kevin McKidd is now a giant in Hollywood – playing a 40ft Greek god in his new action movie.

But he says the best part of his new role is the fact that his two young children can watch him on the big screen for the first time.

Kevin plays sea god Poseidon in the £100million (approximately $156.12 million) family blockbuster Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, alongside Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, Steve Coogan and Sean Bean.

And the 36-year-old admits it’s the first time his children won’t be barred from watching their dad act.

He said: “My kids are really excited about Percy Jackson. They think it’s going to be cool that they’ll be able to see me in the cinema.”

It’s been 14 years since the Elgin-born actor shot to fame with Trainspotting but his kids haven’t seen his films because he reckoned they were too violent.

Kevin’s first big film was the Scottish movie Small Faces, where he played a razor-slashing Glasgow gang leader.

More recently he appeared in Hannibal Rising, about the origins of serial killer Hannibal Lecter.

Now his kids have started looking for projects that their dad could star in – and they can watch.

His son Joseph begged him to appear in Percy Jackson as the hero’s long-lost dad, Poseidon.

Kevin said: “Joseph read the first book and he’d never seen anything I’d been in. He was right down my throat, telling me I had to do it.”

Joseph and his sister Iona have also seen their dad become a star in Channel 5′s Grey’s Anatomy.

And they were delighted when Kevin got called up by Disney and asked to provide a voice in Pixar’s Scottish animated movie, The Bear And The Bow, featuring Reece Witherspoon, Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson.

Kevin said: “Joseph just knows I’m doing a voice in a Pixar film. I haven’t done the recordings yet so I’ll know more in March when I start.

“I’m dead excited about it – and that I’m working with Billy Connolly.”

Kevin’s Poseidon appears in Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief with the mighty Zeus (Bean), the wicked Hades (Coogan) and the other gods of ancient Olympus.

But the film has a thoroughly modern setting – and a dramatic entrance for Kevin. He appears in the first scene marching out of the Hudson River and into present-day Manhattan.

He said: “The thing I found hardest was walking out of the water. You can’t just look like you’re going down the paper shop.

“I was supposed to be 40ft tall so I had to look as if my bones were much bigger and give a sense of momentum.

“I thought I’d be done by lunch but it took two days.”

Read the full article HERE.

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