Adam Brody - Interview on Jennifer's Body
Adam Brody - Interview on Jennifer's Body
The actor talks about his "Low Shoulder".
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Jennifer’s Body Set Visit from 2008, Staci Layne Wilson reporting
Q: We saw you shooting some of your scenes today as "the rock star" in the bar. Looks like fun. Where you channeling anybody?
Adam Brody: There's a later performance where I don't have a guitar and there is a bigger stage that I can walk around, so I liked to think of myself as Morrissey in that. In this one I don't know as much… actually this one, I don't have much room to move around. So no one specific… I'm just a singer.
Q: Can you tell me your character is, and what you play?
Brody: Sure. I play Nikolai and he is a singer in a band. He is a front man and he aspires to fame and fortune and he goes to great lengths to achieve it. But not through traditional channels, more like sacrificing a virgin. Like maybe ambiguously burning this entire bar down. It's a longshot, but you have to try everything.
Q: What's it like playing the bad guy?
Brody: It's really fun, you know, partially because bad guys tend to be kind of powerful. So that's kind of fun to be the leader and kind of be in control of the situation. My character, in most of the scenes, is kind of in control of the situation. It's fun. That's a different thing. Jason Reitman and Dan Dubiecki are producing this movie, and I was in Thank You For Smoking, so I know them from that. And they have become friends of mine.
Q: So obviously, you didn't have to audition.
Brody: No, no, not at all. No there wasn't, it was pretty easy. It was pretty much behind the scenes. They have the authority to offer me the part if I wanted it, and I hemmed and hawed about it for a second because it was a bad guy. And not just a bad guy, but fairly vicious in a couple of scenes, and I wasn't sure that I knew what I would do with it or how I can come out of it… not unscathed, but like how I could do it and make it fun to watch and not just depressing. But I think we came up with a really cool thing. And either way, I feel comfortable with it.
Q: Is he one of the funny characters?
Brody: I think every character has humor in this movie and at the same time, so yeah definitely. He isn't chock full of humor. I think that he probably is one of the more grounded characters in a movie. I haven't actually been in any other of the scenes obviously, and I haven't seen very much so it's tough to say, but I think that... in fact maybe that's not very true at all. It's not, like, grounded, comparatively. I don't know. But Karyn described it to me the other day as the most otherworldly… I don't know.
Q: Virgin-sacrificing pyromaniac… that's real grounded.
Brody: I guess he is in terms like of his mannerisms versus straight comedy. I don't think it's just bits, but I guess it's not that grounded. In fact it's kind of homicidal, but still.
Q: How was it shooting the sacrifice scene?
Brody: It was interesting. It certainly is uncomfortable. Even though it's a lighter movie, it is uncomfortable. I mean you've got Megan Fox, freezing. It's the middle of the night and you got Megan tied up and you've got like me and the rest of the band around her, and that's creepy. And then in the scene before that, we pressure her into a van and it kind of gives everyone the creeps a little bit. And I'd be more freaked out or… pretty confident that it's a female writer, a female director, and it's a female actress is the lead. So I feel like because of that viewpoint hopefully it never gets too sadistic. So it was interesting, I was sort of hesitant because it does give you a creepy feeling I thought I was just going to do this person on the scene and you don't have to go there but you do the physical activity, and it is weird. But there was a moment where I dragged her off into the woods that I actually rather enjoyed when it was all said and done. I felt like that was super satisfying. I don't know why.
Q: What's the vibe like on set?
Brody: Well, you know, it's a pretty light set, and I think I'm fairly light person. I just sort of trust Karyn's judgment. Like I said, I think she has done a fantastic job and I trust her point of view to tell me when it's creepy in a good way or creepy in a bad way. And I sort of really just trusted her. And I don't know yet, I haven't seen it so I hope that I was steered correctly. I think I was. I totally trust her. And everything else that I have seen, not my stuff, but all the shots they've done and all the dailies that I have seen of other scenes look fantastic.
Q: A lot of times the actors are not allowed to look at playbacks. You enjoy it?
Brody: Yeah, you know, definitely. I think every situation is unique in every actor is unique. I don't always need to see it or want to see it. Occasionally I do, and especially for this stuff which is like music based. I'm lip-synching, we are performing, and I just want to see where the cameras are and what I'm doing that looks cool and what I am doing that maybe doesn't register. It's all just physical movements. I'm an actor, but I'm also part of the crew and I want to help them get the shot too and I kind of need to be aware of where the camera is because I can see it what they're going for, I can help them.
Q: You mentioned being hesitant to take the role — Does that mean you made some tweaks and maybe redid it from where the script was?
Brody: Not too much, no. Not really. More just in choices. There have been slight dialogue changes but I don't think… it certainly hasn't been a complete overhaul. In the script a song the leader is playing has, like, three lines. It is only written three lines of dialogue and it's really hard to tell what kind of group it would be, following the script. So that was my other question, and really asking about the song to sort of form the character and the band and all of those things.
Q: What kind of band is it?
Brody: Well, it is I mean it's a combo. It's like you've got those boy bands, and I try to play it a little cooler. Maybe if I could do a little Joy Division or little Interpol, one of the hair bands, or a little Morrissey and that sort of Brit rock, I guess. Not so much musically but even just a little stylistically and whatnot.
Q: Is the attack scene you, or is that somebody else?
Brody: The attack scene is me but I took it from… there is a line in the script that where it says it's a waxing moon. So it's perfect. That corresponds with our sacrifice, so I figured like I've gotten into a bit of astrology and Satan worship, and the salt coordinates to that. I couldn't get any more specific. Because I don't know anything more than that but that was the intention. Plus, it looks cool.
Q: Are you acting out your rock star fantasies?
Brody: Yeah, you know it's funny, I was in a band for like four or five years with a group of friends but I played the drums. And I always was like, "I love to dance around you guys get to move around." They are so fun but there was a part of me that was jealous of the showmanship of the other members and so it has been a little bit of a fantasy of what would I do. And it's not me, exactly. I mean, I wouldn't do it exactly like this guy. This is probably more grandiose. But still, same ballpark. [As for the sacrifice scene] I wanted to figure out a way to do it to make it like enjoyable versus horrible. I didn't want to come in and be the Boys Don't Cry section. Or like the section there is in a fun movie where the guy comes in, and it's brutal. Not particularly funny. And it's brutal and it's just like a pain to watch. And it's just uncomfortable and ugly. And it is all of those things. I felt like one of the major changes I tried to do with him was I felt like initially he may be came across as a little angry. And he is power-hungry and he is angry and all of that but I wanted to make it a little more amoral and homicidal. Little more Hannibal Lecter, so it wouldn't be may be as real life but maybe a little more flamboyant and easy to watch. Because he is kind of a showman. That was the basic thing. How can I make it a little more comfortable in and maybe more pleasurable?
Q: What happened with Justice League?
Brody: I probably shouldn't be commenting on this but who cares. I'm really an outsider as much as I don't totally know. I know there was a tax credit thing and I know that the initial writers strike was a hindrance. And then they've got Batman coming up and they want to do another Superman so this is only speculation on my part. But just as a fan of it, I understand how there is controversy whether to go off and try to film one or try to do those although that seems like an impossibility to me of building that franchise together but that would be awesome. I think between a tax credit maybe it will still happen. I truly don't actually know any more than you guys do. While I'm a huge George Miller fan and am a huge comic fan so I would still be in but maybe I won't be I know that Ryan Reynolds was attached to The Flash for a while, and then I got the part and then I read on the internet, "He is no Ryan Reynolds," and Ryan Reynolds is the only Flash. So if I don't do it in a year or two, it will be somebody else. Hopefully the next guy will get shit for not being me, and I was the only one who could play Flash.
Q: There's a wave of horror filmmakers that are coming into this whole thing, like Rob Zombie retelling 70s horror. And this is the first set that I have been on where everybody is like, "80s horror: that's the bomb."
Brody: I grew up on the slasher films of the 80s. But what I love about this is and is reminiscent to be of the best of Friday the 13th. No, not Friday the 13th, strike that. I guess what is reminiscent of the 80s to be in… this one is the high school suburbia of it all. It's the way it's lit, it's like a foggy suburban night and when I think of that I think of Spielberg. I think its hearkening back to that and that's why it's not so much the 70s. I like 70s horror movies and no disrespect to those movies. I guess those are the real grindhouse movies. I know its highbrow but The Shining is a perfect movie. I saw the other day… and I really liked this movie called Don't Look Now with Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie. It was awesome. Does anybody know what that thing means in the end where the kid turns around, and he's like a witch? [yes] I like the psychological stuff as well as the slasher movies, although I will say that there was something to the slasher movies of the 80s. To think that I'm really excited to see the new A Nightmare on Elm Street, I'm really excited. But I haven't seen the Halloween remake yet. And I would like to see it. And I guess it's just like 2.0, and that is when you have the amp up everything. It's really for the 80s… those movies are like violent or gory and all of those things there is a way to do them that is really inventive and not just gore. Although, that is fine too and I like it. I don't want them all to be Texas Chainsaw. It's just like a lot to handle.
Q: What's the most exciting thing you've seen lately in movies?
Brody: Things like Dan Dubiecki and the Oscar speech. I was at his wedding. It's pretty cool to see these guys be so successful and really I think they're making perfect strides in terms of keeping everything modest. Jennifer's Body is a perfect example. Part of the reason that I think that everyone has high hopes for this movie, is because I think that they handpicked the best should director for this job. They handpicked the best cast for that job. I am primarily talking about the two leads, Megan and Amanda. They are perfect for their roles. They already are breakout stars but I think this will be a really nice pivotal movie for both of them. In every department, the art department, the cinematography, it's good. It's not rushed. I think that attention to detail is great. I think it is going to really serve them well in the long haul. I know that Jason had a thousand opportunities, he could do anything he wants. But I'm sure whatever he does next will be the right one and he won't get too big for his britches. I think they're going to have a lot of success for a long time.
Q: How's the shoot going?
Brody: It is a really relaxing set. There are not a lot of high strung people. Not that it's any indication of how the movies going, but I do think it's going well which makes people that used too. It seems to be on schedule as well. And everyone is relaxed and I just think that is a testament to the good nature of everyone's personality more or less. More than the material or anything like that it's a fun movie.
Q: You've got two days left, so if you had to pick one memory making this movie so far…
Brody: Favorite memory. I don't know. I think there are two things that we haven't really done before… there was the prom and I'm singing up there in front of a bunch of extras dancing around and that was a new moment for me as an actor as a human. And also in the middle of the night doing the sacrifice scene of a virgin and doing the total bad guy, that was a totally new experience for me. I remember being in the middle of it and thinking this is fun. "This is my big knife." So I think both of those actually are like the seminal moments and I know it's kind of generic, they are just scenes.
Q: What's your greatest fear in real life?
Adam Brody: That's a good question. I have no problem flying and I'm a pretty defensive driver. Other cars scare the shit out of me. I don't know. What was my greatest fear? I guess it's just self-doubt sort of maybe career and personal life. And I actually want those things to be successful and I'm having the time of my life with both and you're trying really hard and so I think the constant doubts that come with that. It's a weird industry too, it's like being an actor is funny because you really do sort of put yourself up on the chopping block and leave yourself open to a lot of criticism and therefore self doubt. That could be kind of horrible, but it's pretty cool at the same time because it can make you a lot stronger. It's almost like getting over a huge version of stage fright.
Q: Do you think there will be a sequel?
Brody: This one is called Jennifer’s Body. I won't give anything away but it's an interesting place that they leave off that I don't know what would consist of the second one. I'm sure that they can figure it out. They are going to make Transformers 2 and 3, so I'm sure that they can figure out how to do another one of these. I would be really curious to read… that's all I will say.
Q: How's it been shooting in Vancouver again?
Brody: It was great. Fortunately too, we had some night shoots and I was kind of bummed because I thought doing that these night shoots is going to be pouring but it wasn't. Fortunately the rain held off. It's so easy being from L.A., it's almost nicer to be out of L.A. for a second. It's fun to be able to shoot close to home, but if you were shooting out on the street and on real locations it almost seems like too much pressure. No pressure, but you're just in the center of it still, but… it's an easy commute. And I've spent a lot of time here as most actors have. It's really easy. There is something that is really accommodating.
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