She vaulted to fame as Jodie Foster's daughter in 'Panic Room' and headlined kid flicks like 'Zathura,' but now 16-year-old Kristen Stewart is ready for the child actor's equivalent of a driver's license: the horror movie. She stars in 'The Messengers,' the first U.S. film from Hong Kong directors Danny Pang and Oxide Pang Chun ('The Eye'). After some technical difficulties, Kristen chatted with us about her favorite horror films and some heavyweight Hollywood co-stars.
MessengerKristen: Hey
MoviefoneTricia: so nice to "talk" to you!
MoviefoneTricia: how's it going?
MessengerKristen: better now that computer is working
MoviefoneTricia: haha
MoviefoneTricia: see, IM isn't so scary
MoviefoneTricia: ... not like your new movie (see how i did that?)
MessengerKristen: no its not so bad
MoviefoneTricia: so tell me about 'the messengers'
MoviefoneTricia: what's it about?
MessengerKristen: It's an asian horror movie put in a classic american setting
MessengerKristen: It's about a family and i think the family has a really important dynamic
MessengerKristen: kids now will be able to relate to it b/c you treat the ppl you love the worst, its not like a "scream" movie, but the family dynamic has a point
MoviefoneTricia: and your character sees things other people can't, right?
MessengerKristen: yeah, they are going on the fact that kids are more susceptible and sensitive to things than adults
MoviefoneTricia: what is the family dynamic, exactly?
MessengerKristen: There is no trust, my character makes a mistake before the movie starts. They are seeking refuge from the problems that daughter was having. They think that she is trying to sabotage their new escape plan. She is not though, things are really happening to her and they don't believe her
MoviefoneTricia: so for people who haven't seen it -- what was the hardest scene to film?
MessengerKristen: I don't want to give anything away to people who have not seen it :-)
MoviefoneTricia: ha - understood!
MoviefoneTricia: was it hard to film a horror movie?
MessengerKristen: yeah, it was really hard. I was expecting it to be a break. I was coming off a movie where i was not vested in the movie, but this was the most physically and emotional strenuous movie i have ever done. I would sit in makeup and count my war wounds every day
MoviefoneTricia: yikes
MessengerKristen: yeah! There was a point where were had two weeks of straight horror scenes. I was so tired and busted up after that
MoviefoneTricia: did you do any of your own stunts?
MessengerKristen: I had a really awesome stunt girl who did a lot of it, but the role was extremely physical. I did the scene where i was dragged down the cellar stairs. there were fight sequences and i did those.
MoviefoneTricia: oh my god, that sounds brutal
MoviefoneTricia: did you learn how to fight from a trainer? can you hold your own in a dark alleyway now?
MessengerKristen: No, but i can run faster than anyone
MoviefoneTricia: ha - i'll bet
MoviefoneTricia: what'd you do to detox afterward?
MessengerKristen: Nothing, went back to normal life
MessengerKristen: you really have to leave that life there
MessengerKristen: I just come home and sleep
MoviefoneTricia: i can only imagine
MoviefoneTricia: so were you already a fan of horror films before you did this one?
MessengerKristen: YEAH! i love horror movies
MoviefoneTricia: what's your favorite?
MessengerKristen: It would have to be The Shining!
MoviefoneTricia: aw, good one
MoviefoneTricia: have you read the book?
MoviefoneTricia: that's really scary, too
MessengerKristen: No, i have not read the book, but i totally should
MessengerKristen: The scariest movie i ever saw in my life was Castle Freak, when i was little it petrified me, i could not be alone in a room
MoviefoneTricia: wow, never heard of that one
MoviefoneTricia: what's it about?
MessengerKristen: It's about a family who moves into a castle and there is a freak
living in a dungeon. They have a blind daughter and he stalks her. He is the nastiest looking thing.. talking about it kinda makes me want to go watch it again
MoviefoneTricia: think i got goosebumps just listening to you describe it
Go to part 2
MessengerKristen: Hey
MoviefoneTricia: so nice to "talk" to you!
MoviefoneTricia: how's it going?
MessengerKristen: better now that computer is working
MoviefoneTricia: haha
MoviefoneTricia: see, IM isn't so scary
MoviefoneTricia: ... not like your new movie (see how i did that?)
MessengerKristen: no its not so bad
MoviefoneTricia: so tell me about 'the messengers'
MoviefoneTricia: what's it about?
MessengerKristen: It's an asian horror movie put in a classic american setting
MessengerKristen: It's about a family and i think the family has a really important dynamic
MessengerKristen: kids now will be able to relate to it b/c you treat the ppl you love the worst, its not like a "scream" movie, but the family dynamic has a point
MoviefoneTricia: and your character sees things other people can't, right?
MessengerKristen: yeah, they are going on the fact that kids are more susceptible and sensitive to things than adults
MoviefoneTricia: what is the family dynamic, exactly?
MessengerKristen: There is no trust, my character makes a mistake before the movie starts. They are seeking refuge from the problems that daughter was having. They think that she is trying to sabotage their new escape plan. She is not though, things are really happening to her and they don't believe her
MoviefoneTricia: so for people who haven't seen it -- what was the hardest scene to film?
MessengerKristen: I don't want to give anything away to people who have not seen it :-)
MoviefoneTricia: ha - understood!
MoviefoneTricia: was it hard to film a horror movie?
MessengerKristen: yeah, it was really hard. I was expecting it to be a break. I was coming off a movie where i was not vested in the movie, but this was the most physically and emotional strenuous movie i have ever done. I would sit in makeup and count my war wounds every day
MoviefoneTricia: yikes
MessengerKristen: yeah! There was a point where were had two weeks of straight horror scenes. I was so tired and busted up after that
MoviefoneTricia: did you do any of your own stunts?
MessengerKristen: I had a really awesome stunt girl who did a lot of it, but the role was extremely physical. I did the scene where i was dragged down the cellar stairs. there were fight sequences and i did those.
MoviefoneTricia: oh my god, that sounds brutal
MoviefoneTricia: did you learn how to fight from a trainer? can you hold your own in a dark alleyway now?
MessengerKristen: No, but i can run faster than anyone
MoviefoneTricia: ha - i'll bet
MoviefoneTricia: what'd you do to detox afterward?
MessengerKristen: Nothing, went back to normal life
MessengerKristen: you really have to leave that life there
MessengerKristen: I just come home and sleep
MoviefoneTricia: i can only imagine
MoviefoneTricia: so were you already a fan of horror films before you did this one?
MessengerKristen: YEAH! i love horror movies
MoviefoneTricia: what's your favorite?
MessengerKristen: It would have to be The Shining!
MoviefoneTricia: aw, good one
MoviefoneTricia: have you read the book?
MoviefoneTricia: that's really scary, too
MessengerKristen: No, i have not read the book, but i totally should
MessengerKristen: The scariest movie i ever saw in my life was Castle Freak, when i was little it petrified me, i could not be alone in a room
MoviefoneTricia: wow, never heard of that one
MoviefoneTricia: what's it about?
MessengerKristen: It's about a family who moves into a castle and there is a freak
living in a dungeon. They have a blind daughter and he stalks her. He is the nastiest looking thing.. talking about it kinda makes me want to go watch it again
MoviefoneTricia: think i got goosebumps just listening to you describe it
Go to part 2