Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays "Lee" in Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof" segment of Grindhouse
The Massie Twins: Tell us a little about your character in Death Proof. Why is she wearing a cheerleading outfit?
Mary Elizabeth Winstead: I serve as the comic relief and play this naive actress who's trying to hang out with the tough girls and trying to keep up with them, but really I just say stupid things and so they make fun of me all the time. I think she's charming and fun to watch and hopefully people will like that character. I’m wearing a cheerleading outfit throughout the whole movie because I'm playing an actress playing a cheerleader in a fictional movie. It was Quentin's idea and I know that he originally met Vanessa Ferlito when she was shooting Man of the House in Austin, which was about a bunch of cheerleaders, so I think it kind of spawned from that.
MT: What was your favorite experience during the making of Grindhouse?
MEW: The experience was phenomenal overall, but something that was really fun for me to be able to witness was watching Kurt Russell and Quentin Tarantino together, because they both have the same kind of childlike enthusiasm for filmmaking and they both just have such a great time after every single take. They're either laughing hysterically or talking about how awesome it was, and that kind of enthusiasm is so rare to see in this business that it was so fun to be a part of that.
MT: Can you tell us anything about Die Hard 4?
MEW: I'm really excited about that coming out - I think it's gonna be awesome. I think it's going to really live up to all the expectations that people have for it and I just can't wait for it.
MT: You've starred in a several notable horror films. Is this a genre you prefer and plan on continuing your work in?
MEW: I'm open to everything as long as it's something that is fun and interesting and a different character for me to play. I'm not really limiting myself to any certain genres. This didn't really feel like a horror film for me at all, it seemed more like a comedy because my character is a sort of comic relief in a way. She's fun and sassy, and a bit ditzy, but it felt much more like a comedic character than your general horror character.
MT: What major differences are there on the set when working on a horror film as opposed to a comedy or drama?
MEW: In my experience it seems that everyone kind of approaches filmmaking in the same way no matter what kind of film they're doing. On the Quentin Tarantino movie, everybody wants to be there and everybody wants to do a great job. From the actors to the crew, everyone just wants to be a part of this amazing film, so I felt it was just that kind of energy, rather than the energy of a horror film or comedy or anything like that.
MT: How was your experience on the set of Grindhouse?
MEW: Grindhouse was an experience really hard to top. Being a part of a film like this where everybody is so passionate and so excited to be there and nobody ever goes back to their trailer. They're always hanging out on set, and in between takes and set-ups, we'd be playing music and dancing and laughing. Kurt Russell would be slow-dancing with Goldie Hawn. It's the type of experience that's just unparalleled and I don't know if I'll ever have that kind of experience again. It was just amazing.
MT: What were the major differences between filming Grindhouse and Die Hard?
MEW: Grindhouse was a lot more fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants. We'd do a take and then move on to the next thing immediately. It had more of a low-budget feel. And then with Die Hard where it was a huge budget, huge action film, so there were really long set-ups and we'd spend an entire day doing one little scene with a couple lines, so it was definitely a slower process, so the energy was a little different. But they're both great and I'm so honored to be a part of both.
MT: Did you have a preference?
MEW: I think most actors would say it's a little more fun to be on a low budget project just because the atmosphere is a little more interesting and there's not as much time to just wait around and do nothing. But at the same time you can appreciate being part of a big budget film and being paid well. (Laughs). All the perks. But they both have positives for sure.
MT: What attracted you to the project and how did you get the role?
MEW: Immediately when I heard Quentin Tarantino was having a project, I just wanted to be a part of it in any way I possibly could, even before I read the script. So when I got the script, I was just so excited because there were eight strong female roles, and it’s so rare for me to read a script like that. I'm usually going through the entire thing trying to find what part I'm supposed to be playing because it's so male oriented and driven. I finally got to audition for him and went to his house and hung out on his couch for three hours before I actually got to see him and it was amazing - it was the most unbelievable audition experience I've ever had, it was so fun and welcoming and friendly. And when I got the part I was completely shocked and baffled, but very excited.
MT: Which actor or actress did you have the most fun working with?
MEW: The group that I was with was Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thoms, and Zoe Bell, and also a little bit with Kurt Russell. They were all so amazing. I couldn't ask for a better group of girls to hang out with because we clicked immediately, and the dynamic between our characters on screen were so similar to the dynamic between us in real life that it was almost eerie. So I don't think I could really choose out of those girls because they are all so awesome and I love them to death.
MT: Who was more of a badass, Kurt Russell or Bruce Willis?
MEW: (Laughs). Oooh. They're both the epitome of badass. I can definitely see why they're movie stars and they're both guys' guys and they appeal to women everywhere as well - they're just unbelievable. I'm sorry I can't give you a good answer.
MT: That was the right answer. What was the hardest part of making this movie? Did you have to do a lot of stunts?
MEW: I got off easy with the stunts. I'm sort of the least badass girl because I'm the comic relief in a lot of ways so I had a great time with it. If anything was hard, it was mainly the rehearsal process, but even that wasn't really that hard. That's kind of a difficult question because it was all just fun and didn't feel like work at all for me.
MT: Quentin is trying to push Death Proof for the Cannes Film Festival and he may give them a longer version than what American audiences will see. So what would be in that version that we don't get to see?
MEW: I'm hoping all that extra footage will be on the Dvd when that eventually comes out, but the car chase at the end of the film was so important that they couldn't really cut that up, and it ended up being a lot longer than they initially thought it would be, so a good 30 minutes or so of the rest of the film was completely cut out. A lot of getting to know the girls and a lot of the dialogue and stuff like that was cut. There's a really awesome lap dance that Vanessa [Ferlito] gives Kurt Russell that got cut out, which was a great, great scene. I have a song that I sing in the film which was also a really cool moment, so a bunch of little things like that which hopefully people will get to see eventually.
MT: Were you a fan of grindhouse films prior to this project or did you had a favorite that Tarantino showed you?
MEW: Yeah, I actually spent a lot of time in Austin before I ever got this film, and my favorite place to go was the Alamo Drafthouse which had these double features and midnight screenings of old exploitation films. I don't know if I was really aware of the term “grindhouse,” but I'm a huge fan of those kinds of movies and the whole experience of watching them with a big crowd in the theater. So when I found out they were going to be bringing that to a modern audience I was really excited to be a part of it.
MT: Some of your early work was in the theater. Do you ever plan on returning to that and did any of your experiences there help in the transition to film?
MEW: I would love to go back to that one day. I'm definitely open to it. I think the main thing that I take with me from being on stage is the discipline factor. I never have to push myself to make sure my lines are memorized or make sure I'm up early enough to get to the set in time. That all comes naturally to me so I'm thankful I had that kind of background to really instill that kind of behavior in myself.
MT: What's your favorite Quentin Tarantino movie and more specifically do you have a favorite character?
MEW: That's so hard. I love them all so much. But I'm such a huge fan of both the Kill Bill movies and the Bride in that is one of my all time favorite characters in cinematic history. I've watched that film and I just want to be her - I feel like that's just such an iconic character for me personally, so that would have to be my choice.
MT: Good choice.
- The Massie Twins
Read Grindhouse Interview #1: Marley Shelton
Read Grindhouse Interview #2: Tracie Thoms
Read Grindhouse Interview #3: Vanessa Ferlito
Read Grindhouse Interview #4: Jordan Ladd
Read Grindhouse Interview #5: Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Read Grindhouse Interview #6: Freddy Rodriguez
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