Talks about being herself, what we can expect from Resident Evil: Afterlife, and… Splenda?
We caught up with her last night at the premiere of her newest film, A Perfect Getaway. She plays a newlywed honeymooning in Hawaii when paradise turns deadly. Rather than it being another action-packed adventure story, Milla promises that more of herself shines through in this role – the action she saves for Resident Evil: Afterlife. We chat with Milla about being herself, what we can expect from Resident Evil: Afterlife, and… Splenda?
What attracted you to A Perfect Getaway?
It was fun for me because I didn’t see it coming, and that is what attracted me to the part: the fact that I just get to be myself for most of the film. Okay, in the third act, I do some action, which people expect from me. But at the same time, I think people will be able to see me for who I am: a nice cool girl for most of the movie, then it all goes horribly wrong and I’m fighting for my life. But it’s also great because David Twohy, who is an amazing screenwriter, wrote a really character-driven thriller. I think it is very interesting because you get so invested in these characters, and at the same time you question yourself for liking these people who, potentially, are serial killers. A lot of times, you have these big action films, with hundreds of millions of dollars spent on effects, but you don’t care because the characters [aren’t fleshed out]. But when you love the characters, you almost don’t need to spend all those millions. Any action they do, you get really into. I think that’s what we really succeed in doing with this film, creating wonderful characters that people really care about. It makes it so much more exciting at the end, when we do have all the action.
How does the action in this film compare to the action in Resident Evil?
Kiele Sanchez and I have a good girl fight together. It was really different because in the Resident Evil franchise, it is so choreographed and so cinematic. But in Perfect Getaway it was so raw, and just kind of like, “go for it.” We were told to go from A to B, but in-between, just do whatever. So it was really raw, which I think is really interesting. I hadn’t worked that way before in the action genre. But Perfect Getaway isn’t so much action-driven as it is character-driven. Kind of an edge-of-your-seat thriller. The action stuff is very cool, though.
I heard that when the camera stopped rolling you invented something called “Mojitoviches”?
Yes, I invented a new drink. Any time you have a mojito with Splenda [instead of sugar] it is called a Mojitovich. It isn’t patented – yet. But I want everyone to know that I invented it. Actually, anything that has Splenda in it I pretty much invented – just add an “-ovich” to the end. I didn’t invent Splenda. But a macchiato with Splenda is a Macciatovich. I don’t want to get sued by Splenda but at the same time, I have used Splenda in very creative ways.
You recently said in an interview that for Resident Evil 4 you spent four months immersed in the project. Do you like roles that you can spend time with, or do you prefer something shorter?
It depends. Resident Evil is so much “my” franchise, and I’m so lucky to have it, but of course, that is where I put all my work in – on a physical level. I do all my own stunts, so I really have to be on top of it – that’s really important to me. But I like the balance. I like to be able to do the fun action films, but I also enjoyed Perfect Getaway, in which I got to be myself for most of the movie, and be in Puerto Rico with my baby and have a good time. It’s a nice balance. I just finished a movie with Robert DeNiro and Edward Norton called Stone, and it’s a very heavy movie. It’s a psychological drama, and it was very difficult for me on an emotional level. I tell people I can’t make films like this all the time – I would be a very depressed person. So it’s nice to have that balance between the fun, commercial action films and then the more serious psychological dramas. Not to do too much of either – just be a healthy, well-rounded person.
Is that what drew you to this role in A Perfect Getaway – the chance to “be yourself”?
Definitely. I felt like people didn’t really know me, and this role could let people know me in my real life, what I’m like on a daily basis. It was fun to show the real me, because I don’t get a chance to do that much on the big screen. Hopefully next year it will be a bunch of romantic comedies and girl-next-door parts.