In the new X-Men film you're playing a MUTANT. You can control minds. What can we expect from your Jean Grey?
This Jean Grey isn't the Jean that we've seen in the previous movies, because obviously this is a prequel kind of thing. This is about how Jean became this incredibly powerful mutant. In the first three movies, seeing her was fun because she was herself. She has a career together, she knows exactly who she is, and her morals. She's got a steady relationship, job, everything.
This movie is about her as like a teen struggling to come to terms with growing up in the world and boys and everything that makes a teenager tick, but she's also a mutant. And a very powerful mutant. But she doesn't know how to control her powers. It's all kind of about her coming to grips with that as well, and at the same time trying not to feel alienated. It's pretty intense.
Was it fun to play someone who gets to dish out hurt?
Oh yeah! It was really cool to be able to play a character that gets to do stunts and is kind of like, a hero. A superhero. It was really fun to like explore that side because I've been dying to do that for years.
Did you do your own stunts?
I had a stunt double. But I didn't really have huge stunts because she's telekinetic.
Ah! So a lot of squinching your eyes, raising your hand at stuff.
[Laughs] Yeah, exactly.
Did you practice that in your mirror? Your mind control "look"?
Oh my God, I practiced that in the mirror every day! I was like, I don't want to look like an idiot doing this. I'm really terrible. I really had to learn my body in that movie. I had to learn how to run! Apparently I run really stupidly? They had to teach me how to run well in X-Men. All the shots were so embarrassing because if I was running around, my arms would be flailing everywhere. Apparently I have no motor control.
