INTERVIEW: The Supergirlfriends of Batman, Hulk & Iron Man

Despite some patronizing questions and answers, this USA Today interview with Liv Tyler, Gwyneth Paltrow and Maggie Gyllenhaal has an interesting take--including a spoiler about The Dark Knight movie.

As a comic book and movie officianado, I tend to get a little irritated when the elitest media and spoiled hollywood stars condescend to us retarded simpletons who enjoy fantasy and science fiction, but whatcha gonna do? One day they will pull their heads out of their asses, take a look at the box office receipts, and have to admit that comic book movies aren't just for kiddies any longer.

USA Today: Was it lonely being the only woman in a comic book movie?

Liv: I'm used to that world from "The Lord of the Rings," even though it wasn't really a comic book.
Maggie: Everybody on my set was a guy! I have two lovers in the movie, and they're both these gorgeous men. Come to think of it, there were a lot of powerful, manly men around, and I didn't mind that particularly. [Laughs.]
Gwyneth: Mine was definitely a testosterone-fest. I was the only girl for miles, except for the women working in the wardrobe, hair and makeup departments. I would have time off when the guys would go blow things up in the desert, and every time I went back to work, they were happy to have a girl there. They had kind of forgotten that there were women in the world.
Liv: But you got to be so sexy. Pepper Potts is so sexy and amazing ...
Gwyneth: That's sweet, but I don't know about sexy. Pepper wears Dolce & Gabbana suits ...
Liv: And, meanwhile, I was wet ... in the rain ... wearing jeans and a T-shirt ... while hanging off the back of a helicopter!
Gwyneth: That's cool! I didn't get to do anything like that.

USA Today: Are there any superpowers you wish you had in real life?

Gwyneth: Hmm, flying would be good. I was going to say invisibility, but it's a little bit dishonest ...
Maggie: Yeah, because then you could just sneak around --
Gwyneth: -- and X-ray vision is definitely dishonest.
Maggie: It seems a little dirty.
Liv: I definitely wouldn't want to read people's minds.
Maggie: That could get you into real trouble.
Liv: I'd like to be Aquaman and breathe underwater.
Maggie: I might get claustrophobic if I did that. I'd probably choose flying. I'd get into too much trouble if I could read minds or become invisible or see through people's clothes.
Gwyneth: There is an ethical line you don't want to cross.

USA Today: Are there any people you admire in real life who seem like superheroes?

Gwyneth: I look up to [academic and economist] Jeffrey Sachs, people like that who dedicate their lives to making the world a better place.
Maggie: Anyone who puts the good of the world before their own personal well-being, like Nelson Mandela. He risked everything and ended up having a major effect on the world and really shifting things. Just like a superhero.

USA Today: What do friends and family members say about you doing this kind of film?

Gwyneth: A lot of people were really confused when they heard I was doing "Iron Man." They thought I was doing an Ironman triathlon.
Maggie: My friends and my family know I don't ever want to do stupid and meaningless things, so they trusted me not to do that with Batman.

USA Today: But let's face it: Aren't these movies, by their very nature, a little silly and hokey?

Maggie: Ours is not like that. We had a good script.
Gwyneth: Ours, too! It wasn't embarrassing in any way. Although there were lines that were a little bit like (screams dramatically), "No, no, press the button! Press the button!!!" Sometimes I'd go, "This line belongs in the book called 'What You Cannot Say in a Movie.'" But I suppose if you're going to blow somebody up, there's a limited number of responses you can have for that.

USA Today: How do you think women have changed in these kind of films over the years?

Gwyneth: There's a reason why they're hiring actresses like us. We're all women, we're all mothers, and we all normally do different films. There's a certain understanding of who we are and what we bring and a certain respect for that.
Maggie: Twenty or 30 years ago, the women in these films were vapid and just appeared for extra silliness.
Liv: In all these films, our characters have real jobs and really fall in love and have real dilemmas. When you look at the history of the comic books, the women also have changed.

USA Today: So you're telling us it was more than just a big payday that made you want to do this film?

Gwyneth: Well, Robert Downey Jr. (who plays the starring role in "Iron Man") called me and said, "You have to do it," and I said, "Yes, it sounds like great fun." And then he said, "And, by the way, don't you want to be in a movie that people actually see?" I wondered, "Hmm, what would that be like?" [Laughs].

USA Today: Are there any superheroes you'd like to play?

Maggie (to Liv): You'd be good as Wonder Woman.
Liv: No, you look more like her, especially in the face. Maybe we should both be her for Halloween this year and wear matching outfits. I've always really liked Catwoman for some reason: Eartha Kitt and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Gwyneth: Yeah, Michelle Pfeiffer was great.
Liv: If there was ever a fantasy I had, I related to the nerdy person she was at home -- that was so me. And then there was this other part of her personality where she showed her sexuality and power. Soooo sexy. That scene where she licks her paw: Ohhhh!

USA Today: How about you, Gwyneth? You were in "Sky Captain" and the "World of Tomorrow," and now you're in "Iron Man." Any thoughts of putting on a colorful suit yourself and flying around?

Gwyneth: No. I think after this, it's time to go do some Chekhov in Williamstown or something.

USA Today: Do you remember the first comic books you ever read?

Maggie: I didn't read comic books. And my brother [actor Jake Gyllenhaal] read "Mad Magazine," which wasn't the same. I'm not really a major comic book reader. [Laughs.]
Liv: I went through a major "Archie and Veronica" phase, that's for sure. I remember being kind of obsessed with them. I loved the "Hulk" TV show and the really camp "Batman," and then "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe," which had a lot of comic books associated with it, too. I remember he went, "I am He-Man! I have the power!" There was She-Ra, Skeletor ...
Maggie: I was never allowed to watch that. It was considered like sugar syrup. If we had a sleepover party, we could maybe watch a little "He-Man," but that was it.
Liv: I remember living with my grandparents when I was 6 and being really hyper. They sat me down and said I could only watch 30 minutes of TV a day. I started crying, "But, but, how am I going to watch 'He-Man' and 'The Dukes of Hazzard'?"

USA Today: Are you ready for the onslaught of dolls and video games?

Maggie: I don't think they have a Rachel Dawes doll.
Liv: I did do the "Incredible Hulk" video game, which was so weird and bizarre. They send you into a studio to say these lines, and they're like the super-camp versions of what you say in the movie. There was a moment when I just completely surrendered to the silliness, and then it became fun. With these kinds of movies, all these other things come with it, so you have to be willing not to be embarrassed.
Gwyneth: I just got a picture of what I look like in the video game. [Scowls.]

USA Today: You don't look too happy, Gwyneth.

Gwyneth: No, because it looks like some weird hybrid of me and Lucy Lawless.

USA Today: Are you ready for sequels? I imagine you signed on to do more than one of these.

Gwyneth: I'd be so happy to do "Iron Man" every couple of years and then a couple of little movies and plays in between. I feel so lucky I got this job. I had such a good time, and if we're lucky enough to have sequels, the pressure's off in a way. I know I'm going to have a paycheck; I won't have to rent out my house and move in with my mother in five years.
Liv: I always find it's the last week on a movie that I really "get" it, so I always want to go back and redo the part. With a sequel, you get a chance to reflect on the character and play her again.
Gwyneth: That's true. For example, I love "Sex and the City." But the first episode was so different from the last couple of years, where the girls knew their characters so well, and it feels so playful and alive. It's something you don't get to do in films -- usually, you play a part for one time and that's it.

USA Today: Yet for all your positive experiences, it doesn't sound like you all will be running to a comic book store anytime soon to load up on the latest issues.

Gwyneth: We're actresses. It's not like after we play lawyers, we go run out and actually try to pass the bar exam. Playing a character doesn't change who you are or what you're interested in. Listen, if I have time to read anything, it's going to be a parenting or a body-training book. Comic books are still for boys.

ComicBookMovie.com Side Note: It's nice to see comic book movies attracting big stars, but these chicks (and others) are going to have to face the facts that stardom isn't a huge element in comic book movie making--and in fact it may be too much of a detraction. The nice thing about comic book movies is the comic book character's persona is what counts. Anyone can play the part in a mask, or cape, as long as they do it well and look the part. That means actors should be thanking their lucky stars they even get in one of these blockbuster movies. There. I've had my say. :P

Jim Littler
4/21/2008
Source: USA Today