NYGossipGirl Exclusive Interview: Jonah Hill

NYGossipGirl recently caught up with Jonah Hill in New York.

The 28-year-old actor talked about Moneyball, whether he’s going to do more dramatic films and the status of Allen Gregory.

Check out the exclusive interview below!

NYGG: You have done so many comedic films, but you took more of a dramatic role with Moneyball this year. Are you looking to do more of these dramatic films?

JH: Yeah, I think Moneyball was the start of doing some more dramas and I’m really excited to get to do both kinds of films.

NYGG: You premiered Allen Gregory in New York a few weeks back and the show is a success. What’s the progress with it? Has it been picked up for a full season?

JH: We air our last episode in a couple of weeks and we don’t know if we we’re going to get some more episodes, but I hope we do.

NYGG: I love the show and I think it’s hilarious.

JH: I love it too. Hopefully, you’re going to see more of it soon.

Edited: December 27th, 2011

NYGossipGirl Exclusive Interview: Ari Graynor

NYGossipGirl had the pleasure of catching up with the ever-so-lovely Ari Graynor who talked about her new role in The Sitter where she worked alongside Jonah Hill.

Check out our exclusive interview below!

NYGG: So last time we spoke you did Holy Rollers and this is a different feel. What was it like working on a comedy and with Jonah?

Graynor: Working with Jonah was the greatest things ever. He’s one of my favorite people, so funny, so talented. It was like hanging out with your really good friend. It was a lot of fun.

NYGG: What’s your character like?

Graynor: I play Marisa, his very reluctant girlfriend. Kind of using him as an emotional crutch. He’s more into her than she’s into him. She’s sort of nursing her own broken heart. So she’s spending time with him to make her feel good about herself. I go hang out at a party and he’s committed to babysitting. And I use my feminine wiles to come meet me and bring me some drugs [laughs] and he brings the kids along and craziness ensues.

NYGG: And you’ve played so many comedic films in the past. Aside from Holy Rollers are you looking to do more dramatic roles?

Graynor: I am. You know, I have done a lot of dramatic roles in the course of my career, it’s just that in the past couple of years it’s been super comedy-driven. But, I have done Holy Rollers and Conviction and American Crime and I’m also doing a play right now and when it ends in March, hopefully I’ll dive into something a little bit more dramatic.

Edited: December 18th, 2011

NYGossipGirl Exclusive Interview: David Thewlis

NYGossipGirl recently caught up with David Thewlis at the World Premiere of his new film War Horse. The film follows a young man named Albert, who enlists to service in WWI after his beloved horse, Joey, is sold to cavalry.

Thewlis, who’s known for his role as Lupin in Harry Potter talked about his character in War Horse and his upcoming projects.

NYGG: So can you tell me about your character and what attracted you to the role?

Thewlis: I’m the landlord [laughs]. The villain. I like playing the villain and really it all began with Steven Spielberg. It was an honor.

NYGG: How is this film different then past ones you have done before?

Thewlis: Well it’s enormously different than anything I have done before. Every film is totally different. Everything I do is totally different.

NYGG: Are you currently working on any new projects?

Thewlis: I have a film with Luc Besson called The Lady about the democratic pioneer of Burma.

NYGG: And you’ve worked with so many actors and directors in the past. Is there someone that you haven’t worked with that you want to?

Thewlis: I would love to work with Scorsese, The Coen brothers again in a bigger part. There’s loads. Yeah, loads.

Edited: December 15th, 2011

NYGossipGirl Exclusive Interview: Tilda Swinton

NYGossipGirl.com recently chatted with Tilda Swinton about her new film We Need to Talk About Kevin.

The film follows a mother (Swinton) of a teenage boy (Ezra Miller) who went on a high-school killing spree as she tries to deal with her grief and feelings of responsibility for her child’s actions.

NYGG: What attracted you to this project?

Swinton: Well Lynne Ramsay and I kind of wanted to work together and I would have made anything with her, but this film is about something really compelling and there’s something very tragic I think. It’s about something that people don’t really talk about, which is the difficulty of having a baby that you find hard to love.

NYGG: How did you prepare for the role?

Swinton: Imagination. There is no preparation for this. It’s a fantasy, it’s not a real story and there was nothing really I could do to prepare for it beyond put together some sort of convincing disguise as this woman and imagine. Because it’s not anything close to my experience, I’m happy to say.

NYGG: What was it like working with Ezra?

Swinton: Oh Ezra, we’re a family. All of us. We’re a very tight group. You can’t make a film like this about being a family. We’re a kin.

NYGG: What do you have coming up?

Swinton: A big rest. Big sleep and probably some endless child-centric activity.

Edited: December 7th, 2011

NYGossipGirl Exclusive Interview: Gary Oldman

NYGossipGirl.com recently had the pleasure of chatting with Gary Oldman at the New York premiere of his new film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

The film centers around an espionage veteran George Smiley (Oldman) who is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent within M16’s echelons.

NYGG: Can you talk about your character and what attracted you to the role?

Oldman: Well Smiley is a very well known literary figure. He’s part of the trilogy – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Honorable Schoolboy and Smiley’s People. Smiley is an iconic figure that is like one of those figures like Sherlock Holmes where people go to Baker Street and they believe that Sherlock Holmes existed. You know what I mean? I’m sure there are people who think that there is a real Smiley out there and of course he was the face of Alec Guinness for many years. But it was too delicious to not be a part of this film.

NYGG: Do you prefer doing these iconic roles?

Oldman: Well occasionally you play a character that becomes iconic like Stansfield in the Professional or Drexl in True Romance. And it’s interesting coming at it from the other side where that character is already, for many, established. But, it depends. I mean I’ve played a few of them now – Dracula, Beethoven, Lee Oswald, Sid Vicious, Joe Orton. I’m the icon guy. They come to me [Laughs].

Continue reading NYGG’s exclusive interview with Gary Oldman after the jump! (more…)

Edited: December 3rd, 2011

NYGossipGirl Exclusive Interview: John Lithgow

NYGossipGirl recently caught up with John Lithgow at the New York premiere of We Have to Talk About Kevin.

The 66-year-old actor chatted about his theater work, his new memoir and Dexter.

NYGG: You do a lot of theater – what are you currently working on now?

JL: I’m going to be working on Broadway in the Spring. It’s always great to go back.

NYGG: And your new memoir is out.

JL: Yes, I have just been promoting my memoir,  Drama: An Actor’s Education. And I’ve been touring around the country for that. Touring’s almost over and I’m exhausted.

NYGG: What was the writing process like for you?

JL: It was great. It was a brand new challenge for me. It took a long time, but I did it and made me feel pretty great.

NYGG: Trinity, your character on Dexter, was brought up last week. Did you catch that? Do you still watch the show?

JL: I do. I haven’t caught Sunday’s episode, but I understand that there’s a little tie in. Trinity lives on [laughs].

Edited: November 19th, 2011

NYGossipGirl Exclusive Interview: Jesse and Evgenia Peretz

NYGossipGirl recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Jesse and Evgenia Peretz – the siblings the brought the hilarious and sentimental Our Idiot Brother to the big screen.

The film centers around an idealist (Paul Rudd) who barges into the lives of his three sisters (Emily Mortimer, Elizabeth Banks and Zooey Deschanel).

Jesse and Evgenia chatted about what it was like working with a great ensemble, the challenges with making the film and Paul’s “look” for the film.

NYGG: So how did the film come together?

JP: Well right before this we wrote a script together that has yet to be produced. But, we really enjoyed working together so we wanted wanted to work on another screenplay and I guess the first starting point of this idea was wanting to write something for Paul.

A couple of years ago I did a movie with him called The Château and since then he and I really wanted to work together again.

There were certain characteristics of who Ned would be and we latched on this idea that we wanted to do a comedy about siblings. We all were big fans of Hannah and Her Sisters so it was definitely one of the big influences for the film.

Continue reading NYGG’s exclusive interview with Jesse and Evgenia Peretz after the jump! (more…)

Edited: August 27th, 2011

NYGossipGirl Exclusive Interview: Mao’s Last Dancer’s Li Cunxin

NYGossipGirl recently had the pleasure of chatting with Li Cunxin, author of Mao’s Last Dancer. The book was adapted to the big screen and is based on Cunxin’s life.

At the age of 11, Cunxin, a peasant boy from rural China beats the odds to become a world-renowned ballet dancer. When he makes it to the United States, he risks everything for the woman he loves and to remain in the country.

During our exclusive interview, Cunxin talked about his involvement in the film and what is was like studying ballet.

NYGG: Can you talk about your involvement with the film and how it all came together?

Cunxin: I was a special advisor on the film and helped with the screenplay. Director Bruce Beresford asked me to find the key actor that could dance and play me and I helped him find the actor. I was quite involved with the film – people called me from the creative team and we went through the details, down to what pajamas I wore. I stayed quite true to the story – it was really the most thrilling and satisfying aspect. Once the actual filming started, I stayed away, I didn’t want to be too close. I didn’t want to be a liability.

NYGG: What did you think of the film when it came out?

Cunxin: I was thrilled, especially the first time I saw it. I didn’t know what to expect. I was so pleased and I think Bruce did a fantastic job.

Read the rest of NYGG’s exclusive interview with Li Cunxin after the jump!

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Edited: May 4th, 2011

NYGossipGirl Exclusive Video Interview: Saoirse Ronan

NYGossipGirl had the pleasure of chatting with Hanna actress Saoirse Ronan at the New York City premiere of her action-packed film.

The film centers around Hanna (Ronan), a teenage girl who has the strength, the stamina, and the smarts of a soldier. This come from being raised by her father (Eric Bana), an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of Finland. Living a life unlike any other teenager, her upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin. The turning point in her adolescence is a sharp one; sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by a ruthless intelligence operative with secrets of her own (Cate Blanchett). As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity.

During our interview with Ronan, she talked about what it was like preparing for the role and how she dealt with the action scenes.

Check out NYGossipGirl’s exclusive interview below!

Edited: April 20th, 2011

NYGossipGirl Exclusive Interview: Lee Pace, Michael Angarano, Max Winkler

NYGossipGirl recently had the pleasure of chatting with the cast and director of Ceremony.

The film, which is out in theaters, follows Sam Davis (Michael Angarano) who convinces his former best friend to spend a weekend with him to rekindle their friendship at an elegant beachside estate owned by a famous documentary filmmaker (Lee Pace).

However, it soon becomes clear that Sam is secretly infatuated with the filmmaker’s fiancee, Zoe (Uma Thurman), and that his true intention is to thwart their impending nuptials. As Sam’s plan begins to unravel, he is forced to realize how complicated love and friendship can be.

Max Winkler directs the film.

During the video interview, Pace and Angarano talked about their roles and what it was like working with Winkler. Pace also dished about his upcoming Twilight role.

Check out the exclusive interview below!

Edited: April 15th, 2011

NYGossipGirl Exclusive Interview: Michael Fassbender

NYGossipGirl recently caught up with X-Men star Michael Fassbender at the New York premiere of his new film Jane Eyre. The 33-year-old actor talked about his role as Rochester and what we can expect from X-Men: First Class.

NYGG – Talk a little about playing Rochester.

Fassbender – You know I like Rochester. I mean he does some questionable things, like locking your wife up in the attic [laughs] and it gives you an idea of what was considered crazy back in those days, but I think he is a good guy. He’s a complicated character.

NYGG – When are you going to play a good guy?

Fassbender – They’re all good [laughs]. There’s good and bad in everyone.

NYGG – What was it like working with Mia [Wasikowska] and Cary [Fukunaga]?

Fassbender – Mia was amazing. She’s brilliant and such a pleasure to work with and Cary is amazing, especially his direction on the film.

NYGG – What was it like filming X-Men? What can we expect?

Fassbender – It was really good. It’s going to come out soon, so I’m excited. It was hard work and it was a long shoot. There was a lot of great people involved and I worked with a really great cast. I have a lot of respect for [director] Matthew Vaughn as well. I’m really interested to see what his take on it is going to be. He’s an intelligent director and hopefully the fans are going to be happy because there’s so many die hard fans that we don’t want to let down.

NYGG – What do you have coming up?

Fassbender – Just X-Men and Jane Eyre. Also, I have Dangerous Method and Shame.

Edited: March 11th, 2011

NYGossipGirl Exclusive Interview: Mia Wasikowska

NYGossipGirl had the pleasure of chatting with Mia Wasikowska at the New York City premiere of her new film Jane Eyre.

The 21-year-old actress, who looked gorgeous in an Elie Saab dress, dished about preparing for the role and what it was like working on a period piece. Here’s what she shared:

NYGG – So you were reading Jane Eyre when you called your agent to see if there were any screenplays in the works. How did you feel when you got the role?

Wasikowska – I was excited, even now. The chances of that happening are really small and I still kind of pinch myself when that happens.

NYGG – You did Alice in Wonderland and The Kids Are Alright and this is more of a period piece. What was that like?

Wasikowska – It was great. It was different and challenging in many ways. It’s a different style with different characters and I was really excited to do that.

Continue reading NYGossipGirl’s exclusive interview with Mia Wasikowska after the jump!

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Edited: March 11th, 2011