Interview: 30 Days of Night
By Clint Morris
Interview
with Melissa George
Star of
the film 30 Days of
Night
Melissa
George had a very auspicious start in the acting game when she landed a
role on the hugely popular Australian soap opera, Home and Away.
The television series was a great training ground and gave her a small
taste of International success when it was syndicated to such countries
as the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Sweden, Israel and several Asian
territories.
Now semi-transplanted in Hollywood, she has continued her rise the in
the business with such roles in Derailed
with Clive Owen, The Amityville Horror
playing opposite Ryan Reynolds and in David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive.
She also appeared in the television shows Alias
and Friends.
In 30 Days of
Night
she continues her ascent as a formidable leading lady by fighting off a
gang of horrific vampires and trying to survive until daylight breaks.
What do
vampires represent to you?
Well this is a new breed of vampire in 30 Days of Night.
I have never seen this type of vampire before. They kill with no moral.
They kill for food which is quite unusual. They don’t want to produce
more of them. They are quite an elitist group. Also, the look they have
is almost human but not totally and they have these razor like teeth.
Their eyes are quite frightening; they show no soul whatsoever.
We
are all fascinated by vampires. For me the symbol they represent is all
about seduction and animal instinct. Also they are about immortality
and the idea to stay alive for 500 years.
What
was it like on the set during the production of this film?
Nothing
really spooky happened during the shoot and the atmosphere was very
relaxing and fun. But it was an intense shoot because we shot mainly at
night and it was quite cold. Especially at the end, for the scene where
I’m in an upside down car; this was really tiring.
How
would you describe your character and this film?
For
me it was about being a strong woman. Not necessarily a kick-ass girl
but I wanted to have a message about how a woman can stand for what she
believes in and that she can fight back like a man.
The film
also is about the notion of sacrifice. Eben (Josh Harnett) is
scarifying himself for his love ones. This is something you don’t find
in our selfish society; the notion of giving it all to someone else,
giving it up, your own life. This is such a powerful symbol of love.
It’s about Romeo and Juliette…
Does
anything scare you in real life?
Well,
I’m afraid of rattle snakes. I found one in my backyard recently and
this was a scary experience! But I’m not afraid of vampires. I know
they are not coming to knock on my door!
Do you
believe in paranormal events?
No I don’t. I need to see it to believe it! I’m very pragmatic.
Why do
you think audiences love horror films?
Horror
is a great way to release your anguish; it’s like a cathartic
experience to watch a horror movie. It makes you feel alive in a way
because you face your demons, you get rid of this inner fear that we
all have. For this film it’s more about a graphic novel being brought
to the big screen like 300 or Sin City. 30 Days of Night is not your
typical horror movie.
How was
working with Josh Hartnett?
Phenomenal.
He is such a great guy and we had four months of constant laughing. He
took care of me. It’s much better when you have a good script and also
a great leading man. And again, New Zealand was so much fun. I love
Auckland where we shot a lot of the movie and this was perfect. The
people are so nice and it’s beautiful. I also loved the action in the
movie and I never felt bored. It was a very emotional drama to shoot.
Do you
like to travel?
Yes
I do. I spend time between Buenos Aires in Argentina, and New York. I
also often fly to Los Angeles for business meetings and visit from time
to time my family in Australia. Like my friend Naomi Watts, I’m going
to spend lots of time in New York these days.
Are you
a fan of the horror genre?
I
liked Nosferatu of course, but I mainly love films by Kar Wai Wong or
Pedro Almodovar. However, I’m a fan of this particular movie, 30 Days of Night,
because it’s original and interesting.
What
are you doing next?
I
had a very busy year and so you will see lots of me in the next few
months. I’m in Music Within with Ron Livingston and directed by Steven
Sawalich. After this I will be in Waz with Selma Blair and Stellan
Skarsgard. I’m also going to shoot an action film in Berlin with John
Cusack and directed by Jan De Bont called Stopping Power. So I’m
fortunate to get that much work these days and I love to work. I love
to lose myself totally in my work.
30 DAYS
OF NIGHT is on DVD March 12
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