Interview - Blue Crush 2

Interview with Sharni Vinson : Star of Step Up 3D and Blue Crush 2

By Sean Lynch

Australian's have taken over Hollywood. Whether it's Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Jason Gaan as that lovable dog Wilfred or even Josh Lawson in House of Lies - our country has somehow managed to infiltrate the American culture.

In fact, Aussies are so in demand that former Home & Away star, Sharni Vinson, had two major Hollywood roles almost re-written for her just so they could include that famous Aussie twang including the $160M worldwide smash Step Up 3D.

Her latest hit, sexy surf sequel Blue Crush 2, see's her don the Aussie accent once more.

Web Wombat Movies' Sean Lynch caught up with the sweet faced star to talk all things sequels, surfing and life after a box office smash...

You're not originally from a surfing background - was there much Hollywood magic that went into making you look like a master in Blue Crush 2?

It was a bit different to, say, Step Up 3D which I'd trained for 15 years of my life as a dancer and did absolutely every performance in that movie.

For this Blue Crush 2 - while I definitely had "surf training", swimming lessons [I was a state swimmer in a squad for 15 years], and even surf club board paddling under my belt - I had never tried to stand up on a surf board until this movie.

I don't know why! I from Cronulla and have been surrounded by surfers my entire life.

So it was something I had to learn for this film. So it's partly me, and partly the girl that makes me look like I actually am the #1 member on the Roxi team.

Coming from Cronulla, are those infamous "surf rivalries" and "unwritten rules" something you're familiar with?

I've constantly been surrounded by it my whole life, I've dated surfers and seen it first hand - I know what goes on out there in the surf. And - it - is - crazy!

It's really, really gnarly.

I know it gets super territorial out there, and if you've just kind of blown in and dropped in on [a locals] spot - that's not ok.

And you will get into a fight in the surf for that reason.

You've got to know your pecking order in the surf, and I actually say that line in the movie, so you do need to know your place... otherwise you are going to get in trouble.

You've gone from Step Up 3, to Blue Crush 2 - is there another existing franchise that you'd love to be a part of?

I want to be a Bond girl!

Anything action. I feel like I've found my niche in Hollywood in utilizing the athleticism I've had since I was very, very young.

I thrive on being busy and thrive on being energetic - and I get bored quickly.

So when there is an action movie going on, you're never bored, you're always training - a knife skill, or something really interesting.

So any sort of action franchise, that's where I'd like to see myself going.

But they're not all franchises though - the next three films I'm doing are all originals!

Maybe you could star in the sequels to those too?

Exactly! [Laughs]

Step Up 3D made a few bucks at the Box Office ($165M worldwide), how does something like that effect the choices you make and are offered after several years of trying to break into Hollywood?

I think you have to have a really good mind set of what it is and how it is you want to be perceived, and don't stray from the path too much.

Like, I'll never do nudity. I'm not a comedy person, I wouldn't do a sitcom.

[Step Up 3D] definitely changed things, because people have actually seen my work now and kind of respect that.

So I'm sort of viewed as a "working actor" rather than a "struggling actor", so I'm just given a little bit more respect.

Much like people talk about High School being "the best years of their life" (even though, technically, most are more successful after High School), is there a part of you that misses those "struggling" days?

Someone told me this when I was quite young, they said "the day the job is not fun anymore - that's the day you stop doing it". And that's just any job.

Because I want to live happy, and I want to really make sure I've lived my life the way I wanted to live it.

Coming from Australia and going to LA and actually being fortunate enough to work in the business has made me almost appreciate it more, so when I get to a set I'm literally in my element. I come alive on a set. There's nowhere else I'd rather be.

With so many Aussies working in Hollywood, have you noticed a change in the system - an openness to "Non-American" actors?

I think American's love Australians.

It's interesting, because my tactic has changed since I first moved over. When I first moved there - I was hamming up the Aussie thing. They love Australians because we're very personable and easy going, laid back people. They really appreciate that.

On Step Up I had an American accent. But they almost cast me as an Australian in that film - and then they made me do an American accent... and then Disney over ruled that they wanted an American.

But for the whole five months on set for Step Up, I never spoke with an Australian accent, ever. On the very last day of shooting, I'd done all my scenes, and I was Australian for the first time. 99% of the crew had no idea.

One final question before we go. We ask everyone this : If you could start your own "Richard Gere Gerbil" myth or rumour to spread about yourself in the press... what would it be?

I don't know - something ridiculous. Like "She did it all with four lungs - and no one knew".

Something just weird, like "Did you know she only had four fingers".

What is your obsession with four? Why is it always about sequels with you Sharni!

BLUE CRUSH 2 is Out Now on DVD & Blu Ray