August 2009 | blackfilm.com | BANDSLAM | An Interview with Vanessa Hudgens

August 2009

BANDSLAM | An Interview with Vanessa Hudgens

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BANDSLAM
An Interview with Vanessa Hudgens
By Wilson Morales

August 3, 2009

YOUR LAST TWO CHARACTERS HAVE BOTH BEEN IN HIGH SCHOOL AND SINGERS. HOW DO YOU CONTRAST THEM IN YOUR HEAD, THIS AND 'HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL'?

VH: I think that Gabriella was easier because she's just sweet, happy, fun and light. With this I actually got to play with the way that I sound and look and carried myself. It's fun to be able to be someone else which is why I love acting, of course, and I'm such a bubbly, happy person and so I had to be more serious, a little bit more deadpan. That's always a fun challenge.

WHAT SORT OF BACK STORY DID YOU GIVE YOUR CHARACTER?

VH: Honestly, it was just kind of like me giving her several thing. I think it was kind of a mixture of when you're kind of a loser, when you don't really make that many friends you kind of want to become your own individual and a lot of people do that differently, wearing their hair a certain way or dressing a certain way and I think with Sam it all started by mixing letters and numbers. I feel that she kind of does her own thing to keep herself entertained.

HOW DID YOU GET ALONG WITH ALY ON THE SET?

VH: We had a lot of fun together. I've met her before. We've never had a chance to hangout before this movie though. So it was fun. We went shopping. We went and saw Willy Nelson together. We got wigs and wore them out. We were ridiculous together and were a lot of fun.

WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE BANDS?

VH: Right now I'd say Janis Joplin, Kings of Leon, Ricki-Lee. I'm kind of all over the place in the music spectrum. 'Lil Wayne.
DO YOUR FRIENDS HAVE AN INTERESTING NICKNAME FOR YOU?

VH: I'm usually V with my friends.
WHAT KINDS OF ROLES ARE YOU LOOKING TO DO IN THE FUTURE, MOVING AWAY FROM MUSICALS MAYBE, DOING MORE SERIOUS ROLES?

VH: What I wanted to do the most for a while was an action and I'm going to be able to do that in 'Sucker Punch'. So I don't know what I want to do after that. I think that I'm just kind of open to ideas and if something feels smart I'm just looking to work with good directors. I don't really care about the genre.

IS THERE SOMEONE THAT YOU'D REALLY LOVE TO WORK WITH?

VH: I really, really want to work with Tim Burton. I think he's incredible. He's just visually awesome and I love all of his work and the people that he works with.

OF ALL HIS MOVIES WHICH ONE WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE BEEN IN?

VH: 'Edward Scissorhands'. But 'Beastly' kind of reminds me of 'Edward Scissorhands' actually where a girl falls in love with a guy who isn't the stereotypical image of handsome.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WORKING WITH TODD GRAFF AND KENNY ORTEGA AS DIRECTORS WHO ARE MUSICALLY INCLINED?

VH: It was so different. Todd was an actor before and I feel like he kind of made sense with it from an actor's point. And Kenny is incredible. I feel like he's more rhythmically charged. He's incredible when it comes to movement and the feel for the movie overall. They're both extremely different but are both incredible.

YOU HAVE NATURALLY CURLY HAIR?

VH: Yes.

HOW DO YOU TAKE CARE OF IT?

VH: I don't.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE BEAUTY PRODUCT?

VH: I'm really extremely lazy. I wash it, get out of the shower, scrunch it up, spray some surf, anything beach spray and I'm good to go.

DO YOU EVER CHANGE YOUR LOOK WITH A STRAIGHTENING?

VH: No. Well, I do it every now and then, just when I get bored. I've been shooting a movie for the past month and so I'm like, 'Please do something different to my hair.'

SINCE YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF THE DANCING AND SING, WHAT OTHER KINDS OF THINGS ARE YOU LOOKING TO DO?

VH: Like I said, the action. I've been a big fan of Angelina Jolie. I think strong, independent women that are sexy that kick ass in films are incredible. So I'm in 'Sucker Punch' for that reason, but I don't know. I feel like I'm just kind of taking it one step at a time.

OTHER THAN 'SUCKER PUNCH' WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE GOING ON?

VH: I'm shooting a film right now called 'Beastly' which is a modern interpretation of 'Beauty and the Beast' except for it's a little bit more raw and edgy and sexy and it's an awesome little love story.

I'M ASSUMING YOU’RE THE BEAUTY IN THE MOVIE?

VH: Uh huh, but it's not like this stereotypical Beauty. It's set in New York where everyone is quite posh and my character is kind of the artsy girl, doing her own thing.

ONE PART OF THIS FILM IS THE WHOLE NEW YORK PART OF IT. DID YOU LEARN NEW THINGS ABOUT NEW YORK DOING THIS FILM?

VH: Every time I come to New York it's always for work and so I never get a chance to do anything. I love Central Park. I think it's so much fun. Every time that I come I just want to go on a jog in Central Park. That's all I do, but I haven't had the opportunity to really explore.

HAVE YOU HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT CBGB'S BECAUSE IN THE FILM YOU SAID YOU NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO GO THERE?

VH: We got to go there on set and it was the exact replica of CBGB's and even though it was fake I still felt the history. That I was the closest that I think a lot of people my age are going to get to CBGB's so it felt pretty special.

IS ANGELINA JOLIE YOUR IDOL IN TERMS OF ACTRESSES?

VH: Well, I look up to her. I look up to Natalie Wood and Natalie Portman. I think she's so intelligent. Drew Barrymore I adore. Julia Roberts. There are so many incredible actresses.

WHO'S CAREER IS SOMEONE'S YOU'D LIKE TO MODEL YOUR OWN AFTER?

VH: I don't know. It's a whole bunch of different people. Julia Roberts, I think, is one person that I grew up watching and just really gravitated to. I think she is one of the reasons why I am this happy and lovely person. There are though so many incredible actresses there and I just like watching good movies.

IF YOU WEREN'T ACTING WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE DOING?

VH: Maybe fashion design. I love fashion. I love fabrics and creating new styles. That's something that I think I'll eventually venture into.

EVEN YOU AND LISA KUDROW DIDN'T GET TO WORK TOGETHER TOO MUCH DID YOU GET A CHANCE TO SPEND ANY TIME WITH HER, TALK TO HER? I ASSUME HER SHOW WAS ONE YOU WATCHED GROWING UP.

VH: I did. I never really loved the show, honestly. I feel like if someone was to ask me about 'High School Musical' I would like, 'Oh, it was fun.' I mean, I think she's great though. She's very sweet and smart, very intelligent. I think that I've had like one good conversation with her. We didn't really spend that much time together on set unfortunately. We were never really in a scene together.

EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE THE BIGGEST NAME FOR ONE DEMOGRAPHIC IN THIS FILM THE FILM DOESN'T REALLY REVOLVE ANYONE ONE SPECIFIC PERSON. WAS THAT AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE, WORKING IN THAT ENSEMBLE TYPE FASHION?

VH: It's a lot of fun. I don't care if I have a big part or a small part. Just as long as I'm passionate about it, that's all that matters to me. The fact that my character was so different I didn't really care. It was just a lot of fun. It's always fun to do ensemble pieces I think because it's like a family. It's like a group that you get to work and play with.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT 'SUCKER PUNCH'?

VH: I haven't really had a chance to sit down and talk with Zack [Snyder] about it or anything. I'm very, very excited. It's another ensemble piece. It's all females kicking butt. There's a lot of action. I'm excited. I feel like this is a part where I'm going to be able to be a sexy woman and kick some serious ass.

HOW FAMILIAR WERE YOU WITH BOWIE BEFORE THIS MOVIE?

VH: Honestly, I was introduced to Bowie by my favorite movie as a kid growing up which was 'The Labyrinth'.

DID YOU GET TO MEET HIM?

VH: Yes, I did. He was so nice and so normal and was just so sweet. Nicer than I expected.

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