Its been a busy few days here at MTV News, as were presenting our 10 to Watch in 2010 selections all week long, and recently published an exclusive interview with one of my favorites: Chloe Moretz, a 12-year-old actress who seems like shes going on 35.
In case youve been living under a rock, Moretz plays Hit-Girl in Aprils big-screen version of John Romita Jr. and Mark Millars Kick-Ass. And if advance audiences are to be believed, her ass-kicking character is four months away from becoming a household name.
Ive been trained since I was a baby to be this crazy assassin girl, Moretz told us of Hit-Girl, who she hopes to reprise in sequels. What I like about the character is that shes an assassin, but at the same time she is still just an 11-year-old girl. She doesnt know any better; its just how she was raised.
In the interview, Moretz told us about a scene where she kills several dozen villains. As she also explained, her training for such scenes was tough but fun.
It was absolutely amazing, and probably the hardest thing Ive ever done in my life, she explained. It was four months-plus training. Learning how to roll, how to jump over barriers and land on your shoulder. I actually came home one day, and I had a big bruise all the way down my back!
In real life, Moretz has a bed time of 9:30 and was recently grounded because she stayed on the family computer past the allotted time. At work, however, she learns how to assemble heavy weaponry.
It was really fun to do. I learned how to take apart a gun, put it back together, clean it, grinned the perky tween. But theyd never let me touch a gun [unless] I checked it first, made sure it was a fake bullet; if it was supposedly clear, I had to check it to [confirm] that it was clear.
While I was shooting the movie, even though I thought I knew [all the moves], it was still really hard to do, she said of the films intricately-constructed fight scenes, overseen by director Matthew Vaughn. Because you had to think about acting, and choreography of the scene. So, Im going to have to be running and jumping and shooting in mid-air, while also thinking about my face and not [counting down the steps] like 123..oh no, I just said it! Trying to remember the steps: left foot, then right foot, then jump. That was really confusing.
The greatest part about the gig, however, may have been taking her father a huge comic book fan to set everyday. Although as Chloe remembers it, it may have been a mistake to let him get near her on-screen Dad, Nicolas Cage.
I actually have a really, really hilarious story. My Dad is an Eagle Scout, and he carries a little pocket knife on him all the time, explained Moretz. Nic, he likes Red Bull, and he was drinking a Red Bull one day but couldnt open it. He tried to pop the can, but the little tab fell off.
So, my Dad says I can open that for you! yanks out his Leatherman and flips it open. He says Here give me the can! and [sticks his knife in the top], she laughed. Pop! It spews everywhere! It exploded it was so funny. But Nic is such a nice guy, he took the can and drank it anyway.
I was like Wow, Dad! she remembered of the time her Dad almost made Nic Cage mad at her. I just want to crawl under a rock and hide right now!
"Kick-Ass" is scheduled for a April 2010 premiere.
Check out more from our "Kick-Ass" interview with Chloe Moretz in our "10 For 2010" series at Movies.MTV.com!
