By Christopher Stipp

Archives? Right Here… and Over Here

Don’t get me wrong. The temptation was there.

I couldn’t believe that I was in the kind of position that many would have envied to be in. Sitting at my feet and almost asking, nay, begging, for me to pick up on the signals it was all too clear that what I needed to do was just clear my head and think of something else. It was all I could do to think of something constructive with the attraction we both knew was there.

I just could not bring myself to make a pun out of Amy Smart’s last name.

Sure, after talking with Amy about her eschewing of roles she is typically cast in in order to find projects that are out of the norm one would take a moment’s pause to see that Amy could make it her life’s work in playing that girl-next-door profile; Lord knows I never had any girl next door like that growing up in the part of Kansas where livestock and children consumed the same amount of calories. What made Amy’s comments regarding this engaging was the sense she was about looking forward and over the shoulder for things to come. She’s been there, has done that and wants something new, thank you very much. It would easy to make a snappy headline but that would really betray the sharpness of the vision for herself and future.

Her turn in CRANK, which opens nationwide today, has her embracing a role and genre that is fairly new to the action starlet. Being the romantic interest for Jason Staham, king of the 21st century, international action film market, came with a set of challenges that Amy was all too willing to throw herself in front of. There was the intimate love scene which was filmed in front of rougly 300 people, a first, and dealing with a couple of directors who were eager to get their vision captured on film no matter what the cost, their first as well.

Speaking about CRANK, answering questions about her new role on CBS’ “Smith” which is set to premiere next month, Amy had some suprising answers to questions regarding what she needs out of a script and why the move to television.

You go to where the work is and, judging by Amy’s estimation, it’s all about the writing to the point where she is willing to shred people’s assumptions of the roles she should be playing by trusting in those who trust her to make something out of the opportunity she’s given. I talked to Amy on location for “Smith.”

So, what are you out shooting?

Shooting the TV show “Smith.”

We shoot it in LA and then we go on location out here [in Reno] once in a while.

I read it was a pilot and so I assume it got picked up…

It got picked up and it premieres this fall. It’s got Ray Liotta, Virgina Madsen…

Yes, I’ve seen promos for it…So how often do you have to go back and forth?

This is the first time this season so far and we’re on episode four right now. Every few episodes means a little travel to another city.

Gotcha. So, let’s talk a bit about CRANK. Now, before this interview I did a little digging into previous interviews and you’ve said that in every role you take you want to be challenged but in a picture that lends itself so much to machismo I am wondering where the challenge came in.

Well, I’ve never done an action film. I also read the script and when I first read it I was not sure who Eve was, what made her tick. I thought, “Ok, I could do this.” It also offered a lot of fun elements because here were these two new directors that had a great reel, were wonderful with action, Jason Staham who is this top-notch, kick-ass, action guy who is a great actor as well and I just thought that this was going to be a great new experience for me.

And Eve, who you could perceive her as not the sharpest tool in the shed but she’s really, she just doesn’t live in the same reality as he does so she functions from a different place.

What’s hard is to try and get an idea of her character just based on the trailer because we only really see you screaming. What is Chev and Eve’s relationship like in the picture?

They have a real loving relationship, and he’s shot up with Chinese poison and only has an hour to live, and because he has to keep his adrenaline up he goes to every extreme to stay alive in order to come rescue me because he thinks that I’m in danger. Little do I know that I am, and little do I know that he’s a hit man. So, he has kind of been living a lie with me, the whole relationship, and now he’s coming clean, facing the truth.

So, my character, he kind of sweeps me up from my apartment and we go on this crazy, wild journey. I don’t think she understands the true danger of her situation.

Legitimately, this is really your first, true action movie. However, your “first” action movie, HIGH VOLTAGE, which really counts as the first…

(Laughs)

Didn’t go well…

No.

That was one of my first, first films.

Obviously, times have changed and your career has greatly evolved since then so was there any arm-twisting involved to get you to do this one?

No, there was this one scene that definitely I looked at and went, “Oh my God…Am I really going to do this?” And it’s this scene in Chinatown where we have sex in front of three-hundred people.

I just read a while ago where Jason was quoted as saying that it was a little weird…

It was definitely…I think it turned out to be a really good scene and it’s fun, it can be funny, and it’s not outright trying to be lustful or sexy or dramatic, it’s just trying to entertain you.

In a way she’s saving his life because that’s keeping his adrenaline up.

(Light bulb explodes over my head) Oh, I get it. Okay. I figured it out. Der!

That was the one scene where I thought, “Oh, okay, I am going to make a fool of myself.” I felt great comfort knowing that Jason and I had to do it together.

And because I don’t want to ask about what it was like to work with Jason because he seems to be someone who understands what needs to be done in front of the camera I’d like to know what kind of relationship you two had off the set.

He’s a pretty upfront, honest guy. He says what he feels and he’s pretty instinctual. We had a great relationship right off the bat where, for me, I don’t feel like I put on a front that’s going to turn people away (laughs) so I felt like, with Jason, he’s just a great person who’s down to earth and he’s got a British sensibility. And the way he talks about things in his life it’s so funny the way he chooses to use his words and I got along with him so well. We made each other laugh and had a great time together.

And the fact that the two of you now have an impressive list of directors you’ve worked for what kind of learning curve was there for these, ostensibly, new time directors?

There’s always hesitation. And if it wasn’t for…and I saw their reel where they were great with action sequences, they were really action oriented, and that kind of grabbed me because any first time director I think “Ugh. This is going to be the film where they are going to have to learn so much.” And I know people surround themselves with really experienced crews so that they can teach them along the way but I definitely resist working with first time directors. So, I found these guys to be very enthusiastic, they had been working on this for many years and they are so passionate about it, had such a vision for it, and, on top of that, got Lakeshore and Lions Gate to support them.

So, it really kind of felt like a good chance to take.

And speaking of taking risks, from your role in ROAD TRIP and even JUST FRIENDS, which I watched last week in preparation for this and was floored by enjoying it so much, I’m curious to know what kind of roles now are coming your way.

I’m kind of putting it out there about the kinds of roles I’m wanting to be challenged with now and…saying no to the roles where I’ve played similar characters.

I feel, for the most part, I’ve played the girl next door in a lot of different TV and film and different varieties of who they are. I think they’ve all been legitimate, real, good characters but, as an actor, I’ve done that now and I am ready to…well, you know, I am living it because I feel like I’m playing this really amazing character right now that’s, first off, so different than the characters I’ve played, she’s so complex, she’s a criminal. She has a lot of levels, a lot of colors to her.

So, I’ve been desiring, for the last couple of years at least, to play real characters that have real conflict and drama and struggle in their life. And I found one. I put it out there and it came.

And it’s interesting that it’s on television. I’ve seen the shift in film actors making the move to TV…

And for good reason. I’m not fixed on that it’s only going to be on television. It’s more of that a lot of actors are hungry for good work and with good writing and good directing and good character development. And primarily you now find that on television.

Was there hesitation where you thought, “Well, I want to stay with film…”?

Well, it’s also out of frustration for not finding any great film roles that feel satisfying, that can hold its weight.

Also, the whole way Smith came about is that I went to have a meeting with John Wells and he wanted to share with me his new idea for a show, so this is before he wrote a script, and it was a conversation that really inspired me because he is such a brilliant man. His concept for the show was so interesting and pushing the envelope by wanting to compete with what the cable networks are putting out there. Really, when he said that a lot of what all these shows focus on is the good guys beating the bad guys, all the FBI guys and the lawyer guys, and not that there is anything wrong with that, but if you ask me would I rather follow a person’s life who became an FBI agent or someone who became a criminal I’m more fascinated by what makes them become a criminal. And I think audiences are fascinated by criminals or by people who are doing bad things. On some level it’s a fantasy that people don’t live out but are intrigued by it all. So…we kind of are living it out for other people.

(Laughs)

I know that off screen you do a lot for some genuinely good causes and it seems you have an active role in doing what you can for the organizations you can help so I wonder if you ever weigh whether the roles you take have some weight to them (e.g. Sigourney Weaver in ALIENS) or whether that doesn’t matter because it’s just all make believe anyway.

As an actor the fun part is playing so many different kind of characters. I love that she’s such a strong woman. She’s smart and she knows how to get what she wants. I don’t agree with all her choices (laughs) but…I don’t need to. I think I understand why she does what she does and I’m not limiting myself from playing only these kinds of characters. I feel like I am definitely willing to playing all different kinds of characters. It just depends on who’s involved, who’s working on it and what the material is and do I feel like I’ll be challenged or exhilarated by playing this character.

And do you find your work fulfilling?

I feel so fulfilled right now playing this character. I do. I am enjoying every minute of it. And the shoot schedules I am sure took some getting used to.

It really, honestly, I feel like we’re shooting a film. It’s just a continuous kind of film.

Really?

Yeah, what I like actually more about is that there’s this air of being…unpredictable. Because each episode comes out and you’re kind of like, “Okay, where’s my character going for this episode? Oh my God…” (Laughs)

And so it’s this like unveiling of character that keeps coming up in these amazing scenes that keep getting written and I keep working on them and growing and developing who she is and showing different colors in different scenes with different characters. There’s just a lot to work with.

It’s interesting that as you’re progressing, all the scripts haven’t been written yet.

No, no, not at all.

And so as you’re reading these scripts you see where your character is going, you’re now at the writer’s will…

Exactly. But I haven’t been let down.

Well, that’s just it. Has there been a moment where you’re like, “Ohh…I’m not so sure…”

No, and in the few times any actor has felt like “Oh, I don’t know if I agree with that” John Wells is very willing to collaborate as well.

So, he’s not like, “Ok, this is what I wrote, this is set in stone, no one argue with me.” He’s very willing to listen what we have to say as well so it never feels like you’re doomed but, honestly, this is the best of the best for television.

Well, when you’ve got company like Ray Liotta…

Yeah, you could watch him in anything.

And now that you’re on episode four how many did you get picked up for?

We’re slated for twelve. And I think around November, this is all new to me, (Laughs) we find out more but we find out if it gets picked up for the rest of the season.

And are you holding off on a few film projects just to see whether it goes the distance?

No way, I believe in it. I do. I really believe we are going to do a full season. And everyone is like, “Don’t say that!”

That’s something interesting to bring up. Is there a level where you have to say, in the back of your head, “Well, we should prepare ourselves if it doesn’t get picked up.”

I’m not worried. Worst case scenario? It doesn’t go the entire season. I just think that it’s so good they would be crazy not to keep it.

And have you heard some initial feedback from people who have seen it?

Well, the directors and producers are very excited about the dailies and then a lot of people have seen the pilot because it’s pretty available that it’s gotten a lot of good feedback. I just really believe in it. It’s so high class. It looks like it’s really well made. They’ve put a lot of money into it, there’s great camera work, there’s great characters and they’re all intriguing.

You see the advent of shows like Arrested Development that were created with great writing in mind, and you want people to respond to good storytelling, but how did you get the idea of how it was going to look like?

This is a very stylized TV show. John really wanted it to look a certain way and come off in a certain way. He really sits down with the DPs and directors of each episode because he cares so much about keeping things consistent.

It looks like a film. It’s shot like a film. It doesn’t have that cheap television look. There’s lot of movement and parts where there are muted colors and parts that are bright. It’s just very stylized.

I love that we’re here talking about CRANK and I’m talking about…(Laughs)

I’m sorry. That’s my own sense of curiosity getting the better of my questioning…

No, no, no. I mean I’ve got these two projects and they’re both overlapping. (Laughs)

Well, to steer the boat back in the other direction once more I am wondering how you saw the movie progress with these two first-time directors. Were you able to see dailies?

I didn’t get to see any of them but I did get to see playback a few times just because when we were doing action scenes they kind of need that for security. So, when you’re doing these big action sequences you want to make sure you don’t catch a flag or a big light, you know?

So, I watched back some of them, which I liked seeing, because it helps me get a gauge for what I’m doing with my work. We didn’t get to see dailies but we kept hearing from the producers, “Oh, it looks so great…Everyone is loving this.” Just positive feedback. But they say that dailies are the best the film will ever get. And that the film will never be as good as the dailies.

It’s great to get positive feedback but, at the same time, that’s just a tiny glimpse of what it could be.

Anything in there get sliced out where you might have been, “Oh, no. Really? You cut that?”

For me, not really. There are a couple of moments where I was like, “Wha? What happened there?” (Laughs)

Did you go the test audience route? Go back and do a few reshoots…

Based on what people liked or didn’t like…

Right.

You know, no, we didn’t have to do any reshoots.

Really?

Yeah. Pretty suprising.

Bold.

Yeah, but both the directors were great. Mark was the most daring out of all of us. When he would shoot an action sequence he would put on his Rollerblades and, with the technology we were using, he had a camera and he had to strap it to himself…it was a 60 pound backpack. But he would literally weave in and out shooting the scene. He was a daredevil on wheels.

Just fearless and it was amazing to watch. And that was part of the fun and really says about who he is as a person.

And it’s two guys?

Yes, and they were both DPs before so they both shot the movie. That was another great element in that they were right there, behind the camera, and it felt very intimate that they were involved and had a great eye for what we were doing.

It sounds like they brought a freshness to it.

Yes. I felt like they were really connected to the piece, to what we were doing and that was comforting.

The final piece. Have you seen it?

Yes.

Honestly, what did you think of it?

I think, for the kind of film it wanted to be, it’s great. It’s fun, there’s lots of humor in it, some romance, non-stop crazy action…

And to that point after seeing Jason in the trailer riding on top of a motorcycle, Jason being held out of a helicopter, those sorts of things, was there any point where you hesitated to get involved with some stunts or was everything the two guys envisioned on the page put on film?

Oh, everything was filmed.

Every insane idea…

Yes, although, there was one insane idea, it was actually the first day I shot, that didn’t make it into the film but I guess it made it into the Japanese version.

What was it?

When Jason goes into a hardware store and drives a nail into his leg. (Laughs) That’ll probably make the DVD.

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