KAREN GILLAN POM KLEMENTIEFF & ELIZABETH DEBICKI DISHES ABOUT GUARDIANS #GotGVol2Event

KAREN GILLAN POM KLEMENTIEFF & ELIZABETH DEBICKI DISHES ABOUT GUARDIANS

Guardians of the Galaxy is opening in theaters this Friday and I hope you already have your tickets for opening weekend. You won’t want to miss the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I’ve been sharing interviews from the cast of the new film all week, so far I’ve shared interviews with Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana. Be sure to check those out and read about my interview with Karen Gillan “Nebula”, Pom Klementieff “Mantis”, and Elizabeth Debicki “Ayesha”.

The ladies were so wonderful when we sat down to chat with them. They were among the first group we talked with during the interviews and it was a great way to start the day. Each of these ladies plays a different role in the film, so it was exciting getting to sit and talk with them all. We started the interview asking about the makeup process for all three ladies since they all had very elaborate makeup to transform into their characters.

Karen G: Well mine takes about four hours in the morning, and essentially I have the character’s skin glued to my face, which is really as close as I could possibly get to her which is pretty cool.  And it’s kind of intense and slightly claustrophobic.   It’s definitely become like part of my ritual, in terms of like getting into character.  Like one time I did a rehearsal without the makeup and I did not feel like her at all, so it’s sort of become like a vital part of the process for me which is kind of cool.  

Pom K : Oh me oh yeah.  For me it’s much easier because it’s my skin tones, so it’s like a beauty makeup in a way.  And so I need two hours to get completely ready, hair makeup and clothes.  And yeah like basically I wear a prosthetics on my forehead it’s just the beginning of the antennas, and then with the C-G-I they make it much bigger.  So yeah the makeup artists are like so talented I mean like yours like won an Oscar. I wear contact lenses in my eyes so really big ones that cover my whole eye.  

You know, they’re- it’s like there’s no white in my eye almost.  And so same, I feel like kind of claustrophobic yeah I have tunnel vision, so it makes me feel like in my own world, which is kind of good for the character too.  So yeah and the antennas I kind of like forget about them and people are like, oh you have something weird on your forehead but me I’m just like yeah whatever.

Elizabeth D : I think I’ve got it the easiest because I just sort of sit there and someone paints me and it’s kind of sticky and cold and but I love it- the first day I thought, you know, it was a bit overwhelming the whole paint situation.  And then I came to set and I said hi to Zoe, and I said what time did you come to work and she said like three AM.  And I had a very civil call of like six AM.  And then I thought I am never ever complaining about makeup ever again.  So and I also asked her for some tips. 

And she said you just have to be very Zen, just be very patient.  So I would just sort of plug into a podcast. I think it’s about an hour and a half and then with the wig cap as well.  And then actually for me the most time consuming and hectic part of Ayesha is the costume and that gold dress is almost entirely metal.  And it weighs so much. 

And it takes about three women to get it on. They used to call it the Ayesha Taco because the whole bottom of the dress is like a great big circular metal thing and it- they would fold it up like a taco and then I would walk up the stairs. And she sort of gets- wherever I get placed, that’s where I am for the day- and someone said, what does it feel like, I said, it feels like a small child is hanging onto my back. 

Next, we asked Karen how it felt being apart of a film that has such a devoted fandom, especially since she already has devoted fans from her character Amelia Pond in the Dr. Who series.

Karen G: It’s such a cool sensation actually to be part of something that people actually care about because that’s not always the case, usually you’re trying so hard to just make people care about your project.  You know, but with things like Dr. Who and this, I mean it just has like this built in fan base and they’re just so accepting and they’re so passionate, they just like they care about all the decisions you make and you just feel like really special for a second.

In volume two we get to see a side of Nebula we haven’t in the past. You start to understand more about the character and suddenly you don’t hate her as much as you did in the first film. Karen shared with us how it felt for her to be able to share that with moviegoers.

Karen G: In the first movie we saw her and she was this sort of evil super villain watching from the sidelines a little bit, but in this movie we really understand why.  And for me like it’s my job as an actor to sort of be her lawyer and explain to everyone like why she is justified in doing these things and I think we achieve that in the movie, which is really cool. And it was just so important to me to give her those layers, because it’s not really interesting to just have a bad guy for no reason.

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Karen’s character has a killer fight scene with Zoe’s character and we asked her how it was shooting the scene and if any of it was her or was it all a stunt double.

Karen G : That was amazing fun actually and I’m not the best fighter in the world, I kind of looked like spaghetti and Zoe was amazing and so she was just giving me all these pointers, and she was like if you turn your head like this and strangle like this, then you’re going to look really cool and I was like yeah so it was great, I mean so it was great, I really enjoyed it, I did a version of all the stunts and then an amazing stunt double came in and made me look cooler and it was cool because it was emotional as well, it was physical and emotional this battle between the two sisters and it was just really interesting to me.

We switched things up a bit and started to chat with Pom about her character Mantis and how it was to deal with Drax insulting her during the film. The pair end up having a very special relationship, but they are the defination of the odd couple.

Pom K : It was really funny but I had to not laugh just laughing inside, no it’s fun.  She’s innocent, she’s like a child so whatever he tells her she’s like okay, if you say so, you know?

We asked the ladies what they wanted little girls to take away from the movie since they all have strong female roles in the film and Zoe’s character also being a stong female lead.

Pom K : That it’s okay to be imperfect and yeah to not be like any everyone else- to be just maybe weird sometimes and it’s you.  And that’s what makes you interesting.

Elizabeth D : Well for Ayesha don’t be like Ayesha. Someone said on the carpet, and what similarities are between you and Ayesha I’m like none, I really hope none. I think the thing about Ayesha is she is very justified in what she’s doing.  Rocket steals from her and she’s going to get what she wants back.  And I think, you know, she’s very strong.  I suppose her moral compass is slightly askew and she’s slightly merciless.  But I think maybe her strength and also that I suppose what I like about her is that she isn’t perfect, she’s actually quite fallible.  Even though I mean the irony is they’re genetically modified to be perfect and she’s extremely imperfect, so I guess the same thing in a way but yeah- I would say you could look at Ayesha and then decide to be compassionate.

Karen G : For me in your character I like seeing a woman in a leadership position, a woman can be the boss absolutely.

Pom shared with us how she gets into character for Mantis. She got some tips from Director James Gunn about being herself and staying true to herself.

Pom K : Well I don’t know, I think it’s just about listening and being in the moment and just have fun.  And we talked with James about the character and I brought my touch and my maybe what I lived in my past and how and some weirdness and I had fun with it.  

Because it’s not like it’s a biopic, it’s a character an alien who’s bug like and I mean it’s a crazy world around her and you can invent whatever you want.  So I just wanted her to be like an insect kind of like her position is like this and she’s kind of like nervous so she kind of like  cleans her hands like a preying mantis and like Mr. Burns in The Simpsons. She’s kind of applauding something.  Because I wanted her to be at the beginning when you see her in the movie, you’re like is she good, is she bad, what’s happening.  

And she has these really black eyes so you can’t really go through her soul, you know, like what’s happening.  She’s alien, you know.  And yeah I don’t know I had fun with it.  Sometimes I’d be like tilting my head like a dog, when they’re like asking a question.  And I don’t know- it’s my own stuff, so I’m sure you don’t see what I thought but you’re like oh- you know, I don’t know.  

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We talked to Pom and Elizabeth about being apart of the Marvel Universe and how they would like to see their characters roles expand more in the films.

Elizabeth D : It’s actually a huge privilege as an actor, like Karen said, to be a part of something that people really want to see and that they care so deeply about.  And I suppose the first interaction I had with it was at Comic-Con last year and it really was on my birthday, so it was all about me- no, there’s so many people there and they’re so- it’s sort of like pure joy that just shoots out and it’s incredible.  I found it very overwhelming and I sort of kept getting very emotional in interviews like just after, because it’s rare in life to be a part of something that people love so much and they care so much about.

Strangely enough I wasn’t really nervous about watching the film or being there last night, usually I get very nervous.  But I just have the sense that- I’d seen it already and I think it’s wonderful.  But I just sort of knew that it was going to be accepted with such love.  And I had hoped that we would be too.  Because we’re new to it.  But yeah if that explains how I feel about it. 

Pom K : I think it’s not just a Marvel movie, it’s a James Gunn, you know, I think he’s such a genius. And he really reinvented the super hero movie, he made it something really human.  

And it really talks about family and I mean you saw the movie- there is action, it’s also hilarious, and it’s also so moving and heart breaking it’s so many things at the same time.  And the music is just hah yeah I remember this music and then some of the stuff, you’re like, oh I have to look it up. And so some stuff about the nineties with the stuff that you remember from your past.  I mean it’s so many emotions I think and I think it’s really special.

Our final question went to Karen about Nebula. We wanted to know where she hoped the character would go next. For volume three did she want her to join up with the Guardians or go off on her own.

Karen G : Okay I feel like she has one clear agenda, which is to kill Thanos. I really hope that she is the one that gets to do that so I’m crossing my fingers for that would be like therapeutic. That would be cool. I’d like to see her relationship with Gamora maybe get a little healthier, however not so healthy that they don’t still try to kill each other because that’s so much fun.  I want her to be bad but like a little bit good.

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About Guardians of the Galaxy: