With a lot of the casting news out of the way for Marc Webb's Spider-Man, we are starting to hear some news from the stars of the flick, with rehearsals recently starting. Not quite everything that I want to hear yet but it's still early. So we hear a little bit from Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker/Spider-Man) and Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy):
MTV NEWS: Has there been a surreal moment from 2010 that kind of encapsulates what a crazy year it's been for you?
ANDREW GARFIELD: I did have a strange moment when I was told I was going to play this role. I was like, "Oh, wow, this is something I've wanted to do ever since I was a kid." There was a moment of total boyish excitement. It was this cosmic convergence where I was in the past, present and future all at once. In the future, I was thinking about my nephews that are going to have an uncle who's Spider-Man, but then I thought that could be bad because kids can bully you for any reason, and it's like, "Where's your uncle now when I'm beating the sh-- out of you?" I'll have to go to their school a lot, but by that time I'll be really old and fat and no one will believe I was Spider-Man. Then I was thinking about the past and when I was first shown a "Spider-Man" comic. It inspired me because I was one of those people who felt stronger on the inside than they looked on the outside. And then in the present moment, I was thinking this moment is something I'll never forget.
MTV: There was so much competition to play Peter Parker. Do you ever think, "Why me?" In your own mind, what is it that you think won you the role?
GARFIELD: I have no idea! I'm glad I didn't have to make the decision. I have no idea why they cast me. If I started thinking about that, I think I'd sabotage myself and have to pull myself out of the movie and be like, "I think you made the wrong decision."
MTV: Don't do that! We spoke to Kirsten Dunst recently and she said that two things the new cast has to get used to are swinging around a lot and acting to nothing? Can you handle that?
GARFIELD: I'm OK with swinging. I've been swinging since I was four. Wait, no, that can be misinterpreted!
MTV: That'd be a very different movie.
GARFIELD: My goodness.
MTV: Where do we go from here? Tennis balls?
GARFIELD: Yes, tennis balls. Acting with tennis balls and green screen and all that, I love that idea. I did "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus with Terry Gilliam and that was the first time I did green screen stuff. I actually loved it. Sure, I love being in a real environment, but on the flipside, to step back into your childhood imagination that you have to employ, I love that. It's a challenge, but it's fun and playful and childish. It's another skill to try and hone.
MTV: It's interesting you bring up Doctor Parnassus. You shot that with Heath Ledger right after he filmed The Dark Knight. Did the two of you ever talk about his experience bringing an iconic comic book character to the screen?
GARFIELD: We never really talked about that. The movie wasn't out, but I knew how excited he was. I was talking to his friends about it, who had been involved in the process, and they were so jazzed about how people were going to react to him. What I learned from watching him in that movie was that it was so honest and specific. Somehow he made this very broad character incredibly honest and human. There's so much to be learned from that, because otherwise during the big fight sequences, who cares, unless you have a good understanding of who the characters fighting are? I'm really excited for Marc Webb, because he's a real stickler for that sort of stuff. He wants everything to come from Peter Parker's dilemma, Gwen Stacy's dilemma, Uncle Ben's dilemma — everyone's struggles, so that in those bigger sequences, it's actually not just a cool fight, but there's heart and specificity.
MTV: I would imagine at this point everyone is giving you advice, mostly unsolicited, about the best way to bring Spider-Man to life. Is there one piece of advice that really sticks out for you as being spot-on?
GARFIELD: I was told by someone who should be listened to — I'm not going to say who it was — he said, "Don't try and live up to it. Don't think you have to live up to what that image and that symbol means to people." And first I thought that was really reassuring. But then you go, "No, I really want to live up to that symbol." When I was 12-years-old I saw the struggle Peter Parker was going through to be of use to society, I wanted to live up to that. And I realized that even Peter Parker is trying to live up to that symbol of Spider-Man he's created. That's what makes him so special: he's undeniably human and going through the same struggles as everyone else. So you try to live up to that symbol and then you have to be OK not living up to it, because not even Peter Parker can do it.
MTV: We spoke to Stan Lee recently, who said the thing to remember is that for all his superpowers, Peter Parker is just a very simple, everyday kid who's good at science and wishes he were more than he is. That sound like good advice to you?
GARFIELD: It's so universal. That's what keeps us getting out of bed in the morning. That's fantastic advice. And coming from Stan Lee, this character is his child and I want to do his vision justice. I want to do him proud. I want to access all of the intentions he had when developing this character. I care very deeply.
Emma has a little to say regarding science class and going back to her 'roots'... See what I did their? Roots as in her hair? Heh... I'm funny.
MTV: It has been quite a year for you. Easy A gets a great reaction, you're shooting all these movies, opposite people like Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling, you host Saturday Night Live, and then you land Spider-Man. Does 2010 feel like a landmark year?
STONE: It feels kind of scary saying because that means it's only downhill, but it's been the best year of my life. Not just with how lucky I've been work-wise, but with my family and friends. I'm totally terrified for 2011. I have such disaster mentality, it's not even funny.
MTV: Which raises the question, are you ready for something as big as Spider-Man? Can you ever be ready for something like that?
STONE: The way I have to approach it, and I think Andrew would agree, is just like any other movie. You're going to put the same amount of focus into this that you would with anything. It just happens to be an exponentially bigger budget. So there's that. It'll probably feel different when we start to do press, but we won't have to deal with that for another year and a half. And there are harnesses I'm going to have to use in this one. That's the only difference. Just the harnesses.
MTV: So you guys are in rehearsals, right? What is that process like at this point?
STONE: Today I went and did hair tests, because I have blonde hair now since Gwen has blonde hair. My natural hair is blonde, so it's kind of nice. I looked in the mirror and said, "Oh my god, it's me again, it's been so long!" We're finalizing the visual stuff. And I think we'll start actually rehearsing, because we start shooting in two weeks. Andrew and I went and learned about science yesterday. Gwen really likes science, so we learned about science. I was home-schooled, so I never went to chemistry class in a traditional setting like Gwen is into. That was really beneficial.
MTV: What have you conversations with Marc been like? Has he encouraged you to go back and read the comics or just concentrate on what's on the page?
STONE: There are a lot of changes happening on a day to day basis. There's a lot of open dialogue about where we're going with this and how Peter and Gwen are going to come together and what makes the most sense for the story we're telling. It's an ever-changing thing. We're still in that development period. It's so fantastic. My background is in improv and things like that, so this kind of ever-changing nature is ideal for me.
MTV: We got to see you kick a little bit of ass in Zombieland? Is Gwen gonna get to do some fighting or is she more of a damsel in distress?
STONE: I wouldn't call Gwen a damsel in distress. But who know what's going to happen? It's so early.
MTV: What's the best piece of advice you've received about stepping in a franchise this big?
STONE: I'm sure it's a different story for Andrew, because Spider-Man is so iconic, which is not to take anything away from Gwen, but for the most part, the approach I'm trying to take so I won't psych myself out is to approach it like anything else. Put in the same amount of work and don't worry so much. Even though it's different than anything else I've ever done and it'll be weird if my face is ever on a Burger King cup, that's not what you have to think about. Maybe it helps other people think about the size of it, but it only makes me nervous.
MTV: People are fiercely protective of Spider-Man. Do you ever worry about how you're going to be received by fans?
STONE: I have such respect for the world of comic book fans. I've been to Comic-Con for Zombieland, and zombie fans are a very specific kind of fan base. And my absolute favorite kind of people in the world are people that are passionate about something. And if there's protective of something they're passionate about it, I can completely relate because there and things I'm passionate about and protective of. There's a part of me that really wants to please people that love Spider-Man or Gwen Stacy and want her to be done justice. I hope they'll give me license to interpret her my way. But that fan base, I'm one of them, so I completely understand why they would be judgmental of certain things. I try not to look [at stories on the Internet] because I do care and I don't want to psych myself out. I kinda half to stay off the Internet. I'm not thick-skinned enough. I get too sensitive. I don't want it to effect what I'm doing.
Say what you will about the upcoming reboot, but I for one am actually happy with this cast. Especially Emma Stone, she is a delight to watch on the screen. Time will tell how Garfield handles the role of Spidey, but I'm sure once we see a pic of Garfield in full on Spidey costume, the nerd world will relax a little.
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