Kirsten Prout-How She Landed Role & Eclipse Details

PopEater just sat down with bad vamp, Kirsten Prout (Lucy), and got her take on how she landed the role of Lucy in Eclipse and about the movie itself. I love this girl's take on Miley Cyrus and the Vatican all having "issues" with the Twilight Saga. Rock on Kirtsen!

So 'New Moon' is breaking records today. Have you felt the mania yet, even though your film hasn't been released yet?
"For sure. I think the real point when I felt complete and utter mania, was when I showed up to the 'New Moon' premiere. And there were fans, this was on Monday, there were fans that had been there since Thursday, camping out in tents. You walk out onto the carpet and your heart just stops, because it's like winding all the way down the street. There are these people who are screaming and they're crying. And Rob (Pattinson) and Taylor (Lautner) and Kristin (Stewart) show up and people are just bawling their eyes out. And you're like, what is going on here? This movie hasn't even come out, but still, I had people just screaming and asking for my autograph. And I get recognized in stores. It just goes to show you that, it's not even out yet and people have done their research already, and you're like, oh my goodness! They're so obsessed!"

I hear you are a bit of a bookworm. Did you read the books before this all happened?
"I'd read all the books beforehand, because my sister is not a very big reader. We're complete opposites. She's completely inclined towards math. And I'm kind of an avid reader. So I saw her reading and I was like, 'What are you reading that's holding your interest?' And she said, 'Oh, there's this series called 'Twilight'.' So I went and I borrowed her books. And I read one a day. I just shot through them."

That's how I read them too.
"Yeah, exactly! I went through them, boom, boom, boom. I read them and I thought it was a really good series and everything. And then I got the audition and everything and I was like, 'Oh cool!' But what was funny about the audition process was that I walked into the audition room and people were so nervous, because the first film has already come out. And people knew how big the franchise was, so the amount of nerves in the audition room...I've never seen anything like it. And I was like, 'Oh my gosh! This is a whole new level of crazy. It's like 'Harry Potter'.' I remember when that casting was going on, hearing some of the stories from the casting rooms there, and it was the same thing. People were just dying to get into this movie, right? So it's just about staying out of that headspace. That panic. Because there were so many actors I know that really, they're amazing performers. And they walked into that room and they blew it. They wanted it too much and they were so, so nervous. It was crazy."

I actually wanted to ask you about the audition process. Did you go after this one? Did you get the call?
"I just got the call. I went for one of the other vampires, Bree, and the vampire Bree is supposed to be thirteen years old with very short brown hair. So physically I was absolutely wrong for the part. But I went in, and the casting director and the director liked me so much that they said, 'OK, you know what? We have another part.' So they fit me in through that audition, into Lucy, who is also a newborn vampire, and she actually is the one who turns Jasper, which is interesting. The thing about Lucy is that she has long blond hair and very very pale blue eyes and skin, so physically I was a big match for Lucy. I went in for one more audition for Lucy and I ended up showing up on set a few days later."

From what I recall, Lucy is described, but you don't actually see a lot of her...is that right?
"The thing is, if you read the book, it's done in a very different way. In the book, it's kind of a flashback. In the book she's more of a vampire who...she was just kind of part of turning Jasper, whereas in the movie, it's kind of featured, and it's actually a scene, and Lucy is a lot more prominent in turning Jasper, so it's a bit different. But I can't tell you much." [laughs]

I'm assuming, since it was 1863 when Jasper is turned...
"Wow, look at you!"

[laughs] It's been a while since I read them, so I did my homework. You're in period costume then?
"Yeah, well, I mean, again, I can't really tell you too much, but it was cool because I've never actually done anything period. You look at my past parts and they've been ninja and girl-next-door and crazy random stuff. But I've never ever done a period piece, so for me, this whole project, being able to do a period piece was huge for me. And to have a character that was back in time was a lot of fun."

Because the character is being done a bit differently than it was in the book, did you have any leeway to create the character? Everyone else has a pretty detailed character description.
"I think we've all played vampires differently. The way I think about it, everyone is so different. I think about how some people express their hunger, some people express love, some people express all there emotions, they have these certain characteristics that, when they're hungry or when they love something, their reaction to it is so different, so playing a vampire was interesting for me. Because who's the authority on what it's like to smell blood?"

[laughs] You make a good point there.
[laughs] "And how do you react to that, right? So we all kind of took our own approach. Do you seduce your prey? Do you scare them so they're scared stiff? Do you seduce 'and' terrify them? It was something to play with that was definitely fun because you're playing make believe. Which is the most fun as an actor."

I know you mentioned playing a ninja, and I believe you studied tae kwon do. Is that right?
"Yeah, I did tae kwon do for a very long time, and I made it to recommended black. I consider myself a black belt just because...[laughs] I got recommended black belt, and then I got 'Elektra' and I couldn't go to class anymore, but I had four personal trainers, who were all trained in tae kwon do and various martial arts. I did all my own stunts. [laughs] I pretty much finished my training there."

So will you be doing any stunts in 'Eclipse'?
"Um, yeah. I mean, there are lots of stunts in the movie. I can't really disclose a lot, so..." [laughs]

Yeah, I'm sure that non-disclosure agreement was 'huge'!
"Oh my god! You should have seen it! My agent was like, 'Yay, you've got the part. You just have to come in and sign a couple things.' I went in and there was this stack on the desk that was bigger than my entire head! And I was like, 'Holy crap!'" [laughs]

What's the weirdest fan interaction you've had so far?
"One of the most peculiar and unbelievable to me...well, I think the camping out since Thursday pretty much took the cake...the weirdness factor. Girls were crying and screaming and they'd been living in tents with Bunsen burners. And I was like, 'Are you actually serious? You're doing this for a movie?' [laughs] But to me, in person, I got recognized...I was at The Gap, buying a hoodie, just completely random, right? I'm in line and this girl kind of looks at me...she's the cashier...and she goes, 'Lucy!' I figured she thought I was her friend or something and she mixed me up, because who's going to recognize you from a movie that hasn't come out? I'm used to getting called Amanda, the character on 'Kyle XY' that I usually get recognized for. So I was like, 'Oh, no...' And she was like, 'Lucy! Lucy! Lucy, you're a vampire!' And the whole store kind of stopped. 'You're a vampire! You're Lucy!' I was freaking out! I was like, 'Um yeah, uh...' You don't know how to react. 'Well, that's not really me. My name is Kirsten. I'm a real person.' She just started to completely freak out, and start describing the part of the book that I was in. It sounded like she really thought this had happened to me! And she just went absolutely nuts. And I was just like, holy cow, if this is 'before' the movies come out, I can't even imagine after it actually goes to theaters. I was anticipating response, but not of the magnitude I've experienced so far."

If I were you, I'd avoid Hot Topic.
"Yeah I know! [laughs] I've actually been told that in a very serious way though. I was told that by Jackson who plays Jasper. We were talking about...he used to come out of his apartment during filming and not be able to make it down the stairs because of flashes from the magnitude of paparazzi. But he was saying that as well. Avoid a lot of the teen stores. To not go anywhere near those kind of teen, Tiger Beat, Hot Topic, that kind of scene. Because you really will be in danger. And I was like, 'Holy crap.'"

There were three big stories out about the 'Twilight' franchise today. First, the big numbers. Second, Miley Cyrus saying she hates 'Twilight'. And third, the Vatican saying negative things about the films. What is your reaction to all this?
"Yeah, I saw the Miley Cyrus video and, I mean, she's a person and that's her opinion. [laughs] I don't really know. I don't want to comment too much on Miley Cyrus' opinions in general, but she's entitled to say whatever she wants. As for the Vatican...the Vatican pretty much condemns everything. It condemned 'Harry Potter'. [laughs] Anything bigger than the actual church is condemned a lot of the time. To have attention, and that kind of fandom and that dedication, I think that's unattractive to them. And it's kind of expected. Vampires, mythical creatures of the night. I mean, look at the witch hunts and all these things that have happened with the Vatican. It's a topic that they don't really like to discuss a lot. It is what it is. And everyone is going to have their different reactions and everyone is entitled to say what they want. But, I think Miley Cyrus and the Vatican both...[laughs] The level that it's portrayed on. I mea, we have this pop star and we have the church, and everyone is holding it at this equal level. Oh my god! You know what I mean? [laughs] 'Twilight, Twilight'! And it's just a movie at the end of the day...just go in and enjoy the movie! Take it for what it is. It's make-believe. It's a teenage franchise. It's a lot of fun."

I hesitate to even ask this, but what do you think about all the buzz around whether or not Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are a couple?
"Thank you so much for asking it that way. On the red carpet, you should have heard it. The questions that were being asked. But at the end of the day, it's funny. People want to believe that they are a couple so badly, because of the Bella and Edward storyline. It is what it is. When you're in the public eye, people tend to view you as your characters. But people just need to keep in mind that they're both people. And they both have their own dynamic that's completely separate from being a vampire and a human. [laughs] They're two actors...they work in the same industry. They have a lot in common to sort of talk about on set. They certainly get along very well. But the speculation about whether or not they're a couple, I mean, who can really say? It changes every day. The media's opinion on it. I don't know if at any one point it's accurate."

"I think they're handling it very well. They have a lot of fun with it. [laughs] At the end of the day you just have to focus on relationships and be able to laugh about stuff like that...they're very private people. They're extremely private people. And I mean, they'll do what they want and if they're not a couple, they're not a couple. They're just good friends. And if they are a couple, they make an amazing couple. At the end of the day, it is what it is."

{via PopEater}