Question: How did you balance the sex
appeal here, because she's obviously sexy even though
she's a robot?
Answer: Well, I think that I just didn't
make it an awareness like oh, I'm trying to be sexy or
oh, I'm trying to be attractive. I think it was just in
conveying the movements that probably made it kind of
sexual.
Question: How did they do the breast inflation?
Answer: That was an interesting gag that
the effects boys created. Basically just some air bladders
underneath a bra and someone with a little pump literally
just pumped it up. It didn't always work great. Sometimes
it popped or one would fizzle out, so we finally got it
reinforced.
Question: Is it challenging to be robotically
sexy?
Answer: Well, I think because it wasn't
an overt sexuality that there was a certain kind of almost
naiveté or innocence about it which probably made
it more appealing.
Question: When audiences see you naked,
were you reticent about the nudity?
Answer: Not in that sense because I knew
it'd be tasteful and I knew that Jonathan would do it
well. I knew that it wasn't a kind of sex scene or something
like that. But when she comes from the future, there's
just that complete unawareness of society and what we
believe to be acceptable or not. So, to her, she has no
concept of that so I think there's a kind of a detachment
in that that makes a certain innocence about that.
Question: How many hours did you spend
naked?
Answer: It was one night.
Question: How weird was it?
Answer: Well, it was the last night of
filming, which was great for me because I really got to
fine tune my body and make it look the way I wanted it
to look.
Question: When you see yourself on the
cover of Maxim Movies, how do you feel? Is your sexuality
is a marketing tool?
Answer: Well, I think that you have to
present an image that is A, true to you, and B, the way
you would like to be perceived, so I think that through
the years I've worked really hard at trying to create
an image that is true to me. And I think sensuality is
a part of me. It's not all of me, but it's a part of who
I am.
Question: Were your feet gross after walking
barefoot in the street?
Answer: I actually got glass stuck in
my foot and I had to get it removed. As recently as this
week, I still had a piece in there I was trying to get
removed. So, it stayed with me, that scene.
Question: Are there hints of emotion at
some points, discovering the blood?
Answer: Absolutely and I think that was
a really neat part of the character that we hadn't seen
done before in that when she's kind of processing information
with the blood or with the programming of Arnold or something,
it kind of takes you out of just the aggressive killing
aspect and brings you into a slightly more human side,
so in doing that, I was kind of hoping that it would almost
make you feel for her a little bit in some ways.
Question: Are you a fan of the genre?
Answer: I am. I was definitely a fan of
Robert Patrick's character in T2. I was just really awed
by his performance and the complete body control that
he had, so I think maybe subconsciously, that played in
the back of my mind.
Question: What about working with Arnold?
Answer: Working with Arnold was quite
an experience. He just has that larger than life personality
and he's so knowledgeable about the fight sequences and
knows what works and what doesn't work. Of course, he's
done the character twice before so I learned a lot by
watching him and just working off his energy is very,
very empowering.
Question: Were you intimidated?
Answer: At first. I'm just thinking, "Okay,
my first big film and I'm supposed to be stronger than
Arnold. What does this represent? What is this metaphor
trying to tell me?" But after I got to know him and I
felt more comfortable in my character, things went pretty
smooth.
Question: How do you feel about kicking
his butt?
Answer: I felt ready. I felt ready.
Question: When did you see the first two
films?
Answer: I don't think I saw the first
film in its entirety until before I did this film. The
second film I probably saw maybe about five years ago.
Again, I had seen kind of snippets here and there, but
no, I don't think I ever saw them in the theatre.
Question: Have people begun to recognize
you yet?
Answer: A little bit. Yeah, a little bit.
Question: How will you handle that?
Answer: Hopefully gracefully.
Question: Any pressure to be the villain
in the tradition of Arnold and Robert?
Answer: Yeah, I definitely felt that I
was put at a very high place to be able to be a part of
such a wonderful franchise in cinema history, so I was
definitely very driven at doing a great job and having
my body look the way it should and just being a part of
the creative process.
Question: How will you deal with the recognition
if this film is huge?
Answer: Well, I think if those are things
that come with doing the kind of work that I want to do,
and then I'll just have to take them as they come.
Question: Do you want to do another action
film next?
Answer: I'd like to do something a little
different. Something a little less intense. I'm not sure
what it's going to be yet. For the first time in my life,
it's great to have choices, but I think I have to be very
careful in choosing the right next project, and how will
I know it's the right next project? Well, it will just
kind of happen organically. Not without effort, but it
will just kind of seem to fit. There's something I like,
but I'm not sure yet.
Question: How much was the robot based
on you?
Answer: It's amazing, Stan Winston, what
he's done with this franchise and this character and the
creation of it. Um, I'm really awed by his work and all
the people that he has working for him.
Question: Do men find you intimidating?
Answer: I think some do. I think some
do. And I think after this movie comes, probably quite
a few more will.
Question: How do you deal with that?
Answer: Well, I don't know. I always try
to make myself be very approachable and easy to talk to,
so hopefully people will feel that they can approach me.
Question: Is it an advantage to be beautiful?
Answer: No, not at all. I think it can
be an advantage or a disadvantage. There was a period
of time where I tried to cut my hair and dye it and change
my appearance, but I realize that in the end, you look
better in a specific way and people are always going to
pass judgement on you, so it's really up to them to see
you in the light that you want to be seen or just not
understand you.
Question: Were you upset you didn't have
a catch phrase?
Answer: No.
Question: I like your gun?
Answer: That's the one I've been hearing
actually the most, but you never know until the film comes
out what's going to stick with people.
Question: Were you in the best shape you've
ever been for this?
Answer: Oh, by far. I mean, people were
actually approaching me on the street and thinking that
I was an athlete. They couldn't quite place it but a runner,
or swimmer or something. I did extensive training. First
I started with a nutritionist because I wanted to put
on muscle, so I put on about 15 pounds of muscle mass.
I did weight training, weapons training, an Israeli form
of martial arts called Krav Maga that they teach their
military, which is kind of like a brutal form or street
fighting, incorporating your surroundings. A lot of elbows,
knees and head butts, that sort of thing. Also, I worked
with a mime coach quite extensively which was an intrinsic
part to the character, really getting that kind of surreal
human/nonhuman aspects of the character.
Question: What did the mime coach do?
Answer: They work a lot with building
internal energy and working against a force, so your muscles
are always engaged and you learn to alienate different
muscle groups so they can work independently of one another.
So for this character, it was really, really right.
Question: What about the eyes and facial
expressions?
Answer: Absolutely, and there's a lot
of muscles in your eyes even that you don't ever work,
but little human traits like showing signs of exertion
while running, you couldn't do that. Blinking when you're
shooting a gun, you know. Things that you take for granted
every day that had to be eliminated, so it was always
interesting.
Question: Most difficult scene to shoot?
Answer: I would say probably getting magnetized
on the particle accelerator. All of my stuff is very strange
and the body movements and everything. So, it was going
from like a sprint, and I trained sprinting in heels actually
so I would stay on the balls of my feet, and the sprint,
slowing down and then getting this kind of magnetism and
building up all this internal heat and just vibrating
on this very hard plastic day after day and then kind
of getting harnessed. I had bruises everywhere.
Question: Did you learn anything you'll
be able to take into your normal life?
Answer: Oh God, everything. Everything
from it. All of my training, what it did to my body. Your
body has such a memory. What I learned from Arnold, Jonathan,
Claire, Nick, from everybody.
Question: Did you binge after the film
ended?
Answer: Well, I first went and checked
into a spa with my girlfriend who was also my stand-in.
And ate pasta and things that I hadn't eaten in a long
time. Then went to Vegas for a week which was definitely
too long. And then went home and spent time with my family.
Question: You based here?
Answer: Yeah.
Question: Your family here?
Answer: No, they're in upstate New York,
near Albany, like 30 miles south of Albany.
Question: When did you come to LA?
Answer: I moved here almost seven years
ago.
Question: The lure of acting?
Answer: Absolutely. I started acting when
I was 13 in New York. Worked there for a couple years,
then auditioned for a show there that was going to be
filming here. Ended up coming out, getting the job and
just staying.
Question: How did Jonathan control the
set and interact with the actors?
Answer: It was awesome. I mean, he was
just like an old pro and people would say, "Don't you
guys feel this pressure of this film, this instalment?
It's got so much anticipation" but we were both very prepared
and I think in that preparation very confident, so making
us relaxed and he was awesome. Just when you think he's
really going to lose it now, he'd make a joke or something.
There was always a certain lightness on the set.
Question: When did you feel he was about
to lose it?
Answer: Well, they were very rare, so
not even memorable really.
Question: Did you keep the outfit?
Answer: No, they wouldn't give it to me.
After all that sweat and blood and tears.
Question: Plans now? Take a break?
Answer: Well, I have for a bit. I'm ready
to go back to work. It's great for the first time in my
life to actually have choices, so we'll see. I'd hopefully
like to start something up after this movie comes out
and do the tour in Europe.
Question: Are you going home?
Answer: Well, my friend's getting married
in September, so I think I'd go home them.
Question: Will this move you out of the
TV acting box?
Answer: Oh, definitely. I put my time
in there. Not to say that I'd never go back, but I think
I can try the film world out for a while.
Question: Would you do T4?
Answer: I would be honoured to, absolutely.
I love the character and had so much fun, a lot of hard
work and really pushed myself to the limit, so yeah, if
they'd have me, I'd love to be back.
Question: They haven't asked?
Answer: Not yet.
Question: What do you do for fun?
Answer: Well, I'm an equestrian so I like
to ride. Ride horses, I love to hike with my dog, love
to travel.
Question: Where?
Answer: All over, really. Most recently
I went to Costa Rica which I loved.
Question: Anywhere you'd like to go?
Answer: I'd like to go to Brazil I think.
Do a little South America trip.
Question: What was it like at the comic
convention?
Answer: That was really, really great.
Those people are such huge supporters of the franchise.
It was really great to be an active member of that group.
Question: They can be odd though?
Answer: Yeah, but they really are passionate
about it and I can appreciate anybody's passion for anything.
Question: Was there any point in the movie
that you doubted yourself?
Answer: Not that I ever doubted, but the
very last night after the Rodeo drive scene, it was then
dawn and I think it was more of an emotional release than
anything. After working with these people so closely for
half a year and then knowing after that that you'd never
be together again in the same way.
Question: Now, doing publicity.
Answer: Well, no, not with the crew, which
you build such relationships with through all the time
and you learn about their families. I get really attached
and loyal to people so it was a bit of an emotional release
for sure.
Question: Role of women in this movie?
Answer: It's kind of a great dichotomy
of two really. You have the superhuman heightened reality
all powerful character and then you have this great heartfelt
sentimental link to humanity. So, it's kind of two ends
of the spectrum, but both great female characters.
Question: Did you and Claire talk?
Answer: We did a little bit. She'd always
been an idol of mine, you know, following her career and
really a fan of her work for several years. It was really
a great opportunity for me to get to work with her on
such an intimate level.
Question: How did the testosterone heavy
set affect you?
Answer: I'm used to it. I wasn't afraid.
I was fighting Arnold every day.
Question: What's it like to fight Arnold?
Answer: I just kept thinking, "Okay, $30
million, Kristanna, don't mess this up. Don't hit him
in the face." So, luckily I never did.
Question: Is it fun to be bad?
Answer: Yeah, it is. It is fun because
you get to do things that in your real life you'd never
get to do.
Question: You don't have a bad side?
Answer: Yeah, I do, but I'm not shooting
children. Not that I want to be doing that, but isn't
there a time when you wish you could just pull your .45
out of your handbag and just, you know, on the freeway.