There’s a severe lack of big screen heroines when it comes to Hollywood blockbusters, but this Friday, we’ll have a new one to add to the mix—and she kicks a whole lot of butt. In John Carter, actress Lynn Collins plays Dejah Thoris, a science whiz who isn’t too shabby in either the looks or the swordsmanship departments. It’s a part that requires a hefty amount of charismatic action and physically demanding stunts, both of which Collins is fully capable of tackling.
Collins popped up on my radar in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but she absolutely owns the role of Dejah, which is no surprise after meeting her. I sat down with the breakout starlet to discuss the challenges of performing in a epic-scale tentpole like John Carter, her competitive nature with co-star Taylor Kitsch and how she’s still using her training from Julliard, even when she’s side-by-side with alien creatures. Watch the video interview, then scroll down for even more quotes from Collins on the making of the movie.
John Carter hits theaters this Friday, March 9. Make sure to check out our other JC interview with Willem Dafoe.
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Collins working with the scantily-clad costumes:
“This is the idea: you don’t see her at the beginning as a sex object. She doesn’t see herself as a sex object. She’s a Martian woman who kicks ass as much as the men do. She is an equal. So, we wanted it to not be distracting. Then through John Carter, she starts discovering love, sexuality, her own body that could change. And because John Carter isn’t used to all these women running around this way, he notices her. And her reaction to that…she starts growing. And maybe in 2, when that’s done, there could be more of that opened.”
How Dejah changed after Collins came on board:
“There were two punches I had. Punching John Carter – and they took that out. And there was a slap, and they took that out. The change was…she is so powerful, they want her to be in her skin, they want her to be a warrior, that’s what I wanted to, but she also has to be accessible. That’s a fine line. Even in today’s age, it’s a fine line. So my hope is that there’s enough aesthetic stimulation for men and intellectual and emotional stimulation for women, and for those who can connect the two, hopefully they explode with delight.”
