What happens when two girls get together to chat about comic book movies and superheros? Read ahead for some exclusive girl talk with Hellboy II‘s fiery brunette Selma Blair.
Hollywood.com: I love Liz Sherman’s hair in this movie. Was that your idea?
Selma Blair: It actually was Guillermo [del Toro]’s idea. I had really, really short hair at the time. I had shaved all my hair off.
HW: Wow, what for?
SB: I don’t know, just for fun. I had really long hair, and I just gave myself a Mohawk. As you do sometimes [laughs]. It looked great…I did it for a Vogue photo shoot, and I loved it…So that was a little too extreme for Liz. So that was a wig that I was wearing in the movie. And that was Guillermo’s idea.
Photo: Selma Blair stars in Hellboy II. (Credit: Universal)
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HW: With so many comic book movies out this summer you would think there would be more female super heroes.
SB: I think it is about time that a woman, especially one who had a really troubled past has gotten past it and is taking care of herself and other people. That can only be a good message.
HW: Are you looking to do more action and stunts like Angelina Jolie?
SB: I would love to do action movies. I would love to do stunts. Liz didn’t have a lot of stunts to do because she has fire so she doesn’t have to do a lot of stunts, her skills are more passive. So I would love to be tested psychically and I don’t really get to do that except for physical comedy.
HW: I would love to see you play Wonder Woman in the upcoming movie.
SB: Yeah, wouldn’t that be fun? I would love to. No one has ever come close to thinking about me for that…I don’t think I have the rack for Wonder Woman [laughs]!
Photo: Selma Blair and the cast of Hellboy II. (Credit: Universal)
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HW: You must have the fanboys in your pocket. What have you seen about yourself online?
SB: I love to see fan’s artwork. That’s my favorite…I have to say just for my own ego it’s funny to see the pictures they draw of Liz and usually I look like some form of Judy Garland. It is so weird. In the later years, they all look like a really old Judy Garland [laughs].
HW: I’ve heard that Guillermo casts based on their energy. Why do you think he cast you for this role?
SB: He saw me in a film, I think it was Storytelling and I heard that he saw some sadness in my eyes that he knew was in Liz. You know Liz had gone through something really tragic. So yeah, I think he cast us as we were.
Photo: Selma Blair and Guillermo del Toro attend the Hellboy II premiere. (Credit: DailyCeleb)
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HW: I love that Liz and Hellboy’s relationship in this movie is so grounded in reality.
SB: They are in a relationship and they are living together and like any loving relationship they find they are at odds with each other. They are two people in love who have super powers and that can be pretty volatile. She’s right, he’s wrong [laughs]. He’s a slob. She needs to talk with him about something and she needs to deal with him as a grown up. He has 900 cats and she doesn’t have enough room for all of her black jeans [laughs]. He’s just a typical dude, he’s just not really getting it, so she bursts into flames and they’ve both had it with each other. It’s cute.
HW: Red’s such a kid about everything…
SB: He’s Hellboy! He can’t get it. This is his first relationship, this is his only relationship. They are not meant for anyone else, they’ll never find anyone else that’s for sure. Hellboy’s just never really going to get it. He’s such a kid.
Photo: Selma Blair and Ron Perlman star in Hellboy II. (Credit: Universal)
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HW: Yeah, I guess the way he introduced himself to the public was pretty immature too!
SB: Hellboy, he sees his opportunity in the auction house and he goes for it and jumps out the window in flames and “World here I come.” That gets the ball rolling in this film…he just wants attention and love from everybody. He wants to be a super star. He’s just a big kid who wants to be a rock star.
HW: If you make a Hellboy III, where would you like to see their relationship go?
SB: I think there is going to be a lot of suffering. The angel of death hints at a lot of suffering especially for Liz so I think there would be a lot of suffering. So I don’t think it is going to be the marital bliss that I would love for it to be for Hellboy. In the second one they set it up for a pretty dark and stormy ride.
Photo: Selma Blair and Ron Perlman attend the Hellboy II premiere. (Credit: Universal)
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HW: Guillermo could be tied up with the Hobbit for many years. Would you consider doing the third without him?
SB: I can’t even think about that. I don’t think there is a Hellboy without Guillermo.
HW: Any chance we’ll see you in the Hobbit?
SB: I dare say I probably won’t be in the Hobbit. I think that’s pretty much a boy’s game, anyhow. I’m not sure. But – yeah, no. I don’t have an invitation to go to Australia. Sadly.
Photo: Selma Blair attends the Hellboy II premiere. (Credit: Universal)
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HW: But you will be doing an adaptation of an Australian TV show called Kath and Kim set to air on NBC in the fall. What can you tell me about the show?
SB: I play Kim. I play the daughter. Molly Shannon plays the mother. And no, [our ages don’t] have to make sense mathematically. The original version, Gina and Jane, they are the same age. It’s like a satire. They’re comedians. It doesn’t have to be accurate. We’re actresses. But, yeah. I play this very self-absorbed–that’s not very difficult–daughter. Who is, you know, obsessed with tabloids and celebrities, and all that stuff. And it takes place in Florida.
HW: How did you get involved in the show?
SB: I know that they were having a lot of trouble finding their Kim. They just couldn’t find a girl that was right. I talked to Michelle Nader who was the producer and writer on the phone, I said “Listen I think it is really a girl that wants to be like Britney Spears and wants to be like this pop star and thinks she is this pop star, but she is too little, too late, too old, just doesn’t get it. We just talked about all these ideas and everything that’s wrong with American culture and just everything she thinks that is right. So I came home and I fought for it.
HW: What’s the tone of the show?
SB: Well, we just shot the pilot. It’s kind of like, shot almost documentary style. It’s kind of shot like The Office, or Arrested Development…it’s funny. It’s strange. I think it’ll take a couple episodes for people to catch on to the tone. I don’t know if you’re gonna get it the first episode. It’s like – it’s funny but a little dry, a little weird.
Photo: Molly Shannon and Selma Blair star in Kath and Kim. (Credit: NBC)[PAGEBREAK]
HW: Is it as satiric as the Australian one? Or is it more sitcom-y?
SB: No, it’s satiric. I mean, it’s like the Australian one. It’s not sitcom-y…it’s not so in your face. But there’s a lot of love. The mother and daughter really love each other. They’re really close. But my character’s a bit demented, I have to say…Very whiny. And very loud. I’m very loud.
HW: What’s it like working with a comedy veteran like Molly Shannon?
SB: She is so kind and warm and such a talented woman. I’m learning a lot from her. I haven’t done a lot of work like this. She’s such a comedian and I’m not that experienced with this type of thing so it is great. It is long hours, there’s a lot to do but I’m getting used to it. She makes it so much easier.
HW: Were you looking for something on television? Are you worried about being out of the movie game for nine months a year?
SB: No, I’m okay. I’m okay with it. I was in Budapest shooting Hellboy II, and I kind of thought, “You know, I think I’ve had it with locations for a while.” You know? It was pretty lonely, you know, being away, even though I love everyone on the movie so much. But it’s like, “God. I’d like to kind of lay some roots down in one place for a while.” I’ve been traveling so much, I feel like such a gypsy, and kind of just wanted to get settled. So, I was kind of looking for a TV show.
Photo: Selma Blair and Molly Shannon star in Kath and Kim. (Credit: NBC)[PAGEBREAK]
HW: By chance, have you been watching MTV’s reality show, Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods? I assume you’ve seen the Broadway show too.
SB: No, I haven’t seen either. I saw one clip from the reality show on Talk Soup or something and it made me laugh, but I haven’t seen it at all.
HW: Have you ever toyed with the idea of performing Vivian Kensington on stage?
SB: I can’t sing at all!
Hellboy II opens in theaters July 11, 2008.
Photo: Selma Blair and Matthew Davis star in Legally Blonde. (Credit: MGM/UA)
