IF I STAY star Chloë Grace Moretz: 'I Like Messed Up Characters'
- Details
- Category: Interviews
- Created: Wednesday, 20 August 2014 21:24
- Published: Thursday, 21 August 2014 08:06
- Written by Lupe R Haas
Chloë Grace Moretz has established herself as a talented actress, but the 17-year-old and IF I STAY star reveals she still has to fight for every role and struggles to avoid being pigeonholed by people in the industry.
Chloë Grace Moretz has audiences and press in tears with her performance in the adaptation to Gayle Forman’s best-selling novel IF I STAY. Chloë plays Mia Hall, a gifted teen cellist whose family is killed in a tragic auto accident. In a coma, her spirit contemplates living for her grandfather and the love of her life or joining the rest of her family in the afterlife.
The role is not exactly one that every teenage actress can tackle nor is it a cheery theme to take on, but Chloë was up for both tasks. At a press conference in Los Angeles promoting IF I STAY, Chloë says she gravitates towards dark roles such as this one and others (Carrie, Kick-Ass, Let Me In) because its a departure from her average life.
“I think because I have quite a normal family, I’m kind of bored with how normal my family is. I want to mess stuff up a bit, and I choose that kind of messed up character. I find that to be acting, exploring emotions you otherwise wouldn’t be able to explore.”
Another criteria for choosing project is by following her heart, says the actress who at the age of five knew acting was her calling. In 2005, the world was introduced to the little prodigy when she starred with Ryan Reynolds in Michael Bay’s remake of “The Amityville Horror.”
When on the job, Chloë says she pours all her “emotions and soul” into each project. It hasn’t come easy, however. At first, family and friends discouraged Chloë’s mother from breaking her daughter into showbiz. “You’re never going to succeed,” is what she was told. Good thing Chloë proved them wrong with career-turning roles in “Kick-Ass” and the horror remake “Let Me In.”
Even with a proven track record, Chloë Grace Moretz admits to struggling for good roles that don’t stereotype her into a typical teen character.
“I’m still fighting the boundary of how old I can be or how young I could be, and how they want me to be something else that I’m not. I’m constantly having to struggle especially as a female actress against the higher powers that are trying to keep you in a spot which makes them feel comfortable.”
It looks like Chloë has won most of those battles with great choices that have made her a stand out among young actresses or for that fact, among adult female actors. Chloë says she’ll continue acting as along as it’s fun. That’s her motto for living her life.
Up next, Chloë takes on another dark role opposite Denzel Washington as a teen prostitute in “The Equalizer” opening in September.
IF I STAY is in movie theaters August 22nd.