When Cobie Smulders walked in she was a vision in tango. She had been nervous about doing the interview because she had to be dressed and red carpet ready, but they assured her we were facing the same problem. She was so carefree and down to Earth. Oh and you know I always complain about my name? Not anymore Cobie’s real name is Jacoba Francisca Maria Smulders. So I understand why she shortened it. Also she is new to twitter! So head on over to: https://twitter.com/CobieSmulders and give her some love! Below you will see bits and pieces of the interview:
Q : Tell us about your character Maria Hill.
COBIE SMULDERS : Is anyone familiar with the comic books, are there any Avengers fans in the house? Um, well Maria Hill, um, works at S.H.I.E.L.D. She’s a, she’s a very high ranking officer and she- she sort of works directly under Nick Fury. There’s lots of debates about how powerful she is, because me and him get into it a little bit.
She sort of commands the Hellcarrier and she’s a bit of a task master, master and it’s funny. When I got this role, I started reading all the comic books and also all the blogs, and all the- what anyone had to say about the character. I was trying to, trying to learn as much as I, uh, as much as I could. And she’s like described as like the biggest bitch in the universe. [LAUGHTER] but I, I like hate that so much, because like women.
Like if you’re in a powerful position, you get labeled a bitch. But if a man is in that position, he’s just got to do his job. Yeah so it’s, it was, it was kind of cool to approach a role with, with, with that kind of stigma behind it, and just kind of own it in a sense and just be like, this is like- especially with Maria Hill in the way that she works with Nick Fury. Nick Fury is sort of, um, he follows his gut instincts a lot, I mean the- the whole beginning of this movie, I don’t know has anyone seen the film?
Oh cool. awesome. Awesome. Um, it’s really good. [LAUGHTER] Um, he, he’s sort of like the Avengers initiative is sort of what this, this whole movie is about. And it’s about bringing all of these super heroes together, and it’s sort of a, an emergency basis only. Maria Hill sees that as a huge threat. I mean, even to have Hulk on the Hellcarrier alone is, is a bad idea, puts humans lives at risk, at risk.
She sort of butts head with him, but in, in kind of a great way. Like she, she kind of brings him back down to Earth, but they have this awesome arc of their relationship, and by the end she sort of sees why he’s breaking the S.H.I.E.L.D. That was the longest answer, I’m sorry. [LAUGHTER] We’re out of time, I just kept talking. I, I used [SOUNDS LIKE] to like I got on this press tour, and I’ve talked so much, but I haven’t talked for like three days, I’ve only been like a mom at home. And so it’s like blah-blah-blah so excuse me. I’m sorry, ask me a question.
Q : Since it’s an action movie, do you have a lot of stunts you had to do, what was the craziest?
Yeah, the cool thing was, first of all when I got, when I got the part, I hadn’t even read the script. And then I got the script afterI did a chemistry test with Sam Jackson. And, then I read the script, and I thought I was literally going to be like making a latte for Nick Fury, or like on the computer screen, you know, in the background. And it was really cool to read that I had a lot to do and then it just kind of grew more and more.
And the beginning of this film sort of opens with this huge car chase sequence and, um, I, I want to say like the hardest thing to do was probably that, actually. Because I’d never done driving, but like driving under extraordinary circumstances. Where like it- it felt like and the- this is so girlie. But it felt like sort of dance choreography where you’re like driving and they’re like and then a car hits you from the sides. Then you move your body this way and then you, you jam into it, into second gear.
And then you take your gun and hit the- the windshield and you shoot out the windshield and then you run out of bullets so you throw the gun down. And then you peel the- and you’re like, what? And they’re like and go. [LAUGHTER] I know I turn, so it’s somewhere, so it was sort of hard to physicalize that and turn my brain off. And, and not like you just had to like kind of do it and get it in your body a few times and then it was okay. So that was really the most challenging because it was also like me being driven, you know, being pulled by another car.
And I’m like, going like five miles an hour, you know, and I’m supposed to be just like cruising, I mean I did get to do some of my own like fast paced driving, but that was probably the hardest. But I, I came into this part and I wanted to do so much, so I did all this training. I was boxing three times a week, and I was training in Martial Arts, doing some Tai Kwon Do and Jujitsu and, um, and hired a guy, um, out of L.A. who actually trains SWAT teams, um, to get more familiar with weapons and to feel comfortable holding them.
And to- shooting them, which I’d never done before. So I wanted to be ready for anything and I was happy that they gave me some stuff to do. Especially not being a super hero, you know, yeah.
Q : You work on “How I met your Mother” with Neil Patrick Harris and Allison Hannigan, both of which have worked with Joss Whedon in the past, did they have any words of wisdom or encouragement for getting the roll or working with Joss on this film?
COBIE SMULDERS : Yeah, it wasn’t a question of like, words of wisdom or like- it was just- it was a, a blanket statement of like, you’re so lucky. [LAUGHS] I’m so excited to get to work with him, because he truly is like an actors’ director. And he took so much care, especially with me playing Maria Hill, who’s a new character. He knows so much, I mean he’s a fan boy, he knows everything there is to know about comic books. And was the guy, a kid, at Comic-Con from its inception, you know.
And so he knew so much about her and about S.H.I.E.L.D. and he was there from the get go, really. I think that Allison actually- when I went in to audition, he- she called him, she knew like I saw her on the set and I was like, oh I’m going in today for the Avengers film that Joss is directing, she’s like oh my god. [LAUGHS] you know. And like texted him or called him and said, you know, Cobie went in and read today, make sure you go in and see the tape or whatever, and, um, I’ve known Joss mainly from going to their house for birthday parties and such. So, um, they were- they- they were just excited for me to get to, to work with them. Absolutely. Absolutely.
Q : Were you an Avengers fan before you did the film?
COBIE SMULDERS :What I’d mainly knew was Tony Stark Ironman from really the previous movies and some of the comic books. My fiancé is like a huge comic book guy. So we, I would pick them up but I wasn’t a, like I wasn’t I, a, a diehard. Like I knew about them, I knew sort of who was involved and I knew what they could do, you know, what their powers were and, um, but it wasn’t really until this film that I- that I took it on.
I- I had been a fan of, um, the different comic series, Y: The Last Man and Fables and, um, and, and more sort of modern, modern stories that have come up, but not so much the Avengers. But, but now I’m pretty diehard yeah.
Q : What’s it like getting famous?
COBIE SMULDERS : They got really angry at me downstairs because I was like, I’ve got a room full of ladies, I’m running late [LAUGHTER] well, come on. Um, um, it’s been-
You know, everyone- it’s so funny, when I- when I get hired they were like, oh boy, wait ‘til Comic-Con, it’s going to be crazy. [LAUGHTER] People are going to be insane. I have had only positive experiences. I’m sort of feeling myself like opening up slowly to it. Where before I kind of came in a little bit scared and, uh, and very reserved, like I recently joined Twitter. And it’s something that I fought against for a really long time, because I sort of see it as like, um.
First of all I, I’m an actor and probably just as, as me, I can to read like ten positive things and one negative thing and I take away the negative thing, you know. So I thought of it as like a way that I was just going to read people are free to say whatever they want about me and I’m going to just take- take away the bad stuff. It’s so cool being a part of this movie you guys will see tonight, the movie is so good. And I’m not just saying that because I’m promoting it. I just saw it for the first time and I was totally blown away, like I thought, I knew it was going to be good.
Because of everyone involved, because of what we did, and because of Joss filming, and Marvel, their technology. But it’s so good and the fans are so happy with it. And so excited by it. So it kind of makes everything easier, you know, you’re not- you’re not confronted with like, well Maria Hill in the comic books, wore, you know, a black and white costume, why are you wearing a blue one, and the- you know, and you’re like well, that’s just the way like everyone’s just happy with it. So it makes it easier. But everyone has been lovely.
Q : What would you say in the film appeals to families?
COBIE SMULDERS : Um, well, you know what I like about this film is it’s kind of a dysfunctional family, like it’s the way that these- all these sort of separate superheroes have to come together to succeed. And I, I feel like there’s sort of like a team, a family dynamic within that- and it’s cool to see them rise above their personal issues. And sort of accomplish the goal.
***Disclosure: I’m attending #TheAvengersEvent . My flight, lodgings, and expenses were covered by Disney. Images credit: Disney All opinions are 100% mine.***
About Kas
I love that she was so down-to-earth and easy to relate to as a fellow mom. She really put us at ease and I really look forward to future roles she will play. Didn’t she seem like she’d be whole lot of fun to just hang out with?
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She was great! I didn’t feel as if I was speaking to a celebrity, but rather just an old friend.
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