Chris Evans pushes ahead

The MUSE: How does it feel to have gone from films like ‘Not Another Teen Movie’ to much more serious action flicks like ‘Push’ and ‘Fantastic Four’? How was this journey from comedy to action for you?

Chris Evans: I don’t think I was kind of an over night thing like a Hayden Christianson or an Orlando Bloom where you get that one part and then, boom, you’re everywhere. It’s been a slow steady pace since 2001. It’s just been a combination of things really. I think the biggest factor is luck. I just know so many phenomenally talented people who are not working…I just want to keep on doing this, I’m not after fame or glory or money I just want to be able to do what I love and not have to get a real job.

TM: In today’s economy when spending $10 to see a movie requires a bit more thought than it used to, why do you believe college students should spend the money to see Push?

CE: Well, I think movies in general are pretty cheap dates for the most part. I think that’s why movies ‘-‘- I should knock on wood ‘-‘- hopefully movies will stay recession proof. I still think you know, nine bucks on a ticket, five bucks on some soda and popcorn is still a relatively cheap night. About ‘Push,’ it’s just a fun movie. It’s something that I think college aged kids can really relate to. The plot is incredibly entertaining and I’d like to believe that we offer something in the way of special effects that I don’t think has been done before.
TM: What about this role and working on this movie afforded you new or different experiences?

CE: I think working in Hong Kong was certainly a different experience. Being there for three months gave us an environment that’s tangible to play off. This was a much different experience in a sense that everything around us was real, we weren’t working in front a green screen. We really had to use our imaginations. (Director) Paul (McGuigan) really tried to avoid relying on special effects. There was also a little bit less rehearsal time. I’m a big fan of rehearsal because I come from a theater background, but Paul, as well as my fellow costars, are of the mind set, ‘Let’s keep it fresh, let’s let it happen on the day,’ and there are plenty of phenomenal actors who approach film making in that manner. It was different, but it was a great experience because that’s something you have to be ready for because everyone approaches film making differently.
TM: What about ‘Push’ makes it different than similarly-themed movies and TV shoes such as ‘X-Men’ and ‘Heroes’?

CE: I have not seen ‘Heroes’ before so I can’t really touch on ‘Heroes.’ I think they did a really great thing in X-Men. With ‘X-Men,’ they kind of made it that mutation was a known thing, it was something that was dealt with in the public, on the news and in the White House. In ‘Push’ no one knows that powers exist. This branch of the government that the people with powers are dealing with is called Division. Division is a secret branch of the government that operates under wraps, so the general public is completely unaware that people with these abilities even exist. To me, this is what makes the stakes a bit higher.
‘
TM: Do you ever worry about being typecast as an action film star because of your recent successes in the genre?

CE: Sure, there is always the worry to be type cast. It’s a tricky approach. It’s something you want to stay aware of, but if the pieces to the puzzle fit, you just have to do it. For example, if all of a sudden I got an offer for another science fiction film and it was the right film and it was a challenging role despite the fact that I’ve done a few of those, it would be hard to say no. You obviously don’t want to be typecast but by the same token if the moon is aligned and it’s a part that I really feel a connection to, it’s hard to pass up. It’s something you really can’t plan against because you don’t want to avoid a role just because you’ve done one similar to it.

TM: As a Boston native, do you enjoy coming back to Boston often?

CE: I went back for Halloween because my sister was due to have a baby the first month of November, and then after she gave birth, I said you know what, it’s so close to the end of the year I might just stick it out and I just stayed back on the east coast for this entire time. I just got back to LA two days ago. It was so wonderful being back in Boston, it was such a treat. All of my friends that I went to high school with are still back there, my whole family is still back there. It’s a great way to recharge your batteries.