Sam Worthington stars in Man on a Ledge. (Myles Aronowitz)Worthington have in common is that they both work like crazy.Since headlining the biggest box-office hit of all time, Worthington has industriously divided his efforts between other ntasy franchises (Clash of the Titans, Terminator Salvation) and smaller, character-based dramas (Last Night, The Debt, Texas Killing Fields). Along with her loaded film and TV schedule, Banks also runs Brownstone Productions with her husband, Max Handelman.Additionally, both say they dont have time for celebrity nonsense.Since `Avatar, Ive been flying under the radar, which is weird, admits Worthington, though it may have something to do with the ct that he looked like a towering blue lizard-man through most of that.I dont go to the opening of an envelope, I dont roll around with entourages of people, I dont date models and things like that, he said. Its a case of I just kind of keep to myself and lead a normal life. Maybe its a reap what you sow kind of thing.I dont, purposely, do much, Banks echoes. Im sort of just living my life, choosing roles that interest me and going to things that interest me. I have a very busy life; Ive been movies for nine months in a row, and Im a new mom. Those are the things Id rather be doing.Both are also happy that they survived Man on a Ledge to see new projects theyre excited about. For Worthington, its Wrath of the Titans, the March sequel to the Greek mythology extravaganza that, well, hes not too proud of.Personally, I think I dropped the ball in the first one, for whatever reason, Worthington says of the widely derided, but nonetheless profitable, Clash of the Titans. I dont like the performance, I dont think I created a character; its just a generic, bland action hero that could have been played by anybody. Thats not my job; Ive let down an audience.So, on this one I sat with the director and we really worked out who we really wanted this Perseus to be, he continued. Now an audience can have a way in and then go on the journey with hhair playim and his adventures. And Ive got longer hair! I made a mistake in the first one and Im extremely lucky that I got this second chance.As for the sequel everyone really wants to see, Worthington says James Cameron hasnt reached script stage for the second Avatar yet, but has told the actor some of the things he wants to do with it.Hes got mad ideas, Worthington says of Cameron. Hes off the charts with `Avatar ideas at the moment.Banks has several features set for release this year: Welcome to People, What to Expect When Youre Expecting and another high-profile March entry, The Hunger Games, in which she plays media madwoman Effie Trinket.I was a little about the status of the movie, Banks says of the highly anticipated adaptation of Suzanne Collins dystopian novel, which along with its sequels is a Twilight kind of hit among young readers. I just wanted to play Effie Trinket because I really loved the books. I think they have a really great message to send to kids: that everybody matters. The act of one person starts a revolution in these books, and we see that going on, in reality, around the world right now. Its very timely.Speaking of which, at the time of our discussion a few weeks ago, Banks wasnt sure about the te of her Emmy-nominated 30 Rock character, [adult school] adultschool Students sought for Galt Adult School program (0) 2011-12-26 9:9:7 Avery Jessup, who in previous episodes had been kidnapped by Kim Jong-il and given as a consort to his son. Of course, over the shows hiatus, the real North Korean dictator died and Kim Jong-un ascended to the Communist nations leadership.I am now the first lady of North Korea, and maybe an assassin, laughs Banks, who played Laura Bush in Oliver Stones film W.And Im the former first lady of the United States! How many actors can say that?Bob [email protected]
hair play Man on a Ledge stars team up for high adventure,Sam Worthington stars in Man on a Ledge. (Myles Aronowitz)motion-captured Avatar alien is most mous for riding flying, dragonlike creatures. I think that anyone, if youre 228 feet up in the air, gets some sense of trepidation - more so, the type of actor who reads the script and forgets that he has to do it!When I turned up, it was like `You want me where? Out there!?! And they were like, `Its called Man on a Ledge, mate, youve got to get out there. So it took me awhile. But the first time I went out on the ledge was the first time you see me there in the film. I just told them to roll the camera and see what happens. I mightve burst into tears and curled up into a fetal ball. That wouldve been a great start to the film, wouldnt it?Safety came first for the precahair play Man on a Ledge stars team up for high adventurerious production, which built a whole replica ledge and hotel room set on the Roosevelts roof. That enabled better placing and counterbalancing of heavy cameras and cranes that swung above the New York streets. The room set also had sliding walls, which would enable rescue of any cast or crew member whose safety wires or harness malfunctioned.Not that that was likely, but ...I am not afraid of heights, Banks said. I am, however, afraid of human error and stupidity. Im all for jumping out of the airplane, but man, Im gonna double-, triple-time check that parachute first.On this, even though I was not afraid of the heights, youre constantly going, `Is the harness on right? and `Are birds going to fly into my head? she continued. Youre imagining all of the little things that could go wrong. Its not like we just stand there. We were also surrounded by cameramen and the wires are getting crossed and everybodys adrenaline is high. We all know that accidents happen, so its just a matter of being vigilant that it doesnt happen to you.Despite the specter of imminent death, Worthington and Banks had a good time Man on a Ledge, in which he plays a disgraced ex-cop who may or may not be suicidal and shes the troubled police negotiator who may have much more work to do than talk him down.I saw Elizabeth Banks in `The Next Three Days and thought she was sensational, Worthington says. And Ive seen all of her comic stuff, so I knew she had a great wit and could banter with me.Sam is clearly such a physical actor - such a physical person! - and yet, in this film, he was essentially trapped on a ledge, Banks notes. So what was really fun to watch was, he was kind of like a caged animal. I found that energy really intriguing, and I got to prod at him and see how he reacts. Then I based my next reaction on whatever he gave me. It was a nice push-pull.Another thing Banks and
Two of Hollywoods busiest actors, Sam Worthington and Elizabeth Banks, spend a lot of time hanging out on a hotel ledge in the you-get-what-you-paid-for-titled thriller Man on a Ledge.It wasnt just any ledge, though. While some of the high-above-Manhattan scenes were done on a green-screen soundstage, most of the footage was actually taken just off the roof of the Roosevelt Hotel at 45th and Madison.This, naturally enough, prompted existential musings among the cast.Am I afraid of heights? Worthington asked rhetorically. The heights dont bother me. Its the lling and landing that scare me.So what do you do about that?Dont ll, said the acrophobic Australian actor, whose
