Imogen Poots (Fright Night, That Awkward Moment) has starred in a number of films but none of them could amount to the action packed thrill ride that is Need For Speed. In the film Poots plays Julia Bond, a savvy car dealer who connects the wealthy with rare and exotic cars. We had a chance to talk to the actress at a roundtable during the film’s press day. There she talked about being playing a sophisticated woman in a mostly testosterone movie, some of the stunt work she has done, failing her driver’s ed test, and more. Hit the jump to read what she said.
What was it like to be the female presence in a testosterone movie, and getting to drive all the cars?
Imogen Poots: It certainly felt like that, I am not going to lie. You sorta got to keep your head down and get on with it in that environment. But it was cool, and driving the car was fun. I don’t drive in real life, so driving a car full stock was closer to being a grown up. But yeah it was a cool experience. The people who are going to see this film love cars, and I am not going to lie, it is something that is slightly foreign to me. I probably should have been more excited about having the latest mustang. But I was like: this is some kind of wheel.
So you don’t drive out of fear; out of choice; out of police taking your license away?
Oh for being a completely inept human being at life. I mean I’ve lived in California for two years. Don’t know how I’ve managed to navigate my way around. So I took my test for the first time – I’m actually moving to New York – So I was like, I’m moving to New York, therefore I’m taking my driver’s test in California, which I failed to prove the point.
You’re not going to need it in New York anyway.
I know. It was kind of those “quit while you are ahead.” But actually, you just didn’t do it.
Did the director (Scott Waugh) know that you didn’t have a driver’s liscence, did you ever tell them?
You know, it never really came up. Which, I guess I’m thinking the insurance and yeah. Yeah, we’ve never really spoken about it, and I think in general I was just doing my own thing with the driving.
What was it like working with Aaron, what was the dynamic like?
The dynamic was the same before, because we had just done a film together in London [referring to The Long Way Down], a couple months ago, and it was actually Aaron who asked if I would be interested in this sort of a film. The trepidation I felt about this sort of a film was put at ease by the fact that we would be in it together. I mean you are in a car and in a claustrophobic place, and it would be sort of awful not to like the person you are with, so it was a good thing.
You mentioned claustrophobic, are you afraid of heights like you are in the film?
I am. But that wasn’t actually that high, so I’m like what ever, she’s (her character) a pussy. I certainly would feel uneasy if I had to jump off something like that. Actually that’s funny, because even though what I call a stunt, even though my friends working in action films and stunts are incredible, mine was I am going to fall on my back off a building, it was really hard. Because it’s not natural, and it’s interesting you have to be coached to a certain degree for that trust.
Compared to all the other movies you’ve made, the indie’s and period pieces, does this raise new fears as an actor or do you look at it from the perspective of the character.
I would say you would hope the work ethic would be the same whatever, film set or tv set your turning up to. I think with this there was certainly an awareness of the type of film it was, and actually more so that that the subject matter. Because this type of film, because it is a “studio” film, it can be anything you want it to be, and you can attempt to want it to make an aspect of it your own. But I think the subject matter of this was cars, full stop cars, that was something where I was like – meh, am I crazy about the idea. And knowing Aaron and I were going to be in it together, and understanding the type of time we could have on it, that was kind of the appeal. But it ceartainly was a whole different situation in a sense of, there is certainly more people, so there’s more money, there’s more days. so that certainly makes a difference. But yeah, it’s certainly different than running around the streets of New York and doing it kind of guerrilla style, cause you can sort of run with it literally.
Did you want to do more stunt work after working on this? Did you catch an action movie bug?
Well, you know i’ve watched these guys do it, and to be honest walking into the project I felt a little like “stunts”, “crumunch”, I didn’t understand how incredible these guys are at their jobs. I mean it is really like a dance. I think I had this presumption that it was going to be like stunts require muscle and strength, but actually you have to be so deft with your moves and accurate, otherwise everything fucks up. So these guys together, watching them practice and watching them – there was one shot where the car had drive so quick and go over some traffic, and that was the moment where we wre all there standing there and watching it and it was like: something could go horribly wrong. And watching the stunt guys – it was a very emotional moment, because “we’re doing this for the film, and it’s going to be awesome, and everyone else would use CGI for it, but no we are going to do this the authentic way. And that was certainly so much more than what I had considered stunt work to be. It’s a real art.
What has been the experience like watching the final product?
It has been so quick seeing it after, because normally you see it 15 years later and you’re like: Oh yeah. But seeing it soon after too, it is so fresh in my mind, and you don’t know how this sort of a film is going to be put together, you do your work, you leave it there, and as much as I trust the director and Aaron, you don’t know this thing is going to be put together, so I was pleasantly surprised with the film, and it has been interesting seeing what everyone else has been doing with the film. And it’s fast, it seems like you are in that car forever, and you kind of are for months on end, and then suddenly oh that’s just one shot. But I think the landscape is pretty amazing. Filming in Moab, Utah, and other parts of America is pretty extraordinary. So I liked seeing that in the movie.
What was Scott like as a director?
He was really cool because I think he understood my reservations or concerns, and he was every available and assessable to me personally I think. Cause when everyone else said hi to each other it was like [using her most masculine voice while high fiving herself] “Hey!” “Hey!” Whoa is someone getting hit? No, it’s just men saying hi. And I think he’s like I will take a moment and give her a hug. He was very hands on in that way, and came from a background of stunt work production. But really really wanted to find the heart within the story, and very mindful of that. And I like him a lot, he really cares about human beings. It’s a lovely thing.
What scene stood out for you?
I remember the scene where Julia gets out of the car, and lies along the side of it and steps on gas. It’s the gas (laughs)? And I think that was because we had practiced it a lot the day before and felt very comfortable to kind of just go and use – your fear is replaced by exhilaration. And trust again the people around you, and I realize when I prematurely tried to get out of the car I was like “Oh, I;m attached to a rope,” so people have got you covered from literally all angles. And it was fun a part from the crazy wind burn, that was like a wild crazy situation, not normal.
Did that scene need a lot of takes?
We did a few for the different camera angles, and there were obviously moments where I couldn’t reach the nozzle, you know, that happens, so they were like: “ah shit, we have to take it back to the start again,” and that is actually interesting; it’s the whole idea of you work with maybe kids or animals, and there’s time limit to that kind of thing, and there’s limitation to that kind of shoot, but working with cars you dirve 65 miles all the way down the street it’s like if you mess it up, you have to take it right back up the street.
How fast were you going?
I think it was around 65 – 70 mph. It was really fast. It really really was. And that is something I appreciated too, never would they put you in a place of danger, but the guys were like “if you are going to do it, do it.” Otherwise it’s not going to have the impact or effect, so you have to go along with it.
So you seemed to gain a lot of experience while on set.
Totally, and the education you get necessarily – in terms of “oh now I know this, and it’s a good thing,” you don’t come away necessarily thinking “Oh now I gained this knowledge and it benefits me because…” you also can have an experience and think “you know what I’m not crazy about cars, but I have learned that if you are in the hands of a director who is wiling to do something different or attempt to find a character dynamic that’s fresh and electric that’s great, but had this been in the hands of a different director, well I guess I wouldn’t be a part of the project then, if they were just like “this is just going to be fun,” that mentality is unfortunately very common, so I think the experience was certainly informative, but thank goodness there was good people that got involved.
This movie does a great job of not oversexualizing the female character, can you tell us a little bit more about that?
That was more for you in a sense that I wasn’t going to be a part of this project if I didn’t think that – I wouldn’t be a part of this project if I thought she was going to be completely dismissed or diluted as a character. So there’s that, but you’re right, it felt cool and fun. I still stand by the fact that by Scott in terms of casting Aaron and I in the film he did kind of make a choice there, I myself don’t see myself being the classic choice for this kind of film.
Do you see yourself in this character or are you very cautious or are you a very fun person?
I think the latter. Yeah, I think going out and having fun. Obviously the differences, her feels it necessary for physical things, putting herself in danger physically. But i see it differently, I’m cautious in terms of I would think twice before I would get out of a car and lie along side it. In terms of life – no I think following your intuition in terms of artistically is really really important cause its better to kind of have – I think having regrets about things you didn’t do is worse than having regrets about things you did do.
If you are not into cars, then what are you into?
I really like books. I really like movies. I love old cinema. And new cinema, but I think it’s kind of fascinating to see what came before. Am very very happy completely disappearing into the Criterion Collection, and never seeing a human being. But I think those things are really important. Long walks.
On the beach at sunset with dogs?
Exactly. I’m allergic to dogs actually. Maybe I’ll get a cardboard cut out or something.
Was it nice to use your native British accent?
Yeah it was cool. Kind of wanted to play – I really really wanted to play her as an American at first. They said the British accent is so exotic, and when your British you think “Is it?”, it’s not at all, to me an accent from the south is far more exotic. But it was okay, I mean you don’t want to be the Brit in an American film, that would suck if that would happen which it kinda did. But it was nice, it gives you the kind of freedom to make choices.
