CHICAGO – Excelsior! Comic book legend Stan Lee’s famous exclamation puts a fine point on the third and final play of Mark Pracht’s FOUR COLOR TRILOGY, “The House of Ideas,” presented by and staged at City Lit Theater in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. For tickets/details, click HOUSE OF IDEAS.
Chicago Red Carpet: Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse in ‘Kick-Ass’
CHICAGO – There were flashbulbs and stars a-plenty last Thursday, April 15th, for the Red Carpet Chicago premiere of Kick-Ass. Lead superheroes Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass) and Chloe Moretz (Hit-Girl) were at the Windy City opening night, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Red Mist) joined them at C2E2.
HollywoodChicago was there and sent Ace Photographer Joe Arce to capture these portraits, and brief interviews were scored with Johnson and Moretz.
Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Red Mist in “Kick-Ass”
Christopher Mintz-Plasse, more well known as the legendary McLovin in “Superbad,” gets his superhero props playing Red Mist in Kick-Ass.
Admirers flocked to the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) where Mintz-Plasse, along with Aaron Johnson and Chloe Moretz, met attendees and signed autographs.
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com |
Aaron Johnson, the Title Character in “Kick-Ass”
Relative newcomer Aaron Johnson gets his big break by playing the actual Kick-Ass role in this heroic film. His film credits include ‘Nowhere Boy,’ due to be released later this year, where he portrays a young John Lennon.
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com |
HollywoodChicago.com: Did you have a comics background at all? Which known superhero did you want Kick-Ass to most resemble?
Aaron Johnson: I didn’t grow up in a comic book environment. This film introduced me to that. I grew up watching Tim Burton’s Batman movies, and Spider-Man, Wolverine, all those characters were familiar to me already.
My character plays on the Spider-Man vibe and goes into a Wolverine effect, with his body getting metal plates. [laughs] It’s a mixture, and that’s the world he’s in. When he speaks confidently, he thinks of Batman or Superman, but it sounds stupid because he’s just some weedy kid in a costume.
HC: How did you separate the myth from the man when you played John Lennon in ‘Nowhere Boy?’ What impressed you the most about him in your research for the role?
AJ: I could go on for hours. He’s an incredible man and a huge free spirit. He went for a lot in his lifetime and we covered that special and important part in the film when he was growing up with his Aunt Mimi, who taught him to be this poetic, artistic guy. Plus his mother Julia giving him his musical background. It was a huge part of his life. He was able to be more defensive and vulnerable at that point as opposed to when he was in The Beatles and closed up, and became more bitter and angry.
HC: What was the key for you to getting him as a character?
AJ: Not getting caught up in everyone’s expectations of him and worrying about the opinions regarding him. I threw that away, dug deeper and went with a gut feeling. There were so many layers to get through.
Chloe Moretz, Hit-Girl in “Kick-Ass”
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com |
HollywoodChicago.com: What was the funniest or strangest thing that Nicolas Cage did or told you when he was playing your father?
Chloe Moretz: He never told me anything strange or funny, we were just on set hanging out. He’s a chill guy, super relaxed and just normal.
HC: You were also recently in ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ as the outsider girl Angie. How did you relate to her, as far as your own school life right now?
CM: She knew better about what happens in real life, she realizes that after middle school she’ll face it and that’s how I am. I know there is something beyond being a 13 year old.
HC: What did you like most about playing Rachel in (500) Days of Summer?
CM: It was a fun role because I have four brothers and I like to tell them stuff. I give them tips but it never works, because they say ‘whatever, Chloe, you’re only 13.’ [laughs]
HC: Finally, what was the most fun about playing Hit-Girl and what was the biggest hassle about it?
CM: The most fun were all the action sequences, and the biggest hassle was the suit, because it was so hot. I’d be like, ‘okay, I’m burning up here.’ [laughs]
By PATRICK McDONALD |