Actress Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass, Hugo, Carrie, Let Me In) and Author Gayle Forman (If I Stay) stopped by Seattle during their press tour for the movie version of Forman’s novel, If I Stay. The film deals with love, loss, death, perseverance, and family. It’s the type of film that teenage girls will flock to with a glint in their eyes and then when they leave, those eyes will be red from crying. When speaking with Moretz, I was very surprised as to how laid-back she was. She isn’t like the Hollywood types that you’ve come to expect and she was insanely fun to talk with. Forman was very informative and her passion for writing and her novel was clear within the words she spoke to me. The film is out in theaters this Friday, so take a look below at our conversations and stay tuned for my review!
(This interview was originally published on nicktiffany.com on August 20, 2014.)
Chloe-Grace Moretz: How are you?
I’m great. I’m Nick Tiffany, nice to meet you.
*puzzled by website name*
That’s my website, named after me. I guess I’m just kind-of self-obsessed.
There you go. I like it.
Mia’s deal is that she loves classical music, but she doesn’t really advertise that. What is something that you do in your life– that maybe you’re obsessed with– that you’re somewhat reserved about? Or, that people may think you’re totally weird for?
Um… I don’t know. I don’t really have any weird stuff like that, but I definitely have guilty pleasures. I watch Keeping Up With the Kardashians…
Oooh. That’s the deal-breaker. We’re just going to stop the interview here. *laughs*
Yeah, I know. *laughs* I’m a sucker for reality T.V.
How about singing in the car and all that kind of stuff?
Oh yeah! That happens 99% of the time, but I’m not ashamed about it. I’ll do that anywhere. I will make a fool out of myself 99% of the time and I’m okay with that.
I drive alone most of the time, so I get to sing to myself and then of course I’ll sing with other people too.
I don’t have a driver’s license. So, I’m never alone.
No?
Never alone.
You could just ride your bike around and belt as you go. I think we’ve solved that problem.
*laughs* Yeah, exactly!
You’re technically in high school. I don’t know what your school situation is now, but I just graduated. You’d be a senior this year, right?
Would be, yes. *laughs*
Lots of stuff happens during senior year and there are so many experiences to be had. For Mia, she gets in a car crash and that could be it for her. She might not get to experience those things that most everyone else does. In your life, I’m sure there’s a lot of pressure when it comes to filming and I’m curious to know if you miss certain things? Going to school and having that senior experience?
Well, the only thing that I kind of miss sometimes, is the ambiguity of it all. Being able to go to a “high school party”, but not let anyone know. “Keeping secrets” with the “coolest people”. I wish I could do that, because it just doesn’t happen. A) Because my family is the most nosy family in the world. B) Because people are pretty nosy in this business. So, I think in some ways I wish that I could go in all covert, but it never happens.
High school in a small town means that everyone’s nosey, so I know where you’re coming from. It’s bad.
My thoughts exactly. It’s the worst!
If you were in Mia’s situation, what would prompt you to stay? What’s going to get you back?
Probably remembering that I have my friends and my aunt, my uncle, my cousins that love and are there for me. They could help me through it. My career too. The thing about Mia, is that she has such a big career ahead of her and that’s a really big thing for me too. I can’t say that it would be the reason I would come back at all, because I don’t know if I would. But, I would like to think that it would be a contributing factor.
It’s kind-of a nice perk, right? It’s gotta be fun.
I guess it’s a little bit fun. *laughs* I’m okay with it.
I have one more question and I thought long and hard about this one.
Hit me. I’m all ears. You have ALL of the time.
So with the different people you’ve played– I mean, I really enjoyed you as Carrie because we saw a sweet and dark side to you and as Hit Girl, you totally kicked ass–…
That was sly. No pun intended, I’m sure.
You’ve worked with Marin Scorsese! You’ve done so much in such a short time and I’m curious to know what your thought process is when you’re finding a new role, especially with being a young actress in Hollywood. I’m sure they’re throwing a lot of this kind of stuff at you all the time.
I mean, honestly it depends on the script. It doesn’t even matter about the director and everything else, until later. It really has to be that the script hits me and I know that I’m the best person to portray the character. If no one else can do it better than me, I’ll do it. If I don’t feel connected to the script, no amount of money, or a director, or other actors can get me on that set.
That’s really awesome to hear, actually. Thank you so much for you time!
Thank you! It was very nice meeting you!
Gayle Forman
Mrs. Forman is all smiles.
Hi, how are you?
I’m great! I’m Nick Tiffany and it’s very nice to meet you.
Hi, Nick! Nice to meet you too.
As I was reading the book, some things were changed for the movie, as they always are. I know that you didn’t write the script for the movie, but were you there on-set guiding the film-maker and actors? Also, what was most important for you to have emphasized in the movie, that was emphasized in the book?
I offered feedback on the scripts, but the most important thing was that the emotional integrity and the emotional experience translates well. I wanted the characters to be like they were in the book. I didn’t want them to be “Hollywood-ified” versions, which I don’t think they are. I wanted the dynamic with her family to be kind of as it was and same with the dynamic with Adam to be as it was. So, we tweaked certain things as you know, but I still think that the DNA remains the same.
I’d asked Chloe that “if you were in Mia’s situation, what would prompt you to stay?”
I get asked that a lot. *laughs* I think that if I were her age and I had my life in front of me, and I had all the things that she has to live for– a musical career, this greater family, and a boyfriend– I would choose to stay. If it were my family, no way. My husband and my children? No. She has her future. My husband and my children are my future and if they’re gone, there’s nothing.
I can completely understand that. That’s a very respectable and loving choice. What would you say your writing process is? Talk me through what you were going through while writing this novel.
This one was very much a “by the seat of the pants” novel. I would just wake up– and I get insomnia while I write– in the middle of the night and I’d think about it and it just took me places that I’d never knew of. It was the most beautiful writing experience that I’ve ever had. They’ve never been like this.
What was your favorite aspect of this love story?
You know, I think it’s that it’s many love stories in one. It’s the love story with Adam, the love story with her music, and the love story with her family. I like that it’s a series of love stories.
Can’t go wrong with love. Thank you so much for your time!
Thank you!
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