Hollywood Movies

Across the Universe - Evan Rachel Wood Interview

with Rebecca Murray

Evan Rachel Wood starts out an innocent teenager of the '60s in love with her high school sweetheart and winds up as one of the leaders of the protest against the Vietnam War in the musical extravaganza, Across the Universe, directed by Julie Taymor.

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Transcript: Across the Universe - Evan Rachel Wood Interview

Rebecca Murray from About.com Hollywood Movies at the Special Hollywood Screening of Across the Universe.

Evan Rachel Wood ('Lucy')

You sing like an angel in this. Where did that voice come from?

Evan Rachel Wood: "I don't know. I guess, well, I started off in musical theater just for fun in North Carolina, and my dad is a singer. But no, I never really had a lesson or anything. I just did it for fun."

Did you feel any extra added weight taking on these Beatles tunes?

Evan Rachel Wood: "Oh, absolutely. It doesn't matter how good you can sing. If you're singing a Beatles song, you're going to be nervous. I think it helped that a lot of us weren't professional singers, we weren't from Broadway, because nobody wants to hear the Beatles sung like Broadway. You want it to be real and edgy, and I think it helped."

When you first received the script and you saw that's all about these different Beatles songs, were you initially drawn to it or leery of it? What was your reaction?

Evan Rachel Wood: "I was looking for a musical to do because I love singing so much I wanted to do it. And then I heard through the grapevine that there was going to be a Beatles musical and right away I was like, 'I don't care! I'll do it. Whatever!' And then Julie Taymor's directing it and I just almost had a heart attack. It was beyond anything I could have ever hoped for."

You bring up her name. What is it that is so special about her as a director that makes it so good for you as actor?

Evan Rachel Wood: "She never compromises. She'll push you, but in the right way. She always gets the best out of you because she's not thinking…she is what she does. She's not thinking, 'How do I make this cool or interesting or weird looking?' It just comes out of her. It's just what she does."

Which was the toughest song for you to tackle?

Evan Rachel Wood: "The toughest song was probably If I Fell and I ended up having to sing it live. So that was twice as stressful. I guess just because it's the hardest song, there's really high notes, but it's also the most vulnerable and emotional song so it was double trouble."

And when you're doing it live, is it easier then to feel that emotion?

Evan Rachel Wood: "Yeah, especially the vulnerability. I think that's why Julie wanted me to do it because you really do get that sense."

There's a lot of chemistry between you guys in this film and you all come off as good friends. Was it like that on the set?

Evan Rachel Wood: "Yeah. I feel like these are my soul mates. They're my best friends now."

And King of California is coming up next and that's totally different than this. How was it to transition between these?

Evan Rachel Wood: "It's kind of depressing, actually. We all went through… It was like post-partum depression after coming off of this movie because it was such an amazing experience. And then we went to the next one and we're like, 'Where are the songs? Where are my friends?' It was kind of sad."

So if they do this one on Broadway you'll go do it?

Evan Rachel Wood: "Oh, I would do anything. Well, as long as Julie Taymor was doing it. I'll do anything she does."