Before Capt. James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise encountered his first Klingon, there was John Carter.
Before Luke Skywalker learned the way of the Force, there was John Carter.
And before director James Cameron ever envisioned a race of blue aliens, there was John Carter.
In fact, it would be difficult to find any science fiction writer who wasn’t inspired or influenced in some way by Edgar Rice Burroughs’ character, which was introduced a century ago in a magazine story, and then immortalized in the book “A Princess of Mars.” That book, published in 1917, was the first of 10 books that Burroughs (he is better known as the creator of Tarzan) would write about “Barsoom” – his name for the planet Mars.
On Friday, Burroughs’ character will hit the big screen in “John Carter,” the first live-action film from director Andrew Stanton, the Pixar wizard who won an Oscar for “WALL-E.” The new film stars Taylor Kitsch in the title role as a Civil War soldier who mysteriously wanders into a time warp and finds himself on Mars with super-powers caused by the change in gravity. He lands in the middle of another civil war on a dying planet, where he chooses sides with a beautiful warrior princess, played by Lynn Collins.
See photos of Lynn Collins and “John Carter”
Collins, 34, has dabbled in fantasy action movies before (she played Kayla Silverfox in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and was hot for vampires in HBO’s “True Blood”), although her background is more classical in nature.
The Texas-born actress graduated from the prestigious Julliard School in New York City, and then performed in a string of dramatic stage roles in productions of “Hamlet,” “Romeo and Juliet” and “As You Like it.”
None of that, however, prepared her for the role of Princess Dejah Thoris in “John Carter,” which called for her to perform a variety of stunts, including flying through the air on wires. Oh, did we mention that she is afraid of heights?
Collins, who is married to actor Steven Strait, talks about flying, how she got introduced to science fiction and what she really wanted to be when she grew up.
ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: What’s a nice classically trained actress like you doing in an action movie like this?
LYNN COLLINS (laughs): When I read the script, I was overcome with desire to do this film. And then there is this amazing female kick-ass role in it. There are my Shakespeare heroines, and then there are characters like this. I also wanted to work with Andrew Stanton. He’s a genius. I know I’m going to be safe with him.
Q. When you say you’re going to be safe with him, what do you mean?
A. It means that I can make a choice that may not be the right choice, and he’s not going to chastise me or embarrass me. He understands the creative process. He understands that an artist has to go through a process to get to a sweet spot.
Q. And what is the sweet spot?
A. It’s the take that you want the audience to see. You need to get through so many layers and understanding to get to that place.
Q. You have a very serious theater background, but your TV and film choices are much more diverse. Why is that?
A. I get bored easily. I had goals when I left Juilliard, and one of those goals was to experience all mediums, so I am open to everything. I believe in storytelling. That’s what I look for.
Q. So, whether it’s Ophelia or a Martian princess, it’s all about the story?
A. It’s all about the story. I want women to look at my work and say “I can be that self-empowered.” That’s what I loved about this character. She is so empowered. I want little girls to say, “I can be that strong when I grow up.”
Q. You feel that responsibility with every role?
A. I do feel that responsibility. To have success in this industry comes with a backpack. So many actors say they didn’t sign up for that, but you still have that backpack whether you want it or not.
Q. Who were your acting inspirations when you were younger?
A. Sigourney Weaver.
Q. Ripley in “Alien?”
A. Oh yeah. The idea of female-empowerment was so exciting.
Q. Are you that strong in real life?
A. You can’t just play strong. You have to be strong. You have to be brave to play a character like this.
Q. Which leads perfectly into my next question. At what point in the filming did you realize you’d have to fly through the air on wires?
A. That was day three. I saw our stunt doubles do this amazing fall from this incredible height. I started to walk away when I saw Taylor climbing into his harness. All he said to me was, “No regrets, Collins.”
Q. You didn’t know before that day that you were going to be doing those stunts?
A. I thought there would be a conversation first. There was none. There was just, “Here we go.”
Q. Were you terrified?
A. The first time they dropped us, I couldn’t stand on my own. My legs were shaking so much. I realized that it wasn’t going to be the leaping that would kill me; it was going to be the adrenalin spiking that would kill me. Taylor didn’t have that problem. He’s a hockey player so he’s used to the action.
Q. Don’t they cover flying through the air at Julliard?
A. Nope. I never had to go up in the air.
Q. You grew up in Texas. Did they make fun of you for wanting to be an actress?
A. I went to a very competitive high school, and at 14, I had to make a decision. The drama department was exemplary, and I had to decide whether to pursue acting or to concentrate on my grades so that I could go to medical school and become a child psychiatrist.
Q. Your two life choices were acting or medical school?
A. Yes.
Q. How did you make a decision like that?
A. I had this drama teacher who sat me down and told me I had this exceptional gift that needed training. He also said I was beautiful, and with those two, you could scale great heights in this business.
Q. Did you think you were beautiful?
A. Beauty is something I see in other people. I couldn’t see it in myself.
Q. You don’t see yourself as beautiful?
A. It’s a problem. I see it in my characters, but it’s hard to see it in a mirror.
Q. You definitely would have been the best-looking child psychiatrist in the neighborhood.
A. It would have been weird.
Q. Is the studio thinking that “John Carter” could be a franchise?
A. I’m signed on for two more movies.
Q. That’s a huge commitment.
A. It is, but when you find a character you love, and a director you love, then you cling to it like a little marsupial (laughs).
Q. How do plan your life when you’re committed to a franchise?
A. You surround yourself with a manager and an agent who figure out your schedule.
Q. This role could make you much more visible than any other role you’ve done. Are you ready for that kind of fame?
A. I’m ready. It’s part of that backpack I was talking about. It comes with the territory.
Q. I assume you weren’t a sci-fi geek when you were growing up?
A. Why do you assume that?
Q. Because you’re a girl.
A. Girls make the best sci-fi geeks.
Q. Only on “The Big Bang Theory.” Not in real life.
A. (laughs) I watched a ton of sci-fi because my whole family was into it.
Q. What will bring audiences in to see this movie?
A. There’s an incredible love story in it.
Q. That won’t bring the guys in.
A. There is fighting and warring among every type of species imaginable.
Q. There you go. And then there is Mars.
A. Everybody loves Mars.
Contact the writer: 714-796-5051, ext. 1110, or bkoltnow@ocregister.com
