5 Questions With: Chris Evans

Chris Evans announced his presence in the film world with authority in 2001, audaciously donning a whipped cream Speedo in 'Not Another Teen Movie.' He's since established himself as a box-office draw with the 'Fantastic Four' flicks and as an actor with serious range in ballsier fare such as director Danny Boyle's sci-fi epic 'Sunshine.'

In 'Push,' Evans once again taps into his love of the super-heroic to play a telekinetic or "mover" who joins forces with a 13-year-old clairvoyant or "watcher" (Dakota Fanning) to find a mind-controller or "pusher" (Camilla Belle) ... who just might hold the key to destroying an evil government agency bent on controlling mankind.

Evans chats about getting beat up on the set, undertaking the impossible task of making Fanning laugh, and why a banana and his rear end figure prominently in the highlight of his film career. -- By Tom DiChiara

1. Your role in 'Push' is a very physical one -- how'd you prepare for it?

The most physical preparation was [for] a big, big fight sequence at the end -- kind of a fistfight between me and another character. If it's a 10-minute fistfight on film, it took us two weeks to shoot. You know, there are so many different angles, and there's so much choreography and it's so tricky to make those things look good. We worked really hard trying to map out the dance of the fight. And it's humbling when you watch the stuntmen do it so effortlessly. These guys make everything look so great. They can just sell hits so well. And then me and this other actor we just said: "Let's really strap up the boots and go to work and get our hands dirty. Let's go home with some bumps and bruises and show that we're not just delicate actors."



2. If you could only pick one, which of the psychic abilities featured in the film would you choose?

Ooh, tough call. I'd probably go with pusher. Pusher is kind of the Jedi mind trick, making your thoughts into other people's thoughts. You could do a lot of damage with that one. That might be dangerous, actually.

3. How was it working with Dakota Fanning?

It was perfect because my immaturity level matched hers. I think she's somewhere around 21 and I'm somewhere around 15, so together we kind of got along perfectly. She's beautiful. She's phenomenal. She's such a good actress. She's such an amazing human being. She's found so much success at such an early age and she's got so much talent that I think it would be so easy for her to fall off track and become a kind of typical -- I don't want to say typical actress. But, you know, it's very difficult to maintain compassion and your heart, and she has done just that. She's such a good person. She has such great parents. She's just so genuine and sincere. I think she deserves everything that has come her way. [But] she gave me a lot of sh** while we were working [laughs]. She didn't like my jokes. She thinks I am the least funny person in America. But my goal on a daily basis would be try to get her to laugh. There were a lot of failed days, but it didn't deter my spirits. I came in every day with new jokes, and she hated them all. I had a knock-knock joke that she hated. I think it's hilarious. What was it? Oh. So there's an egg and a sausage in a frying pan, and the sausage turns to the egg and says, "Man, it's pretty hot in here." And the egg goes, "Oh my God, it's a talking sausage" [laughs]. Alright, alright -- I know it's pretty bad.

'Push' Trailer




4. What's next for you after 'Push'?

I'm going to do this comedy with Edgar Wright [who] did 'Shaun of the Dead.' [It's called] 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.' I play one of the deadly exes, one of the guys Scott has to fight throughout the movie in order to date the girl he loves.

5. Was wearing a whipped cream banana hammock in 'Not Another Teen Movie' the most terrifying moment of your film career?

It's the highlight of my film career -- are you kidding me? That's what I went to acting school for -- to learn how to walk with a banana in my pooper [laughs].