Celebrity Interviews

One of the most talked-about film performances of 2009 is Colin Firth's starring role in 'A Single Man.' The British actor's beautifully sensitive portrayal of George Falconer, a gay college professor whose longtime partner dies suddenly, has put him on the shortlist for a Best Actor Oscar nomination. The film, based on the 1964 Christopher Isherwood novel of the same name, was written, directed and produced by Tom Ford, the American fashion designer previously known mainly for helming the houses of Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. 'A Single Man' premiered at this year's Venice Film Festival, at which Firth won the Volpi Cup (best actor award).

Firth is probably best known for playing two not terribly different incarnations of a Jane Austen character: ultimate 19th-century heartthrob Mr. Darcy in the beloved 1995 miniseries 'Pride and Prejudice' and his 21st-century counterpart, Mark Darcy, in 'Bridget Jones's Diary' and 'Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.' But he's also shown his range via diverse roles in movies such as 'Where the Truth Lies,' 'Mamma Mia!' and 'Nanny McPhee.' His screen personae tend to be intelligent, understated and dryly witty, and the man's no different in real life. He chatted with Moviefone about 'A Single Man,' 'Bridget Jones' and playing bad guys, among other other things.

To a certain generation of moviegoer, few faces are more familiar than Matt Dillon's. After breaking onto the scene at the tender age of 14 in 'Over the Edge,' Dillon quickly filled his resume with roles as the troubled bad boy in films like 'Tex,' 'Rumble Fish,' and 'The Outsiders.'

While many of his early-career co-stars had difficulty escaping teen-heartthrob territory, Dillon successfully transitioned to adult roles, consistently making bold choices that defied expectations. From the raunchy comedy 'There's Something About Mary' to the steamy thriller 'Wild Things' to his Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe-winning performance as a police officer in 'Crash,' there's a fearlessness to Dillon's choices that recalls, well -- gotta say it -- a troubled bad boy, playing by nobody's rules but his own.

At only 24, Anna Kendrick is already an old pro. When she was barely 10 her parents were putting her on Greyhounds (with her older brother) bound for New York so she could audition on Broadway. At 12, she landed her first play. And at 14, she became the second youngest person ever to be nominated for a Tony award.

She didn't win, but nominations haven't stopped coming her way. There was the Independent Spirit Award nomination for 2004's 'Camp,' and then another, four years later, for 'Rocket Science.' And now her work in 'Up in the Air,' the latest film from Jason Reitman ('Juno,' 'Thank You For Smoking'), is generating Oscar buzz.

Did we mention (do we have to?) that Kendrick plays Jessica, pal to Kristin Stewart's Bella in the 'Twilight' saga? (One of the year's most popular movies? Check. Oscar nomination? A very likely check.)

If you don't yet know the name Vera Farmiga, or if you only vaguely recognize her as the head-shrinking beauty who romanced both Matt Damon and Leo DiCaprio in 'The Departed,' that's all about to change thanks to writer-director Jason Reitman's 'Juno' follow-up 'Up in the Air' (in select theaters Dec. 4).

The Jersey Girl with a self-professed Ukrainian-New Jersey accent is earning career-best reviews and Best Supporting Actress Oscar buzz for her role in the flick. An adaptation of Walter Kirn's 2002 novel, 'Air' casts Farmiga as Alex, a jet-setting professional woman who's every bit as witty, smart, charming and emotionally unavailable as her male romantic foil Ryan Bingham, a slick, frequent-flier-mileage-obsessed "career transition technician" played by the equally Oscar-worthy George Clooney.

In an exclusive interview, Farmiga dishes on her ideal man, Clooney's weird fascination with Billy Bob Thornton's character from 'Sling Blade' ... and the dangers of doing nude scenes after childbirth.

While Disney animated movies tend to have homespun charm and timeless appeal -- and are of course kid-friendly -- 'The Princess and the Frog' has a much different significance. With this highly anticipated release, Disney has its first African-American princess in nearly a century of making movies.

Behind the pioneering Princess Tiana is Anika Noni Rose, a Tony Award winner best known on the big screen for her work in 2006's 'Dreamgirls.'

Rose talked with Moviefone about working on a film with such social significance, living her own fairytale and staying in touch with her 'Dreamgirls' co-stars Jennifer Hudson and Beyonce.

History remembers the 1930s as a period of immense turmoil and economic strife, as the U.S. struggled through the Great Depression. But at the same time, the films of that period were wonderful -- from Fred Astaire's toe-tapping to Cary Grant's charm to Jimmy Stewart's visit to Washington.

Where did such great art come from? Was it pure escapism, a reflection of the times, or both? After listing our picks for the best '30s movies of all time, we turned to an expert -- Morris Dickstein, author of the '30s cultural history 'Dancing in the Dark' -- for his take on the films of the period, the importance of screwball comedies and his picks for the most enduring movies of the era ... not to mention the film we honored that he considers "not a good movie." (Ouch!)

Michael Cera may not be the sweet young man you think he is.

Since the cult TV series 'Arrested Development,' Cera's pale, frail, and lovably droll anti-hero status has remained pretty consistent. How different, really, was his Evan in 'Superbad' than his George-Michael in 'Development?' Compared to Johah Hill's Seth and Christopher Mintz-Plasse's McLovin', not to mention the cops played by Seth Rogen and Bill Hader, Evan was really the only mature one around.

Viggo Mortensen isn't your average Hollywood leading man. He speaks no fewer than five languages, writes poetry, paints, plays music and was once a truck driver in Denmark. And since his star-making turn as the heroic Aragorn in Peter Jackson's 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy -- a role which he would have turned down had his son not begged him to do it -- he's pretty much steered clear of Hollywood blockbusters. Instead, he's opted to tackle grittier fare such as 'A History of Violence' and 'Eastern Promises,' the latter of which earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination and hordes of female fans, thanks in part to a savage all-nude knife fight that's become the stuff of movie legend.

Incidentally, Mortensen is also the kind of guy who'd rather do a post-apocalyptic epic on a shoestring budget with an indie director like John Hillcoat than do a $200-million-budgeted special-effects extravaganza with Roland Emmerich (no offense to Emmerich, whose films seem to do pretty well regardless of who's in them). Hence, this Thanksgiving, moviegoers won't see Viggo in '2012,' but rather in the haunting adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel 'The Road,' in select theaters Nov. 25.

Light on the one-liners and F/X and heavy on the drama and breathtaking cinematography, 'The Road' tells the tale of a man and his son (newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee) -- simply named "the Man" and "the Boy," respectively -- who, in the wake of an unspecified global catastrophe, traverse the barren, cannibal-roamed ruins of America with just one goal: survival. It's grim stuff to be sure, but also ultimately uplifting in its depiction of the simple love between father and son. And it's earning tremendously positive notices from critics and some Oscar buzz for Mr. Mortensen and his young co-star.

Moviefone caught up with Viggo in New York last week over breakfast, and Mortensen talked passionately about his hope that 'The Road' connects with audiences, dished on teaming up with David Cronenberg for a sequel to 'Eastern Promises' ... and revealed whether Aragorn, aka the king, will return in Guillermo del Toro's 'Lord of the Rings' prequel 'The Hobbit.'