Chris Evans burst onto the movie scene with his role as Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four and he has now become one of Hollywood's hottest talents with hits such as Sunshine and The Nanny Diaries.But this year saw him return to his role of Johnny Storm as The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

Did you have any injuries making the film. Everyone seems to have escaped?
Yeah. I think I made it out all in one piece.
When you sign up for an action movie...
You expect to get a little bruised. Or something. No, I didn’t get anything in this one.
Did you have a stuntman?
Oh yeah! I’ve got a good stunt guy. He’s great actually. He does everything. It’s great because sometimes with different things you need different stuntmen because some people only specialize in one area.
I hope his nickname isn’t ‘Crispy’
No, my stuntman really is a real-live, action hero. He does it all. He’s great.
Does the studio decide what you get to do or
Yes. And you’d like to do more than less. But there’s no way they’ll let you. They have insurance. They can’t risk it.
So what was the big difference making this second film?
It’s very interesting having an opportunity to see the first movie and then get to go back and revisit a character you’ve already played, having seen the way it played out the first time around. So The biggest difference is The biggest challenge you have, is staying out of your head.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in what did the reviews say I know some people like this But I hated that scene Maybe I just shouldn’t trust my instincts here and just do it that way because I’m sure people will like that better It can really drive you crazy. So I think the biggest challenge was just trusting your instincts and approaching it the same way you approached the first one.

Are you a comic book fan?
I wasn’t as a kid. I really didn’t grow up reading them. But having spent a lot of time over the past two or three years reading a lot of comic books, you know, I really think they’re They’re surprisingly educational. Not only are they beautiful aesthetically some of the art is gorgeous but the vocabulary some of these guys are throwing around. These evil villains using five-syllable words. This is great. My kids should be watching this instead of Tom & Jerry.

When kids see you on the street, what do they say to you?
I think there’s a common theme of them wanting to see me light something on fire, (laughs). So I continuously disappoint my fans by saying, I’m not working right now.

Why don’t you just say don’t play with fire?
That’s a good one. I’m stealing that one Kids are good though. Kids will spot you in a crowd. The adults have no idea. But you can have a full beard, glasses and a hat and

It might be because they’ve watched the dvd five thousand times.
Exactly (laughs).

I’m assuming the scale was much bigger on this film as well?
I don’t think any of the scale translated to my requirements, though.. I didn’t have to run faster, jump higher or flex harder. There was nothing directly related to my personal input in the film.

You have an amazing sequence, chasing the silver surfer through new york and beyond. filming something like that looks like
The truth is. The first time around, everything is new and somewhat bumpy. Even with Chiki’s costume. First time around, it took him three hours to get in and out of it every day. This time around, an hour and a half. In and out. Everything is smoother. Even when it came to these CGI scenes. They know what they want. They know how to get it. There’s no question of spending five hours on one shot and then realizing they should have done it from a different angle. Everyone is a bit more seasoned. Even though it seems like there’s a lot more CGI in the film, it really went smoother and felt quicker.

What kind of exercise routine did you put yourself through to prepare for the film?
Same as always. Even when I’m not working I like to be in the gym. I feel better.

How many days a week and what do you do?
I’d say five times a week. Weights. Just weights.

So no cardio? all weights?
I hate cardio. I hate cardio. I mean, I’ll go play basketball a couple of times a week. But running on a treadmill? It’s torture. Can’t do it.

So how much are you lifting?
(laughs) That’s such a strange question. What kind of muscle are we talking about? (laughs). Enough. Enough to feel like a superhero. You want to make sure you look like a superhero.

Does the character change at all in this film?
Absolutely.

Can you tell us about that?
Sure. I think in the first film, Johnny was a bit of a one man show. He liked the spotlight and the attention. I think his own arrogance would sometimes breed thoughtlessness and a lack of respect for the people in his family and by family I mean The Fantastic Four. In this film, he’s forced to take a backseat. He gets this ailment when he comes into contact with the Silver Surfer.

He now can swap powers with anyone if he touches them, which proves to be pretty dangerous. So he’s forced to remain isolated. And it forces him to rethink his whole role within the group. It forces him to respect the fact that this is a team. That the relationships in this family are crucial to the family’s success. And that if you don’t respect and appreciate your role within this unit, you’re not going to succeed.

Did the storyline come from any one comic in particular or an amalgam of different
They do give Johnny a love interest. That happens in one comic. There is a comic where they introduce the Silver Surfer. I think it’s just taking different issues and shuffling the deck.

Jessica mentioned that shooting in the car made her ill. were you made of tougher stuff?
You know what? I didn’t get to shoot in the car. I’m always flying beside it. I was really bummed about that! Everyone’s jumping in the car and I’m like OK I’ll be in the harness.

You didn’t get in at all a quick test spin?
At the very end. The last scene in the movie they let me jump in and we fly away. Boring. I didn’t get to move around in it. I love rollercoasters and stuff like that.

Who is your superhero?
I’m going to say, my father. He’s what I would consider a man to be. He’s selfless. He’s such a hard worker. He’s unshakably loyal and incredibly honest. He just does what’s right. And if that means putting himself last, he’ll put himself last, every time.

Are you filming the loss of a teardrop diamond?
Yeah, that’s right. Well, we don’t start that until August. Maybe September.

How has your life changed since the first fantastic four. it seemed to transform you overnight into a household name?
Well, I don’t know about that. But thank you. It’s enabled me to continue doing what I love to do. The fact that I get to make movies and get paid for it is just unbelievable to me. A lot of the time in securing work in this business, a lot of it is dictated by your overseas exposure.

If you don’t have bankability in foreign countries, it’s going to be tricky to get a movie because a lot of people make their money back overseas. So the worldwide exposure of Fantastic Four has given me a bit more overseas bankability which has gotten me some auditions that I probably wouldn’t normally get. That’s been great. And it’s an opportunity to work. I think the best classroom is on set. Anytime you work on anything and then see the final product, you’re going to learn a little bit. And this has been an incredible learning experience.

What was it like working with jessica alba? tim story was saying she ‘s very maternal?
Yeah. She’s incredibly maternal. Incredibly thoughtful. For someone in her position who’s so successful - and you hear so many horror stories about other people in her position - to see her be so caring and considerate is so refreshing and so nice.

Did you learn the guitar on the sunshine set? i think hiro sanada was talking about that?
I had one as well. But Hiro was the one playing it all the time. Hiro was showing me up. I was learning. He’s amazing. I’m in my dressing room, sounding like something’s dying. He’d come in and serenade everyone.

W

hich of your films are you most proud of?
Sunshine. No question.

Which ones do you wish you’d turned down?
Oooh. I don’t know! You know, I try not to have any regrets. They’re dangerous. So, for the most part, I try to think that everything I’ve done has led me to this point. I think that’s a beautiful thing.

What’s next for you?
I’m going to start work on this movie called The Night Watchman. Actually that’s before Loss of a Teardrop Diamond. That’s here. It’s with Forest Whitaker and Keanu Reeves. It’s directed by David Ayer. He wrote Training Day and directed Harsh Times. It’s about corruption on the LAPD.

Have you been spending time with the lapd?
No. Nor do I want to.

Are they pretty unhappy about
Well, we’ll see. Cops and me have never been buddies. I mean, who likes police?

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