Interview with a vampire...

Chloe Moretz and co-star Kodi Smit McPhee are about to redefine vampire movies

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Rex Features
Rex Features

The rise of the fictional vampire has been nothing short of a phenomenon in recent years — from Robert Pattinson's brooding, neurotic Edward Cullen in Twilight to the beautiful cast of The Vampire Diaries, teenage girls across the world are being reduced to emotional wrecks by the softer side of these mythical creatures.

In Sweden, however, they strive to do vampires a little differently. Just ahead of the Hollywood remake of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo comes the adaptation of another Swedish movie success, the indie horror Let The Right One In.

In the US version, Let Me In, director Matt Reeves tells the disturbing story of a lonely boy (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee) who becomes friends with an adolescent female vampire, played by Chloe Moretz, best known for her role as the cult heroine Hit-Girl in the comic-book flick Kick-A**.

Audio: Accalia Hipwood from Radio 2 speaks with director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) and leading man Kody Smit-McPhee

Listen!

Tune in to Lifestyle with Accalia weekdays 10am – 1pm on 99.3 Dubai & 106 Abu Dhabi Classic Hits Radio 2.

It seems, however, that love is never far away when vampires are around. tabloid! caught up with the teenage duo ahead of the regional premiere of the film tonight.

Her

When Hit-Girl comes on the phone, she is very softly spoken and sweet. Chloe Moretz is very different to her character in Kick-A**.

Moretz is already a cult hero in the eyes of comic book fans around the world for her portrayal of Hit-Girl. "It was a lot of fun playing her. I put my heart and soul into every character I play and it was no different with Hit-Girl," she says.

"It was a really phenomenal feeling to see all my hard efforts pay off and it was great to see just how many people loved the character. I would love to play her again.

"I don't read any press about me, because my mum doesn't let me. I know some people got a little frustrated about one particular scene in Kick-A** [Moretz' opening line in the movie contains an offensive expletive], but it's like ‘whatever'. I mean it's just a word and it's just a film so it's all fake and not real life."

"I play a character called Abby, who moves into a complex next to a boy called Owen. Basically they fall for each other and the film is a crazy love story about a heightened adolescence.

"It would be awesome if people did compare me to Kristen Stewart, but our characters are very different because I play an actual vampire in Let Me In whereas she is a human in the Twilight movies," she added.

Moretz has also been left "a little freaked out" by some of the fan mail she has received since Kick-A**. "The majority of it is just stuff like, ‘Hi Chloe, how are you.' I did, however, receive one letter that was really quite freaky.

"It was a typed letter where the person had signed their name and printed it at the bottom. But the really weird thing is that it came in a plastic wallet inside a zip-locked bag, which had a message saying ‘within this bag is my love for you' and there were animal stickers on it — it was quite scary," she says.

"It is hard juggling my acting career with school and everyday things like household chores. But I got straight As in all of my exams this year and none of my friends really care about all the attention; to them I am just normal Chloe."

Him

When Kodi Smit-McPhee was eight years old, he starred in a student film whose name he can't even remember.

Not surprising, really, if we tell you he's travelled the world to work with Charlize Theron, Eric Bana and now shares the screen with none other than Hit-Girl.

"Yeah, I was going to be filming with Natalie Portman. But it didn't work out, so now we're just friends."

Talk about ‘out of the mouths of babes'. As the 14-year-old Aussie talks of brushing shoulders with the stars with childhood innocence, I wonder whether the coating of his cool confidence was laced with arrogance (as so often is the case) or a genuine unawareness of the incredible life he is living. Just 30 seconds later, I had my answer.

"I'm not big-headed about what I'm doing," he says, reading my mind.

"My dad is an actor and he has taught me to keep my feet on the ground. I still get grounded, have homework to do and do my chores around the house. It sucks, but they have to be done."

An adorable mix of maturity and misbehaviour, I can almost feel Smit-McPhee's desire to get back to the beach at the hotel where he and Chloe Moretz are staying in Spain, promoting Let Me In. "This film has a great storyline," he says.

"I've really enjoyed making it but I have to be honest: next I would love to do something a bit lighter, starring alongside Jim Carrey or something, so I could make people laugh."

His desire to do a comedy is palpable — the last major feature he did before Let Me In was the dark apocalypse drama The Road. So it's good to hear his next project is at least a balance between the supernatural and humour: Paranorman, an animated comedy about a boy that can see ghosts.

How well do you know your co-star?

On the set of a Hollywood film you eat, breathe and live in the pocket of your co-stars. tabloid! pitted the teens against each other to find out just how well they know each other.

Kodi on Chloe...

Q. Name a food she doesn't like to eat.

He said: Pickles. I think she loves fish. Actual answer: Sea urchins. I don't like things like octopus. WRONG!

Q. What is her favourite movie?

He said: Interview With A Vampire. Actual answer: Breakfast At Tiffany's. WRONG!

Q. Who is her favourite band/artist?

He said: Lady Gaga. I've heard her playlist all week. RIGHT!

Q. What is her most annoying habit?

He said: She doesn't have one. She may hit me otherwise. Actual answer: Texting too much and worrying about what to wear. WRONG!

Q. Who is the most important person in her life?

He said: Her mum and dad, tied. Actual answer: My family. RIGHT!

Chloe on Kodi...

Q. Name a food he doesn't like to eat?

She said: Spicy food like curry. Actual answer: Brussels sprouts. WRONG!

Q. What is his favourite movie?

She said: The Dark Knight. Actual answer: Shutter Island. WRONG!

Q. Who is his favourite band/artist?

She said: He loves hardcore techno. Actual answer: Slipknot. WRONG!

Q. What is his most annoying habit?

She said: He doesn't eat anything.

Actual answer: I don't eat very much (we suspect some conferring had started to take place). RIGHT!

Q. Who is the most important person in his life?

She said: His dad. RIGHT!

Don't miss it

Let Me In has its gala screening at ADFF Monday night, and goes on general release in the UAE on Thursday.

Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloe Moret

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