Interview: She’s Out of My League hottie Alice Eve!

It’s rare to see such a bright and shining performance from a woman in the male dominated sex comedy. Aside from a handful of performances, it is usually the guys that really steal the movie in a world where the geek can finally get the hot girl. But with SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE, both Jay Baruchel and Alice Eve are equally strong together. This is a satisfying date flick that features one of the strongest female characters I’ve seen in this type of genre in years.

Alice Eve as Molly is truly a 10. She’s got beauty, brains and even a sense of humor. And thanks to a lovely performance, she is instantly likable, and it is not hard to imagine every single guy, along with some ladies, falling in love with her. And thankfully, Ms. Eve is just like her character, she is instantly likable in person.

My biggest disappointment came from the fact that the interview was on the phone with her in New York and me in Los Angeles. But I predict that this lovely and talented actress will get a huge boost from her wonderful work along side Jay. So hopefully, if I get another chance, it will be face to face where I can make an ass out of myself in person. But if you want to see true 10, make sure you check her out this weekend when SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE opens at a theatre near you.

Alice Eve

I have to start off with the fact that I loved your performance.

Oh, thank you!

This could’ve been just another pretty girl with no substance, but you are really fantastic here.

Oh my goodness, that is a huge compliment.

What were your thoughts on the whole “Ugly Ducking” concept going into the film and its relationship to your character?

I felt like this girl, I mean the reason I did it was this character was so well rounded and almost like a paradigmatic male lead. She had the money and she had the success, and she had the choices. It was a real privilege to play a woman like that. Because often they have to be bitchy, or there is something wrong with them. You know, she didn’t have any of that. But I thought the main thing about her was that she had an open heart, and she really didn’t judge on appearances. He was the insecure one. He was the one with the problem going into a relationship.

Yeah, not so much an ugly ducking, but he didn’t have the confidence to go after what he wanted.

Exactly, and believe that you can get it.

Obviously, your father is a successful actor (Trevor Eve). What did you learn from him about the craft and going into this business?

Quite a lot you know, he was very instructive and he’d been a mentor to me and very supportive. The one thing, the resounding thing that I learned from him is the pursuit of truth is everything. That’s the paramount thing in our profession, you know, you have to be true in your performance.

Well you could say that about Molly, although you might find it hard to believe that a “10” would fall for a “5”…

Right.

But both you and Jay [Baruchel] had wonderful chemistry together.

Yeah we did. We heard that early on, that it was just playing really well and we were playing really well opposite each other. When we first met, we went for lunch and got straight into a debate about religion. So I think we had kind of similar minds and we liked to converse and discuss ideas, and I think that kind of came through in the movie.

How much of Molly is you, of course I imagine that you don’t have the webbed toes?

[Laughing] Yeah, I’m lucky I don’t have that. [Laughing] You know, she is like I said, I definitely have never been judgmental of the way people look and I know that she doesn’t really seem to think that that is a problem either. And she doesn’t think that there are any class boundaries, it’s Jay’s character that has all of that insecurity, and I think I’m similar to that. But she is pretty efficient and… I guess I have quite a few similarities. I mean, I’m not an event planner… the main thing I think is that I communicate better than she does. She goes quiet for a long time and doesn’t talk to anyone about the fact that they’ve broken up and doesn’t complain… I definitely would be more vocal.

Why do you think that this type of film, the geeky guy gets the girl (or vice versa), has the success it often has in America?

Well, I don’t know… I think that it is sort of the American dream isn’t it. You know, bad guy gone good, and it’s like you can take yourself from zero to hero, it is kind of an American thing. Whereas in England, I think the paradigm is similar, obviously struggle has to be involved in order for there to be a story, but its more of the “Pride and Prejudiced” thing where the woman doesn’t think the guy is right for her. She won’t go with him because he is too this, or too that and she’s kind of morally superior. Whereas here it’s like the guy feels not good enough. Not always the guy, its from the girl too, it shifts to the sex, but it is similar to the American dream I would think.

And with this movie in particular, I don’t think the advertising is terribly honest about what it really is…

Yeah, I think you’re right.

This is not a hard core sex comedy, and that is almost what it looks like from the trailers.

Oh really, you think it sells it as more of a hard core sex comedy?

Absolutely. The ads focus on the raunchy humor, but this is really more of a date movie, or a relationship movie…

Right. That’s what you felt like it was? I think its true. I think it is that. It is like a raunchy romantic comedy, but there are elements of that genre.

Oh absolutely. But some of the best moments are the more sincere ones, including the scene where you confront him and his weakness. That is a wonderful scene.

Yeah, I love that scene. Oh, thank you so much, because I love doing that scene.

Now this seems to be a big summer for you, as you also have SEX AND THE CITY 2 coming out.

Yeah.

What was that like? Talk about Americana!

Right, that was incredible. Talk about, kind of, female heaven you know. I mean, its not just American, its universal femininity coming together in that, and everything women love. I just had a discussion with somebody and they said it was like, THE GODFATHER for women. And I guess that is kind of a good way of explaining what it is. It’s like, for guys the ultimate movie would be that, and I guess for women it really is that. I mean, it’s a universal thing for any woman, anywhere, Sex and the City… I’ve never met a woman that doesn’t have an ‘Oh my God!’ response.

What was it like working with that cast? These are some of the most accomplished actresses in television history, and now with the films…

They really are, and you can tell. They don’t miss a beat, they are right on it, and they are incredibly professional which is what I learned the most from. They will wait and wait, and we had crying babies and we had the whole thing, and they would wait, but when the time would come, they do it. And they do it again, and do it again. I learned a lot from them.

What part do you play? What can you tell me about it?

I play Charlotte’s (Kristin Davis) nanny. It’s a good role, I’m happy with it.

What’s next for you after this and Sex and the City?

Well I’m looking to find the right group of people to work with next. Because I’m proud of both of these projects that I’ve done and I want it to be just as talented of a group that I put myself in with.

Let me know what you think. Send questions and/or comments to [email protected].