Ali Larter, best known for her roles in sci-fi films and shows like “Resident Evil: Extinction,” “Heroes,” and “Final Destination,” has stepped out of her usual roles to play the diabolical stalker in “Obsessed,” directed by Steve Shill.
In “Obsessed,” Larter plays the role of Lisa, a woman who falls in love with her boss Derek (Idris Elba) and takes to stalking him, to the dismay of his wife Sharon (Beyonce Knowles). Larter took some time out to sit with several colleges including Florida A&M University and talk about her upcoming role.
“Obsessed” will be premiering Friday April 24, 2009.
When you first read the script, what attracted you to the character (Lisa)?
The first thing that attracted me [to the script] was getting a chance to play a femme fatale. Doing a classic femme fatale character was one of the reasons I got into this business. This movie keeps more to that kind of sexy thriller genre like “Fatal Attraction,” so getting the chance to play that sort of delicious female villain was my first draw.
What kind of research did you do for the role?
I had a lot of discussions with the producers figuring out why she (Lisa) does what she does and making sure that this character was really believable, and making sure [the audience] understands her point of view. We tried to understand the different points of view of the different people involved. We wanted to figure out what made her feel the way that she felt and make sure that Idris Elba’s character (Derek) gave her enough reason to believe that he was in love with her.
Do you think this movie will still attract your fans that appreciate you work in more supernatural roles?
Truthfully I don’t look at a movie and go “Oh this is going to open number one [at the box office]” or “this is going to have this kind of audience.” I try to do movies and play characters that I’m drawn to. This is my chance to play a take on the classic femme fatale. This is really a chance for me to indulge myself and play this delicious kind of delusional character and it was not easy to do. I’ve worked really hard on this movie and trying to find ways for the audience to understand the characteristics of this woman and what makes her do the things she does. I hope [the audience] has fun watching it. The point of this movie is to have fun.
How does this role compare to previous roles (“Final” “Destination,” “Heroes”)? How does it feel to play the villain for once?
Well I’m usually the one beating people up (Laughs). So for this movie, (I) had to take one for the one team. [This character] is definitely in the vein of the classic femme fatale and that’s what drew me to this character. She’s really just lost in her psychosis; she just goes down this path of believing one thing when the opposite is true. For me it was just interesting to figure out the complexities of her and what makes her tick.
What type of message do you think this movie is trying to give the audience?
This movie is in the vein of those classic sexy thrillers but I think we have a bit more of a modern take on it because we take it into an office. We’re in a new world of technology where there are different ways to have an affair. Is it inappropriate to send an email? Is it inappropriate to ichat with someone? There’s the different level of technology and there’s also a different level of intimacy and that’s something that we try to explore. I think it interesting that people go to work or the office and sometimes they spend more time with their coworkers than they do with their families and [this movie] draws on those fears of what’s really happening when you leave the house.