Home and Away beauty Isabel Lucas talks about her role in Revenge of the Fallen
Move over Megan Fox, Transformers has found its latest bombshell in Home and Away star Isabel Lucas. The Aussie actress plays Alice in the movie – a student at Princeton University who sparks up an “interesting” relationship (her words) with Shia LaBeouf. Here the actress tells us how she went from Home and Away to the biggest blockbuster of the summer:
Q: How did go from Aussie soap ‘Home and Away’ to the biggest blockbuster of the summer?
A: I was working on an HBO miniseries called The Pacific which was produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks and apparently Steven suggested me to read for the role of Alice so I went in and auditioned for Michael.
Q: Not exactly a bad person to recommend you for a role.
A: No (laughs). I’m still pinching myself that’s how it all came about.
Q: Tell me about your character Alice in Transformers 2.
A: Alice is a student at Princeton University. My scenes are predominantly with Shia LaBeouf and Ramon Rodriguez. An interesting relationship develops between myself and Shia, but I’m not allowed to give too much of that away.
Q: Were you a fan of the first Transformers movie?
A: I loved it. When I watched the first film though I saw it back in my hometown of Melbourne and was I particularly impressed by the CG and the technology used. It was seamless and incredible, very impressive. I loved the pace and the energy of the film.
Q: Shia Labeouf was dynamic in his role as Sam Witwicky. What’s he like to work with?
A: Shia has this amazing ability to really carry a film. He’s a very funny and spontaneous actor and I’m really looking forward to everyone seeing him in this because it’s not so much about a boy and his car, it’s more a coming of age story.
Q: And Megan Fox?
A: She’s great. She was incredibly welcoming and warm. We all became very good friends while filming this and I still stay in contact with a lot of the cast and crew even now, going out to movies or just hanging out.
Q: The action sequences look incredible in this. What was the most challenging part of the role for you?
A: Running in high heels! I never wear heels because for me it’s all about comfort and practicality so Michael had to show me how to do it (laughs). He told me the trick was to run on your tippy toes and it worked.
Q: So no plans to embrace stilettos anytime soon?
A: Not at all. Look at this (pointing to her flat gold sandals and laughing) I’m not going back to high heels, that’s for sure.
Q: Some people have said this role could change your life. Do you think it will?
A: I think it’s very subjective. I think you just need to stay open minded and appreciative. Work wise, I feel very fortunate to have been a part of it.
Q: Michael Bay is known for his passion, particularly for Transformers. What was he like on set?
A: He loves extreme and edge; he is very passionate and energetic and he’s a perfectionist who won’t settle for anything else. He’s also a master of the blockbuster genre. For me, being challenged and being pushed to your limits is a really positive thing because you learn so much more.
Q: Were you familiar with the Transformers toys and comic books?
A: I wasn’t familiar until I saw the first film. When I was growing up I didn’t watch a lot of television at all. I saw a lot of horse films like National Velvet and things like that, the classics.
Q: What is your relationship to cars and technology?
A: I’m not a big car fanatic to be honest. We travelled a lot around Australia when I was growing up and I had horses and was in equestrian competitions until I was 18. I didn’t get a car until I was in Sydney and working on a TV show (Home and Away). I’ve always driven a hybrid.
Q: You grew up in Australia, but play an American in this. Any trouble mastering the accent?
A: I think as an Australian it’s quite easy to pick up the American accent because we hear it a lot in different films and growing up, it’s around us a lot more. I was asking Michael, ‘Do we need an accent coach to be on set?’ but he thought it was fine. I feel very comfortable with the American accent, even more so because I live here now.
Q: It was a long shoot for many of the cast members. Did you find it exhausting?
A: Not so much for me, because I was only on set sporadically over the course of three months. But I know for Shia it was. On his chair on set, there was a wooden armrest and he had it marked all the days of the shoot. Every day, he’d cross one off, like when you’re waiting for the last day of school (laughs). My days were more dispersed and scattered.
Q: When you were working on Home and Away, what were your ambitions for your career?
A: It’s surreal to me, still, that I was part of something like Transformers. I hadn’t really considered coming to LA, but I’ve been based here now for about a year and a half. I just felt very fortunate to be able to be even auditioning. I mean, the magnitude of this production is incredible and to get to work twice now with Steven Spielberg is something which I can barely believe.
Q: What do you like most about your character Alice?
A: I liked playing someone who was very different than myself, because you get to go to a foreign place and find some essence in yourself which will inhabit her. She’s quite different from any other characters I’ve played.
Q: In what ways is she different from you?
A: She’s quite a layered character and her intensions are mysterious. We don’t really know what she wants or what her intensions are for Shia so she’s very interesting from that perspective. She’s also very seductive so I had to embrace that side of her.
Q: It can be a tough choice, but who is your favorite Transformer?
A: Oh definitely Bumblebee because I love his kooky character.
Q: With the anticipation so high for this film, what can fans expect from Transformers 2?
A: This film is much more a coming of age story. It’s about a boy turning into a man, taking on real responsibilities. Shia’s character is really growing up and the film is a lot more global. Michael Bay had unprecedented access to shooting the pyramids in Egypt with an Imax camera, I promise you it will be insane. Also, expect a lot more transformers in this one. It’s quite a ride!
Transformers – Revenge of the Fallen is at Irish cinemas from June 19th