Sam Worthington Talks Avatar

Sam Worthington's name has been synonymous with 'The Next Big Thing' for quite some time now, due to the lengthy production schedule of the film that earned him the moniker - James Cameron's Avatar .

In the mean time he has impressed in Terminator: Salvation , and made waves last week when the trailer for next summer's Clash of the Titans remake.

Despite all that, Avatar remains the project that will see him rise to the top of the A-list, or, heaven forbid, become the staple entry in the 'Whatever happened to...' entries for the next half century.

In the latest issue of Total Film, out this Thursday, we sat down for a chat with the hard working actor, and found him surprisingly relaxed, refreshingly down to earth, and eager for the world to see what James Cameron has cooked up.

Do you feel like the “it” actor right now?

"Cousin It, more like! I try to keep my life ordinary because I have an extraordinary job. I wake up and do the washing as much as I can, because I go to work and battle aliens. That’s my job: alien killer! Or Terminator.

"I put that on a passport once and the guy just looked at me and went, ‘Eh, whatever...’"

Is Cameron a tough taskmaster?

"You work 18-hour days. I was on it for 14 months. Jim’s still editing. We’ll still be filming it up to the day it’s released... Probably after the movie comes out, knowing Jim!

"That commitment is what makes him the man he is. It’s life or death. It’s war. That’s how he approaches movies."

Next: Love & Laughs [page-break]

Does he ever laugh?

"Yeah, he has a laugh with me all the time. He finds me amusing! But he knows more about trivia and science and jobs and philosophy than most. And that kind of big brain needs to be motivated.

"Sure, he does relax – he’s been relaxing for the last 13 years, doing expeditions and hanging out with his family. But when he works, there’s an intensity."

What are the alien love scenes like?

"Have you met Zoe? When you see her, you realise that those scenes aren’t that hard! This guy said to me, “It’s an interspecies love story, isn’t it? That’s a bit yuk, man...” And I went, “You’re an idiot.”"

Next: Blue Chicks [page-break]

Surely you don’t find blue chicks hot?

"When this beautiful Na’vi flies over the top of him and he falls in love at first sight, he’s obviously not looking at that going, “Man, that’s a really nice looking nine-foot-tall blue chick there!”

"What he’s fallen in love with is her spirit. This is a movie about showing it’s not what you damn well look like, it’s your heart that matters."

Have you seen it in 3D yet?

"I saw some stuff the other day and it’s breathtaking. It’s still coming together – Jim puts stuff in, holds stuff back. It’s his baby and people see what he wants them to see. My nephew saw it and fell off his seat!"

Next: The Future Of 3D [page-break]

Do you believe that 3D is the future?

"Jim has always said to me that he wanted to bring the people back to the cinema. We live in a world of DVDs and downloads and there’s something unique about going to the movies.

"There are not many opportunities where strangers sit that close together in the dark and don’t get in trouble! Jim brings you into the screen. You can expect to be transported to Pandora."

Will there be sequels?

"Well, we’re signed for a trilogy. But I think I’ll be about 94 by the time it finishes, to be honest. As for if we’ll have the privilege of making Avatar 2 – I know Jim’s got some ideas in his big head. We’ll have to see..."

Avatar is released 18 December.

For More Avatar goodness pick up the latest issue of Total FIlm, on sale Thursday 19 November

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