Unless youre Sherman Howard, not many actors get to play a zombie and still talk of their character.
Aubrey Plaza gets to do both inLife After Beth,a zom-rom-com as deep as Daniel Radcliffes eyes.
Whats your favourite zombie movie?
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…I like all zombie movies.
Uh…Night Of The Living Dead.Thats my favourite one.
Have you ever been to Edinburgh for the Fringe?
It used to be the same time, but they moved the Film Festival forward.
Have you ever been to Edinburgh before?
No, never been to Scotland.
…I like it.
I mean, I havent got to do any things but its beautiful.
Its ridiculously beautiful, I mean, its like its out of a storybook or something.
I guess if you live here you forget.
Just look out the window.
So.Life After Beth.Did you do research the role?
Whats the real thing anyway?
Its not a real thing, so why not make it my own?
Just do whatever I want to do.
I remember thinking about Linda Blair inThe Exorcisttowards the end of the movie, the insanely angry sweary bits.
Oh yeah, I didnt think about that.
Yeah, I hadnt thought about that.
Why does smooth jazz have that effect on Beth?
Was that ever explained?
[In the film, smooth jazz calms the zombies]
It was not explained ever.
Have you asked Jeff [Baena, the director]?
His answer is better, but Ill tell you what he says.
Smooth jazz would be the only kind of music that zombies would respond to.
I think we took it one step further and actually made it sexual.
In my head it was orgasmic or something.
The soundtrack does get more…grindy as it goes on.
Do you have that?
No, its…oh, you know the World Heath Organisation Doctor at the end ofWorld War Z?
A bit like that.
I can see how that accent would be soothing.
I could listen to it all day.
You eat people in this film, and normally thats frowned upon, but here its funny.
Do you think you’re free to make anything funny given the right context?
If I find it funny myself?
Everything in life is funny; I think you’re able to make anything funny to some people.
Theyre still funny, but…not…acceptable.
Anything can be funny, I guess.
And youve got a few scenes in this film that arent big on dignity.
How do you process performing those?
Do you get nervous filming that or just throw yourself into it?
I…was…nervous…about everything that I do!
So, I try very hard to do that.
How can you tell that youre not dead at the moment?
Most times I feel dead.
Most of the time Im convinced Im in one of those simulated videogames.
Thats the idea that scares me the most.
There was aNew York Timesarticle about that.
LikeThe Matrixbut with pre-programmed moves?
That freaks me out more than the idea that Im dead.
Finally: Whats your favourite Jason Statham film?
Um…can you name a bunch of them and Ill pick?
I cant remember…
All theExpendables, Crank, Transporter, Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels…
I like that movie, but I guess Ill go withCrank.
Aubrey Plaza, thank you very much.
Life After Bethis out in UK cinemas now.
