Lily Collins spills ‘Mortal Instruments’ set secrets

How Lily Prepped To Play Clary

“I re-read the first book again [before filming]. I definitely did my research with the book. I talked to [author] Cassandra Clare about it, but the rehearsals were what really got me into Clary’s mindset. It was more about being on set, living in the moment, and seeing what came to me.”

What The First Day On Set Was Like

“On the very first day, everyone was pretty nervous, but also really excited. We started out filming the normal Clary world, so it wasn’t too hardcore the first couple of days. The first shot on the first day was epic. It was the scene in the movie where you first see Clary.”

Her Favorite Scene To Film

“Filming the greenhouse scene was really fun because it’s an epic scene that everyone is looking forward to and it’s in this beautiful greenhouse. The set was stunning. It’s exactly how you read it in the book. But all of the action fight sequences were really fun too because we trained so hard for them!”

The Hardest Scene To Film

“There is one scene with over 100 stunt guys playing vampires attacking us. The five main characters in that scene—including me—had all these crazy moves. It took so much choreography, dirt was flying everywhere, and plates were being thrown. There were so many chances to get injured, but since everything was choreographed, it worked.”

The Funniest Scene To Film

“We made every scene funny, even if it was intense! We joked around so much that usually the action scenes—which are usually the toughest—ended up being the funniest because someone would mess up and giggle.”

The Person On Set Who Surprised Her The Most

“I think Jonathan Rhys Meyers [who plays Valentine] surprised me the most. He’s so dedicated to each role, and I didn’t quite realize how perfect and intense he’d be as Valentine. His character is evil in the movie and Jonathan brings such life to him in a fearful, yet enticing manner. It was creepy yet so real at the same time!”

Her First Impression Of Jamie Campbell Bower

“I [immediately thought] Jamie was perfect as Jace. He is the best mixture of being so funny, confident, and witty, but at the same time shows a vulnerable side and isn’t afraid to be sensitive. I think it takes guys a lot to show both sides. Jamie is extremely talented and he just lights up a room.”

The Funniest Person On Set

“Kevin Zegers [who plays Alec] is hilarious. He just cracks everyone up all the time. He can be so deadpan with his jokes and his accents are really good!”

Lily’s Favorite Line In The Movie

“I love when Clary says, ‘I’m not a mundane.’ That the first time that she acknowledges that she’s not normal, and she accepts and embraces that. I like the tenacity she has when she says that. It shows her growth.”

What She Hopes People Learn From The Movie

“If you put your mind to it, you can do something bigger than yourself. At first, Clary didn’t want to accept that she had a strength she knew nothing about. She didn’t want to accept that she had a journey to go through, but along the way she learns a lot about herself. You can conquer and do more than you think you can.”

5 Things You Don’t Know About Lily Collins

She’s Embracing Her Spontaneous Side

“I used to be a big planner and had to have things figured out ahead of time, but I’m learning to love living in the moment. Last night, I called my friend up randomly and said, ‘Where are you? I want to come see you!’ It’s not a new version of me. I’m just embracing it more.”

She’s Not Hiding Her Relationship With Co-Star Jamie Campbell Bower

“We’ve made a conscious decision to go out and live life. I’m not one to hide anything, but I don’t feel the need to comment directly on it…I think it would be a shame to not live in the moment and not enjoy everything that’s happening in fear of other people’s opinions.”

She Was A Good Girl In High School

“I didn’t feel the pleasure in drinking or doing drugs. I wanted to remember the fun moments that I had with my friends and not wake up and go, ‘Um, I think I had fun?’”

She’s Developing A New Sense Of Style

“I’ve definitely edged-up my style a little, but not for any reason other than I’m experimenting with myself. I always wanted tattoos, so this past November, I got two. I got my back done first and its my handwriting and it says, ‘Love, always and forever.’”

She Looks Up To Jennifer Lawrence and Kristen Stewart

“I admire how they’ve both handled the fame that came with those roles and their ability to step outside those roles and do other projects. That’s what I want to do: balance fun big movies with gritty passion projects I love.”

Lily Collins’ Fashion Faves

Lily talked about doing stunts on The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones in heels:

“That was part of the struggle with the stunts. It’s one thing doing it in yoga pants, it’s another to do it in a short dress and heels. […]Even though Clary is not 100% comfortable in them because that’s not who she is, she owns it because she starts to own her power!”

On what guys love most:

“To guys, if you’re confident, that’s appealing.”

On how Clary has influenced her style:

“I never normally would have worn probably as much leather. I’ve definitely edged-up my style a little bit! It’s fun to experiment like that.”

On her favorite style on guys:

“I like someone who’s interesting and has a bit of an edge. Someone who’s into fashion as well, and can appreciate when I throw on something and even say, “Hey I like that jacket.” [Fashion is] a form of self-expression that some people shy away from—but in a guy it’s really attractive!”

On her first-day outfit flop:

“I remember my outfit was so horrendous! I think it was, like, cargo shorts with a t-shirt with a slogan on it and a sweatband and flip-flops. Everyone had their own look, which I was really surprised about—that first day was really a reminder to me that I can really be whoever I want to be.”

On her current personal style:

“I’m big on layering—you never know with the weather in L.A! I like skinny jeans. I’m definitely a comfort girl but at the same time I like to look put together. And I love an ankle boot.”

 

What scene were/are you most nervous to shoot when you were cast as Clary?

There are so many intense moments in this, especially in the script, the way that they’ve translated parts of the book that you wanted to, to do it justice. One of the scenes I was most nervous about I think was my first encounter with Jace in the alleyway because I’m doubting everything that I’ve ever known to be what I thought my life was and who I was and I’m confronted with this mysterious person who is both intriguing and extremely frightening at the same time and I have no idea what’s going on. The way that we’re doing this film, it’s really trying to stay true to a realistic sense of the fantasy world, it’s not just taking the book and making a movie version of it, so I wanted to stay as real as possible in the sense of freaking out about “if you found out that your Mom wasn’t your Mom” as opposed to just keeping it that “I’ve got these special powers”, it was really about making the fantasy realistic…so trying to act out being paranoid and intrigued at the same time and threatened but also curious – so many emotions going on at once that a normal typical teenage girl doesn’t have to go through. I was kind of nervous about that, and especially since it was the second day of filming with Jamie, and we were just thrown into it, and it was like “ok, go ahead and have that moment”, so I was nervous about that but again it was the second day and it was really really fun and when you feel it in the moment and then you watch it on playback, you’re like “ok I think everything I wanted was coming out of my eyes” so I am happy with that. But it was really really fun.

What was it like getting to wear the awesome Shadowhunter all-leather outfit for the first time?

It was fun. What I love about this is that you do see this normal Clary, you know, kind of hippie chic artsy girl, wearing boyfriend jeans and Doc Martens, going into this tube top of a dress and then into the Shadowhunter leather gear. When I first saw the outfits on the rack I thought they were Isabelle’s and then they were like “no, no, actually these are yours”. And so, I love it. It’s really fun to be able to have this other persona of Clary brought out in the clothes as well as in her situations and what she’s put through. But I would not wear what I saw in Pandemonium because they really went there, which is great, I mean, it looks beautiful on screen, um, but it’s very edgy and very sexy and very much how it should be in that fantasy world.

If you could create a rune like Clary can, what would you make one for?

I think it’s something that I feel I have but maybe could use a little more in different situations. Determination. I think that sometimes it’s easy to get told “no” and maybe give up right away or be told something that you can’t do something and then take someone’s word for it and not continually try to push forward. So if you had a Determination Rune that when you’re feeling down, you could then use it to encourage you to keep going or go after something that you really want. Just that extra oomph of enthusiasm to keep going.

What was your first impression of Clary when you read the script or the book?

Oh wow. I think she is just amazing, she is a heroine. But she is a normal girl at the same time and this kind of encompasses another question that maybe one of you have but it goes towards Clary..Is that this whole series is based in this fantasy world yet is still so realistic because it’s based in modern-day New York, in situations that every teenager goes through as well as having this parallel universe and it’s completely fantasy, but it marries the two together so well. I love that Clary lives in our world and also lives in another universe and she goes between the two and she’s fighting these demons of a fantasy world but also demons that every teenage girl goes through and she is able to do so without losing herself completely. I just love the way that she’s comedic and doesn’t take this fantasy world too seriously but knows when to really stay focused. She is such a well-balanced character and she is so much fun to play as well, especially in the version that we are doing, we do play up Cassandra’s comedy because that’s the beauty of the book. You read and you start giggling because they’re really funny and yet there is demons and this fantasy world going on and you’re like this shouldn’t be funny but because you’re not taking it too seriously, you’re able to agree with what’s going on and to actually understand it. That’s what I love most about Clary is that she is able to play that balance…and kick butt. It’s been so fun doing all the action! I was like, “do I get to do all this hanging from a wire and sword fighting?!” I LOVE the action part of it and they’re letting me do as much of it as I can, and that’s really fun.

If there is one word that explains an attribute of your character, but could also be used to describe yourself, what  would that be?

I would say Passionate. Definitely passionate because another thing about Clary that I love so much that I completely feel the same way about with her is that my Mom and I are best friends and so if something were to happen to my Mom, I would do everything in my power to get her back or to find her. I’m so passionate about our relationship and I would do whatever it would take to get back and so I think Clary is passionate about so many things and that translates to any generation. Whether it’s her artwork or family or a guy, or whatever it is, she puts a 100% of her heart and soul into what she does and I’d like to think that I am a very passionate person too.

What do you love most about The Mortal Instruments series?

I have been a huge fantasy fan since I was little. I would read every series of books that involved anything to do with magic or fantasy because I love because I loved disappearing for a little while. But what I love about this is that you can disappear for a while but still feel involved in it because it’s based in reality as well. It’s got this really cool parallel universe going on at the same time as keeping you grounded and, like I said before, Cassandra includes humor into it so it’s not this dark story taking itself so seriously that you kind of just play it off as a series of books, you actually become invested in the story, you laugh along with it, you side with the characters. And at the end of the day, yes it’s a fantasy series, but it’s got so much realness to it that you can get involved in the story and not just reading about these fantastical creatures that are unbelievable. And Harald has taken that kind of feeling of the series and brought it to the movie where we’re not relying on CGI in order to convey the scariness of a situation or the fact that people are actually demons. It only enhances the movie because he’s made it so character-based and emotionally-driven and that’s how the book has already made as well, incredibly emotionally driven and the characters is what sells the story not necessarily the fantasy world itself. I think no matter what generation you are you can always associate yourself with a character and an emotion as opposed to a fantasy world.

Were you familiar with the series before you acquired the role?

I was and that’s what made it even more…I was a fan of series and all of a sudden it was like I was being cast as a heroine that I admired. My Mom’s read all the books and the prequels. My Mom is just like “you remember that scene when…” and I’m like “Mom oh my god, I’m doing a movie, I need to focus on the first book right now. She and I would talk about it all the time and then I had just done Priest and Screen Gems and there was all this talk about making it into a movie and I was “just letting you know, I LOVE the series” and then I was cast and it was amazing because I was so passionate about the series of books and so aware, wasn’t aware of the huge fan base and the blogs and everything about that side of it until I was cast – when all of a sudden everything blew up about casting – Oh my god, I can’t imagine if anything had been taken badly in the Twitter sphere and the blogging, because I had no idea about how big the books were, I just knew that I responded to the literature of it. So for me this is like I’m a FAN that got to play a heroine that she admired. It’s really cool.

How do you think you are different from Clary? How have you worked around that aspect of it?

She needs a little bit more of encouragement from other people. Clary has one main friend – Simon – who she confides in and has confided in forever. I’m not someone that has a bunch of friends but I do have a close-knit group and so, I think I have kinda of grown up with so many different types of people that I’m not easily shocked by someone that’s different. My Mom would take me to all different countries and I would travel a lot so I’ve been kind of more exposed to the quirks of different people and such where I think Clary has been very sheltered in that sense which, rightfully so, her Mom wanted to keep her sheltered from this world so as to protect her and my Mom obviously wanted to protect me too but I feel like I have been more exposed to different types of people than maybe Clary was. So in those situations where she is very shocked and going to Pandemonium and going “I don’t fit in here”. I’m not necessarily saying that I would “fit in” to Pandemonium but I think I would maybe feel more comfortable in different situations than her because I have been exposed to different types of situations and people than her. Still protected, but less sheltered.

The novels have appealed to both teens and adults… How in your perspective, will this movie appeal to both teens and adults?

Well, I think the fact that Harald, is making it so character-driven and emotionally-driven and not based on just trying to aesthetically appeal to an audience – It’s beautifully shot and Geir is an amazing DP – but I think the fact that he’s spent so much time on making sure that what we are doing is believable and is not silly or too CGI or too heavily relying on post-production. It’s something that my Mom as I do, enjoy watching old movies, where – black and whites – you can say so much through your eyes and you don’t have to speak to actually convey a message. That’s why Audrey Hepburn, those types of actresses are my favorite, because you can she see her on screen and she conveys a message without saying anything at all, and the way that we are shooting this film, you could almost watch it on mute and understand what’s going on because it’s so emotionally charged and it’s not relying on instant gratification – image, image, image- and it’s not based on just the aesthetics. When reading a book like this where you can laugh, you can cry, you can side with the characters, it’s something that no matter what age you are, you can relate to. You can relate to passion. Passion is universal. It doesn’t matter how old you are. If you are passionate about something you feel for it, and our film is so filled with that and it doesn’t rely on just the imagery – that no matter how old you are you can become invested in the story, it just keeps you on your toes.

 

 

For Kevin: What has been the most fun experience on set?

Usually some people are just working to work and that makes the vibe a little bit different but everyone seems very invested which is nice. The fighting stuff is great because it’s not something we get to do so often as actors and we all kind of dove in as much as we could. Harold said very early that he wanted us to do all of it ourselves and that’s what we’ve been doing. We had one sort of sample period at the Hotel Dumort and had about a week of fighting so that was kind of our barometer to see where we were at. I think it went really well and from that point on Harold said great you’ve proven you can do that. The fighting stuff I have to say has been the most fun because it’s a whole character in and of itself I mean the fighting stuff is a huge part of the movie and the way that you fight is kind of a good indication of who the character is. We don’t all fight the same, there’s very different styles for all of us. Jamie and I fight quite differently, and Jemima has her whip so… It’s been a lot of fun. That’s been the most fun for me I’d say.

For Jemima: What was your reaction when you got your role?

I was very surprised. I wasn’t really expecting it. But after the moment of thinking “really?..wowwww” it was a amazing. I was so happy, so happy. Working on the adaptation of a book was really a great surprise and then getting to do some work in English and getting to do something with this great team I was super excited and I couldn’t wait to start.

For Kevin: You said that some of your characteristics are like Alec’s, which ones of your traits resemble those of Alec?

Well Alec’s a little tricky because again, the audience has a certain expectation of where he ends up because most of the people that have read the books have read all of them so you know I didn’t want to create a sort of one dimensional character based on what his sexual preference was; Which is tricky because I think people have the expectation that you have to sort of give all his secrets away early on but if this one’s goes well we’ll have plenty of opportunities to sort of lay that all that out. Just being someone who is unsure of whether who he is going to be completely okay with everybody. The reason I think the fans like the character so much is because he is a lot like what kids in their teens are like; a little uncomfortable in their own skin.  He definitely has a core belief system in place, and that’s something that I have. He’s a little pigheaded in the way that he deals with things but not in a way that offends too many people. Yea, it’s been fun to create, because he is kind of the bummer in the movie until you realize he’s the one that really doesn’t want Clary there and makes it pretty well known. Originally in the script he was kind of around but you never really got a since of how he felt about everything but it reveals itself to be much more fun. From the moment he meets her he’s really not a big fan and doesn’t want her around. And not just because he has a thing with Jace but because I think it’s more about the whole family, the structure of the way things are with them he doesn’t like someone interrupting that. He seems pretty happy with the way his life is right now so. I don’t think anyone has to stretch to find the “wanting to make everyone happy” but you know having this other side of yourself that you don’t reveal too often. So that’s the most fun, pretty subtle. We’re not doing big. Our characters aren’t really showy. The acting is fairly understated. It’s not really over the top. Harald allows us to do our own thing and let the audience figure out what they catch and what they don’t. It’s been a lot of fun. Not what I expected to be honest.

For Jemima: The costumes are really fun for your character, so how much did it influence on bringing the character to life?

Oh massive, a massive influence. I think for every role as an actor, costumes, hair and make-up help a huge deal. On this movie in particular we have an amazing costume designer called Gersha Phillips who’s just fantastic. And she came up with the most brilliant ideas. I had no idea it’d be so cool. It’s very contemporary and very avant-garde in a sort of way. Like she’s come up with a whole load of accessories and things that I think really sets a huge trend. I mean the second I put my leather on and really high boots I feel like I’m someone else and that’s good. I’m definitely Isabelle when I’m in those heels.

For Kevin: What was your first impression of Alec when you first read the book or script?

First impression for me are pretty telling, I always liked him the most, I always had the most affinity to him, I felt like he was the most misunderstood of the whole lot. I think as an audience the less you know sometimes the more interesting it is. The actors who I like the most are the people who reveal the least about themselves and as you watch it more and more you try to figure out where they’re at.  Alec has a lot of that. Even if he does one thing and you can see that it kind of contradicts his attention. He has a lot of that and I think he’s aware of his own shortcomings and I like that about him also. There’s a lot of action in this movie, there’s a lot of stuff going on so for the amount of stuff we have to do as actors we want to make it work. We want to make it interesting enough that the audience cares. I don’t like these kinds of movies unless I care about the characters. I think that’s why people like the books. I think they like the fantasy and they like the story but I think the characters are really the reason why people keep reading them and why they’re still interested. Which is big, because you know there isn’t so much to do as an actor. It’s not a movie about acting, it’s not an hour and a half of dramatic scenes. There are specific moments that have to work. Jemima the same way, she has a few big scenes where they lay out the character as a whole and who she is. So we really focused on that and making them work as best as we could because they really sort of set the ground work for whether the movie works or not.

For Jemima: What was your first impression of Isabelle when you read the book or script?

Her love for people around her I think. How faithful she is and how strong and determined but in a way that there’s just simple reasons and all that matters to her is her family. I share the family values so I was immediately drawn to her. And I thought she was really funny as well. Sometimes she’ll get pissed off about things and she’s very spontaneous and that I love, I think it makes her really funny. That I grew fond of her even more-so as the books go by and I thought wow, there’s so much to do.

For Kevin:  What’s the most difficult part of those fighting scenes for you?

The fighting’s fun, it’s the training everyday that is. As actors you want to be doing things you don’t want to be practicing things. So that’s been the most challenging for me. Because for me at least I am sort of a lazy person.  When we start at 1 and you have to train with Nuno who is our personal trainer in the morning before we come to set that’s the most challenging and it’s also the most rewarding because you get to see the results and he’s incredible at his job. We’ve all been kind of minding what we eat as much as we can. But yea that’s the hardest because you have a full day of work and then you sort of realize that’s a whole other aspect of the job that has to be in place. Sort of like having two jobs.

For Jemima: If there’s one word that could describe you as a person and the same word that would also describe Isabelle what would that word be?

I’d say loving.

For Kevin: What do you love most about the Mortal Instruments?

I mean I love the story. I didn’t grow up being a huge fan of fantasy so it’s not what I originally gravitated to as a young guy. So for me, if they didn’t send me the script it wasn’t something I would have picked up on my own. Once I was reading it there’s so much cool family drama and there’s no context to it I mean anytime you do a drama that involves real people and real life you sort of have to keep it in reality as much as possible but there’s this whole other thing with us. This family that has been created that, for me, that was a cool thing. That you could sort of have these people that were all thrown together that had to become a family. People who are not related to particularly except for me and Isabelle obviously. That was cool to me. Harald’s taking care of the stuff, the brooms, and the swords, and fighting, and visually what it looks like so as an actor you have to find something you can focus on which for us is obviously the character stuff and fighting but yea that was what impressed me the most about the books and the script. Harald’s aware of why these movies work as opposed to the other ones that don’t. It’s the difference between the Dark Knight and a similar movie that doesn’t work is that the characters were well placed that you sort of relate to them. In spite of all this weird supernatural stuff going on that they are still sort of centered in reality which I liked.

For Jemima: What’s your favorite part about the series?

I think it’s kind of what Kevin was saying. The fact that we get all these very strong and complex characters in a world that’s our world today and a fantasy world. I think it’s the mix of all these things and as an actor I feel very lucky to be able to play a character that I like but also be a part of this whole mysterious new world. The runes, having tattoos, and all these weapons; it’s a mix of all of this that’s really exciting and this is what I really love about the Mortal Instruments. I get everything in one.

For Jemima: Isabelle’s such a strong independent character; getting to play her in a predominantly male environment what’s it like?

It’s fun. As a girl, yes, she’s probably quite hard to get through to, but the boys she’s with are just as tough so I don’t take it as she different to the others I feel like they’re all tough in their own way. She grew up with them so they’re hers, their blood.

For Kevin: If you were to get one rune tattooed on you which one would you get?

Permanent Tattoo? Probably this one on my neck because it’s the hardest to put on in the morning. The block and deflect. They gave us the runes and they were sort of working with us to figure out where we’re going to place them. I always imagined him having something that makes him visually alarming. And he does have this very big neck tattoo that covers the span of his neck. Because a lot of the time we’re wearing clothes like this with the vest on or whatever so I wanted him to have something very predominant whether he was dressed casually or not. Whether he’s at the institute or not. I think he’s very proud of that, as much as anybody very proud of what they do. I felt that something predominantly placed would be, and it just looks cool.

For Both: What were you doing when you got the call to join the cast?

Jemima: It was 2am so I was about to go to bed. I saw an email from my agents and that was after about a few emails back and forth asking where are you and I was like uh-uh. After that, I stayed up for a little while.

Kevin: I was playing golf with my best friend near my parent’s house here in Canada but I actually got the job in this room funny enough. I was shooting another movie and they flew me in to meet with Harald, read a few scenes with him. So it was actually right here. So, thankfully I didn’t have to wait for too long. That’s probably the worst part about being an actor. Because you do sort of, whether you like it or not, start thinking about what would I do with the character and how fun would it be to be a part of something like this.  For me it was more relief than anything because I really let my guard down, and I was really hoping that it would happen, more than usual. I usually keep myself guarded until it happens. So I was very relieved that I was gonna get to do this.

For Both: The books appeal to both teens and adults so what do you think of the movie will appeal to teens and what to adults?

Jemima: I answered that same question not that long ago actually and I think it’s a movie that will appeal to teens just as much as adults because as we were saying there’s a lot to do with the characters, the characters are very important. And the acting aspect is important so I think that’s what will draw the more adult people towards the film. And then the world of fantasy, fighting etc. will be to teens and adults too because who doesn’t like a good fight?

Kevin: Sometimes you make a movie for young adults and you play to that the way that you shoot it and the way that the acting is and I think Harald was very…It’s a movie, whoever likes it will like it. And I think sometimes the mistake is to kind of gear a movie too much as you’re making it towards one group or another. The fans of the book are going to go see this movie anyway because they’re interested. So the responsibility for us is to make it appealing to everybody whether they’ve read the books or not. So that’s been kind of the focus, obviously to make the fans happy to have this world brought to life but also make a really good movie. I’m sure you’ll get to see some stuff but it’s not a light and fluffy movie, it’s not what I call a lollipop movie. The colors are not bright. It’s a pretty intense. The fighting, it’s all very full on. There’s no punches pulled so it’s super appealing to like 12 year olds, it’s a movie. That’s certainly been Harald’s focus from the beginning was just to make a great movie and hope everyone likes it. Whether there fans of the genre or not whether there young or old, male or female, there’s obviously a lot of pretty girls, and a lot of boys who look like Jamie and Jonathan. That’s all we can really control, id to make a good movie.

Jemima: You know where really enjoying doing it and I hope the fun were having will translate and as many people as possible will like it. But we’re definitely doing our best working on characters properly and enjoying ourselves.

Kevin: And another great thing is you’ll notice there are not a lot of people on set. Not a lot of studio folks or…And normally with something like this there’s 100 different opinions coming in and so everything sort of ends up in the middle because they don’t want to offend this group, and don’t want to alienate that group and I think that they smartly gave Harald the keys and obviously said just make a good movie. Harald’s heart is in the right place. He’s knows the story and he knows the expectations but I think. There’s not a lot of chirping going around the camera like “ohh that might be a little too dark and if we too dark here then maybe the audience won’t like Alec or maybe the audience won’t like Isabelle”. I think the film allows itself for the audience to feel how the audience is going to feel and there’s not a lot of pandering to the audience as to not to not offend anybody. Sometimes I watch these movies and I think let them just do what they’re going to do and people are going to like certain characters and other characters are going to have to grow on them. You don’t just always have to play into the audience because then you end up somewhere in the middle and your with an okay movie.

 

What have been the biggest challenges playing Simon? Did you reference the book as a tool to build your character?

I was being surrounded by the hotshot action movie stars out there and they being very cool and very active amongst the action and me having to kind of, remain somewhat passive, that for some reason, is almost as exhausting as you were, you know, I’m not just saying that, not trying to big myself up but it’s an exhausting thing.

What was your favorite scene that you’ve shot so far?

Umm, I really liked the conversational stuff that I share with Lily’s character Clary because you know this film is beautiful and epic and magical and big but there still exists in the film an arc of a relationship breaking down and then rebuilding essentially between Clary and Simon. And we shot a scene basically where Simon declares his love for someone. But yea we have a lovely scene where I kind of catch Clary and Jace in missionary, right there in the corridor no. But I catch them and it kind of crystallized what hasn’t been said between the three of us for the last while since we got together.  So then I kind of, in a round-about way declare my love to her and then I storm out. It was a beautifully written scene and essentially it was an argument between two people. Despite the fact they’re surrounded by this magical world it’s about these kind of unspoken feelings and it felt really real and quite dramatic and I think movies like these need those kind of scenes in order to feel real you know?

How much of a leap was it for you to step into this crazy world after being a part of Misfits and does anything supernatural surprise you anymore?

Well Misfits was like the only, Wait no, I’m trying to think. I’ve done a couple Sci-fi things. Misfits was about 3 years ago and since then I’ve done, well not any sci-fi stuff you know but it feels like a long time ago but I also know that here  it’s kind of just coming out or becoming popular which is great but yea. Everything Sci-fi, to be honest everything normal surprises me. You know, sometimes I look up at the sky and go god that’s weird. Something doesn’t have to be in the sci-fi genre in order to inspire or shock me. I suppose having that experience in sci-fi with Misfits , Misfits wasn’t sci-fi, Misfits was the odd brain child of a great strange man called Howard Overman who thought of the weirdest stuff you could possibly think and put it in a T.V. show and that’s what Misfits became. It was important to him and the show as well but that show always worked without the powers just about some people having a dysfunctional life and the powers almost became the manifestation of insecurities.

What was your first impression of Simon either when you read the book or when you read the script?

I read an earlier draft of the script; Simon represented what was normal in Clary’s life. It seems like he’s the representation of the life she gets taken away from by discovering her magical abilities. I read the script several months ago, and in one draft Simon doesn’t get taken along for the ride, which is in God’s hands, and it’s great for me because I don’t get taken along for the ride. But she returns back to some resemblance of a normal life, back to her home. It felt like Simon was very much the foundation of her normality because he’s been  her best friend all these years and yea he just developed in the script to a little bit of a rock for her and all the while harboring these feelings of love. I think he’s the only normal perspective in a world full of magical people, including Clary, everyone is magical in some way and he is essentially the only normal guy in the script and I think that’s very important in the script because you go off the deep end quite quickly and magically and it’s nice to have a normal guy perspective on everything. Trying to digest what he’s seeing happen so quickly and that’s really what he represented in the script for me.

What do you have most in common with Simon’s character?

I think Simon is a pioneer of counter culture, he’s very much like a bohemian guy and that’s very much what I am. In that sense I’m drawn to things that define themselves by being on the fringe; culturally, musically, theatrically all that stuff. I think that’s how young people find each other a lot of times by what kind of culture they are interested in, what they have in common. He feels very much like a New York kid who is constantly discovering things. New York being a hotbed of creativity. The fact that he’s in bands, and he’s just kind of reaching out creatively all the time and I’m drawn to people like that. And I’d like to think I am one of those.

So what do you love most about The Mortal Instruments?

This is because of Cassandra Clare first and foremost, but there’s a real sense of tangential adventure about the series in the sense that it feels like a character falling down the rabbit hole. Much in the wonderful inhibited sense of adventure and unpredictability about the books and about the script. I read the scripts first and that’s what I really felt was quite amazing and fantastic and filming that kind of stuff as an actor, it’s the absolute best. Every single day there’s a new color and a new bit of the tapestry. I like the general gist of the adventures in the script and obviously the series.

Is it hard to bring a character to life that people love so much and are invested in to the big screen?

Yea, I was thinking about this the other day when I got asked this and you can only really have one interpretation of the character and put that out there and the thing about books and the thing about adaptations being a disappointment to people is that every single person has a different image of what Simon is and how they see him. You can only do your best to please the people who love the book and do it from where you think is the best place. If I got caught up in trying to interpret how the fans might like the character the best I think I’d go crazy so I’m just kind of taking my interpretation and hoping for the best really.

I know that all the fans that I’ve talked to absolutely love you for this role and so what is the best part in playing this character?

There are so many, you know I’m not just saying that, but it might be the fact that this story is already loved, and it’s already out there and it’s quite exciting, and quite weird to even sign Cassandra’s book because it feels like she’s put a beautiful book together and a beautiful story and here we are kind of clumsily signing it, “yea yea, thanks for reading”. But it’s nice that there’s this kind of mass of people that love this story already. And it does feel like your entering into that harem just by playing the character and being accepted and it’s certainly feels like I’ve been accepted already by the feedback that I got and the films not even out yet. I could have made absolute balls of it. But no, it feels very welcoming I think playing this character and I’ve never gone into something which has had such prior knowledge before. I’ve done character in books but not any book to this epic scale. And that’s quite pleasing, quite comforting.

The book is good for teens and its good for adults, and I think that Simon is an integral relation to that. From your perspective, how will this movie appeal to teens and adults?

I think in the script they wanted to mature the characters I think in age and also the fact that they are having these relationships. So I think the relationship, certainly the triangle of love if you will call it is quite a complex one and one that will appeal to people because it’s very well written and its quite a classic love triangle in the sense that there’s the younger quieter character and then there’s the blossoming love and so on. It’s written in such a way that it’s not in my opinion Twilighty. It’s actually very real and it just happens in some little conversations between friends and I think the relationship side of this between brother and sister or Alec and Jace they’re written quite maturely and that I liked a lot about the script and I think that’s why it will appeal or certainly please adults because they won’t feel like they’re being patronized and then teenagers also same thing because teenagers are adults in my opinion, they’re just people that are younger you know, it’s the exact same for me adults and teens alike. I always knew when I was a teenager when I was being patronized or spoken down to and I think a lot of movies do that because they think their demographic is stupider than them you know? Like they think people from 12-18 can’t grasp certain concepts when in fact of course they can. So umm, I think the movie will appeal to adults and teens absolutely the same. Maybe teens possibly more because they’re more absorbent and more influenced by the things they like so you never know.

*** THE OFFICIAL GAME OF THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS MOVIE ***

Based on one of the most anticipated movies of the summer, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, comes a FREE new game.

Become a Shadowhunter– a half-angel, half-human warrior fighting an unseen war against demonic forces– and join Clary, Jace, and other favorite characters from the popular series on their quest to protect our world and recover the Mortal Cup. Customize your Shadowhunter’s look and abilities from an arsenal of magical Runes and devastating attacks, then battle bloodthirsty monsters and horrific demons to become one of the most powerful fighters the world has ever seen.

>RICH CHARACTERS AND IMMERSIVE STORY

Immerse yourself in the thrilling first part of The Mortal Instruments saga as you interact with and fight alongside your favorite characters to unravel the story from a unique perspective.

>CUSTOMIZE YOUR SHADOWHUNTER

Create your ideal Shadowhunter from the ground up! Choose your name, appearance, fighting style and abilities, then unlock even greater powers as you level up through battle.

>ARM YOURSELF WITH AN ARRAY OF POWERFUL RUNES AND ATTACKS

Equip the right Runes and abilities for the job with a wide range of magical abilities to choose from! Heal your wounds in battle, cripple your foes from a distance, turn invisible in an instant, and so much more!

>PLAY UNLIMITED MISSIONS

The war against the supernatural never ends! Monstrous enemy factions are constantly trying to seize control of the city that never sleeps, and you alone can fight them back! 

>TRAVERSE A BEAUTIFUL AND MYSTERIOUS WORLD

Explore the beautiful world of The Mortal Instruments, from the austere halls of the Institute to the crumbling ruin of the Hotel DuMort and beyond, all optimized for your Retina display.

 

 

 

 

What’s the training process been like to get you ready to play Jace?

To the point of almost passing out, it’s paid off in abundance I hope, and it’s something that I never really been comfortable with before I suppose would be my word in. I sort of shied away from such things. I did Ballet at school but, yea, I was pretty crap. But yea, it’s been really difficult but worth it. Not something I would recommend for everyone that’s for sure! But it’s good.

Were you familiar with the series before you acquired the role?

I was not. I was not familiar with the series. It was interesting because I heard about it. I actually heard about the project through somebody else whilst I was working on another job. So I started doing research into it because I was interested in the story and of course you hear about a job that’s sort of floating about and you think it sounds cool or whatever. So, you kind of want to poach it a little bit. So, upon receiving the interest of casting, I delved a little deeper let’s say. But, I wasn’t aware of such books like Twilight and Harry Potter. I didn’t read much as a kid. I watched a lot of cartoons.

What has been your biggest challenge in playing Jace?

My biggest challenge in playing Jace, I think the physicality of what I have to do in playing him has been a big challenge. And I’ve wanted to do a hundred percent of the stunts and everything like that. There’s been but one thing that I haven’t been able to do. And unfortunately it happened two days ago and the guy got a bad ding on his head so I’m kind of thankful I didn’t do it. Hence this being on my face now. This isn’t real; it’s to match his ding. So, that’s been really tough, but also really exciting for me. And I’ve pushed myself further than I’ve ever push myself before. It’s been a challenge but it’s been a challenge I’ve wanted to do, and I do love to challenge myself. And I do love to push the boundaries of what I believe I can do and what I didn’t believe I could do. So, that would be the main thing. And also, you can steal an answer from somebody else because it will come back to me.

What was your favorite part about Jace’s character?

This, there you go steal this. My favorite part about his character, and what’s interesting to me when I was discovering out who he was, was this vulnerability that exists underneath this shield of wit or  rudeness effectively as I have seen it, and when that vulnerability is shown to the one person that he believes that he can trust it’s scary for him. It’s scary to let someone in, and the moment he feels almost instantly he feels that’s been betrayed, he just shuts back off again, and I love that about him. I love this…I wouldn’t say he’s a cool customer, but he’s a bit of a dickhead. And I kind of love that….I love that about him. I just think it’s brilliant. Because you don’t get dickheads in stories anymore. Yeah that’s what I love about him.

How much have your costumes, tattoos, and make-up affected you portrayal of Jace?

Dramatically, I was very fortunate enough to be here over a month prior to shooting, so I got to work with Gersha, our costume designer, quite closely and she’s pulled some incredible stuff together. But, it was great for me because I was able to go in there and go I don’t know if this is going to work. I feel uncomfortable, and if I feel uncomfortable and then (someone) is going to feel uncomfortable as well. Of course there will be times when you are wearing things that are uncomfortable. What’s interesting for me about Jace is the fact that I genuinely can relate to him so everything that I feel…I feel that he feels too. And everything he feels I feel. So, it’s been really exciting for me, and also I love leather and there’s a shitload of leather. So, that’s been cool. The tattoos, I love tattoos. It’s great to be tattooed. It’s not so great to be sitting in hair and makeup for three hours but it’s fun. And hell it makes him look badass.

What was your first impression of Jace either when you read the book or first read the script?

That he was a dickhead. But a loveable dickhead. Like I was saying with the vulnerability thing, there are times I just wanted to give him a cuddle and sit him down and go dude it’s okay don’t worry everything is going to be. . . .you don’t have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. You don’t have to, you know, fight demons, um you do that’s your job so yea, I loved him and I wanted to sit him down and have a chat with him, cuddle him, and then discard him.

What’s been the most fun experience that you’ve had on set so far?

Everyday. The training is fun, it’s just hard. This is the most comfortable I’ve ever felt on a set. Which is great, and I trust Harald with my life and with what he is doing with the story. And the fact that he gives us the freedom also to be able to put things in or put our input in is really interesting for me. Because you know you can work with a lot of people where “this is it”, this is what we’re doing, this is how it’s gonna be, no deviation from this, you can’t bring anything into this because this is how it has to be. The words are there, the stage direction is there. We don’t have to do that with Harald. We are very much given this open forum where we can just bounce ideas around. If he thinks an idea is crap he’ll just tell us. But that’s been really fun for me. I guess all the fighting stuff, the Hotel Dumort stuff has been really cool. I got to do a front flip onto a table, so that was pretty cool. It was awesome.

What do you love most about The Mortal Instruments series?

The covers. They are nice covers. I feel sorry for the guy that was on the cover of the first book though because he’s probably going, “Why wasn’t I cast”? Maybe he’s a crap actor, maybe I’m a crap actor. Like I said before, the underlying love story, the torment that exists in the characters, particularly in Jace. I love his sort of angst and his confusion in his own my mind whilst trying to be Mr. Sly.

 

What was your inspiration for writing the Mortal Instruments?
I wanted to write something that would combine elements of traditional high fantasy - an epic battle between good and evil, terrible monsters, brave heroes, enchanted swords - and recast it through a modern, urban lens. So you have the Shadowhunters, who are these very classic warriors following their millennia-old traditions, but in these urban, modern spaces: skyscrapers, warehouses, abandoned hotels, rock concerts. In fairy tales, it was the dark and mysterious forest outside the town that held the magic and danger. I wanted to create a world where the city has become the forest -  where these urban spaces hold their own enchantments, danger, mysteries and strange beauty. 

What was the most exciting part of filming? Was there a specific part of the book you couldn’t wait to see translated on screen?
Just seeing the world that has existed in my mind for so long come to life was amazing. The sets, the costumes, the actors... it was totally surreal to see my imaginary world manifest itself in front of me. I didn’t have one particular scene I couldn’t wait for, but I was really excited to see how the Institute came together.

How did you create the Mortal Instruments characters- who inspired you to write/create them?
That’s a tough question. You sit down and write, and these people show up. Sometimes they do what you expect, and other times they don’t! Some characters, like Jace and Isabelle, show up with a lot of attitude, very thoroughly themselves. Clary was inspired by my artist friends because, not being a visual artist myself, I’m fascinated by the way they see the world. I also deliberately gave Clary a lot of traits I associate with boy heroes in fiction: impulsiveness, recklessness, lack of regard for her own safety, the responsibility to protect her mother, best friend, boyfriend; the responsibility to save the world. I wanted to see how they would sit with a girl protagonist.
Then there was Magnus, who was meant to be a minor character but very quickly made it clear that he had other plans!

Do you have a favourite character, besides for Clary, of course?
I’m too close to them all to pick favorites, I even love the bad guys! But Simon is the most similar to me, while Magnus and Jace are the most fun to write. Clary I adore and admire.

How involved were you in the casting for the movie?
I got to see some of the audition tapes, and the casting director talked to me about possibilities - we spent a lot of hours going over and over footage and demo reels. I do think you can see my obsession with BBC dramas reflected in the final cast!

The Clary/Jace storyline in the books is quite controversial – were you worried about how this would translate on screen?
Is it controversial? I think the end of the first book is a shocker but certainly by the third or so there's nothing particularly controversial there. Which I think is not unusual in a love story: they usually have obstacles and sometimes the obstacles can skate the edge of taboo because the love needs to be forbidden - there's a teacher/student romance in Divergent and Vampire Academy, Katniss is supposed to kill Peeta, Edward wants to eat Bella - I think by now audiences are pretty used to the idea of an insuperable obstacle to a love story.

Which would you rather be, a Shadow Hunter or an Downworlder?
A Downworlder. They can kind of lay low and have somewhat normal lives, in certain cases. I’d last about half a second as a demon-killing soldier! I'd probably want to be a warlock, because then you can live forever without drinking blood. I don't think I'd like blood.

What can fans of the books expect from the movie?
I haven’t seen the finished product, but they can expect to see a movie that takes the fictional world we love and makes it real, and gorgeous! The film won’t be exactly the same as the book, because film works very differently as a medium than the written word does, but I think it will be a lot of fun. I also think the actors are perfect for their roles, and that they will really win readers' hearts.

It’s been revealed that Jessie J’s on the movie soundtrack. She’s a perfect fit! Did you have any part in getting  her involved?
I didn’t, nor in getting Demi Lovato or AFI or any of the other great artists. Universal Republic Records, who did the soundtrack for the Hunger Games, did it all.

Välkommen till den officiella Twittern för filmen The Mortal Instruments i Sverige, som har premiär den 23 augusti! http://t.co/9v3agXMnLm

— TMI Sverige (@TMIofficialSwe) July 1, 2013