Interview: Kicking Ass with Hit-Girl, Chloe Moretz

Whether you liked or disliked Kick-Ass, the Matthew Vaughn directed adaptation of the Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr. comic series of the same name, one thing’s for sure: everyone was talking about Hit-Girl. Fans of the comic already knew the foul-mouthed, violent avenger who handed out justice with Big Daddy, but when critics were shown the film, some were shell-shocked. How could a film showcase this level of violence, along with the coarse language, all done by an eleven year old girl?

That eleven year old girl, known as Hit-Girl, was portrayed by Chloe-Grace Moretz, who by then already caused a little stir with film goers as the smarter-than-her-age younger sister to Joseph Gordon Levitt in (500) Days of Summer. Hit-Girl was one of the real memorable female roles this year, yet Killer Film thought the character was vastly misunderstood in the media and the controversy was really unwarranted. “”You know,” explains Chloe Moretz on break from starting the new Martin Scorsese film, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. “Everyone will have their opinion, and I guess, that’s what they felt seeing the movie. But if they would have viewed it in an unbiased opinion and saw it for more than what it was, they would have liked it more.” Seemingly humble considering Australian Family Association spokesman John Morrissey made the claim that her character’s “language [was] offensive and the values inappropriate – without the saving grace of the bloodless victory of traditional superheroes (here).”

There’s a facade Hit-Girl has, I told her, with her costume that allows for her to be brash and violent, but in the scenes with her dad (played by Nic Cage), she’s really a sweet girl and a loving daughter. “”Well,” she responded, “I feel Hit-Girl could represent women that are determined with what they want, they don’t take no for an answer, and they just go for it. Women have always been strong and willing.” Chloe Moretz is a girl that idolizes Natalie Portman, who started out her career in similar fashion with her role in Leon: The Professional that featured a sexual undercurrent between her and Leon (Jean Reno).

Fans and critics must remember, the character was based in a post-modernist view of superheroes, and yet, the role was specifically meant to be over-the-top. But to Chloe, any heavy-handiness of the violence and subtext, didn’t weigh on her and she was giddy over working with actors Nic Cage and Mark Strong. “They’re both amazing actors, and after I met and then worked with them, I realized they’re both just sweethearts!,” she exclaims. It takes a brash little girl to say such things about Mark Strong, who has been working with director Guy Ritchie and now plays the villain in next summer’s Green Lantern.

“They were all very, very hard. That one was very challenging,” Chloe remarks about the three month work to get her into action heroine shape for the film more memorable action sequences, namely the end fight in the warehouse. “Once you get on set, you’ve run through it so many times, you have in ingrained, making it all come naturally.” Good thing, since Mark Millar is all set to release issue 1 of Kick-Ass: Balls to the Wall soon, focusing more on Hit-Girl and with talk about turning it into a sequel, fans can expect more Hit-Girl.

But for Chloe, who can’t wait to reprise her role, she’s pretty busy with the upcoming Let Me In, filming with Scorsese, and working on the new film by Jennifer’s Body director called The Rut. Until then, fans can revisit her in Kick-Ass out August 3rd on Blu-ray and DVD from Lionsgate Films.

Jon Peters

I love film. That is all.

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