We're on the Phone with
Hot Lucas Till!
by Lynn Barker
 We just got off the phone with Miley Cyrus's co-star in her film, gorgeous Lucas Till who gets to play a Russian spy and do a martial arts fight with icon Jackie Chan in the new film The Spy Next Door.
Who is Lucas jones-ing to send a Valentine to? You might be surprised.
What could a girl do that would make him drop her immediately?
What's his advice to girls for spotting a "Player"?
What's the bad habit that he's embarrassed about?
You read it here first!
AGW: Lucas, what's it like to play the bad guy for a change?
Lucas: It was a dream come true in many ways. Although it's not Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight", it's still in the direction I want to go in. It was awesome and liberating to play a Russian spy.
AGW: What was it like learning the choreography for your fight scene with Jackie Chan?
Lucas: It was pretty nuts because the first day of rehearsal, I'm learning from the American stunt guys and they are a team and tell you 'alright. This is how it's got to be'. Then I go through Jackie's stunt team; same amount of guys but I have to go through each one of his stunt guys individually. They're all from East Asia and their manners are lost in translation so you've got to throw your pride out the window when you are listening to these guys because they are, seven times over, telling me what I'm doing wrong and the next guy will tell me something I'm doing different from the first guy and I should have been doing it the whole time. It was a looooong, demoralizing process where they tell me how weak and pathetic I was until, finally, I'd get to Jackie and he'd tell me what I was doing wrong too! I'd have to go cry, come back, look at the footage and be happy. There was no martial arts training before, just rehearsal. I had a great time though.
AGW: What did you have to do to perfect your Russian accent in the film?
Lucas: I played a lot of "Grand Theft Auto 4" right before I went in to do that, a bunch of Russians in that video game and I play a lot of video games. I showed up on set and asked Bryan Levant (director) if I was going to be using an accent and he goes 'Huh? You know what, sure, why not?' So glad I had all that prep.
AGW: What did you and Jackie and the cast do off set for fun?
Lucas: They put me in a hotel in the middle of nowhere where the nearest thing I could walk to was McDonalds. I finally moved hotels and the last night there, I'd never even gotten a picture with Jackie and I just idolized him as a kid since I was five. Everything was so busy and he was basically the 2nd director on the movie as far as action scenes are concerned. I was waiting until the American stunt guys got done and they bailed on me. So I went to some Italian restaurant all alone and I see one of Jackie's stunt guys. I go back into this secluded room and it's all of Jackie's people and Jackie's at the head of the table and goes 'oh, sit down. Sit down!' I'm like 'oh my God, I'm about to eat dinner with Jackie Chan!' and I did. He paid for my meal and I got to talk with him all night and got a picture with him and he signed two of them for me.
 AGW: Any bloopers or embarrassing moments while filming?
Lucas: Yeah, at the end of the movie you can see me making some weird noise and sticking my tongue out because I'm actually in a lot of pain. Jackie messes up a line and he's putting me down with the chair and I'm in pain and you can see that in the movie. I would love to do more of my own stunts. I've tried and was not competent enough to pull it off.
A couple of times I was told that I punch like a girl, by Jackie's stunt team.
AGW: Since you play a Russian spy in the movie, if you could spy on anyone, who would it be?
Lucas: Oh man, this could get interesting. I don't want to know what people are actually doing or thinking because it could hurt me too bad but I'd like to spy on the President. I'd like to see what goes on behind closed doors. I think he's a pretty interesting guy. I would have no career after that but....
AGW: Who are you dying to work with?
Lucas: I think Selena Gomez is extremely talented. I have a lot of respect for people with a lot of talent. She's extremely pretty and a really good actress.
AGW: Did Jackie Chan give you any advice on set?
Lucas: Yeah, how to not punch like a girl! (we laugh). He's a lot more serious as a hard worker on set. If it was anything, it was by example, he taught me not to be a diva. People respect him because he's got that work drive that not too many people have. He's always working hard.
AGW: Did Billy Ray Cyrus suggest you for the role?
Lucas: No. He came in after I did.
AGW: Do you get to catch up with Miley?
Lucas: Maybe a month or two ago. I've been in Louisiana. I haven't even talked with my own family members for the past 4 months so it was sometime before that but often enough.
AGW: Can you see yourself doing more action flicks in the future?
Lucas: Yes, definitely. Actually, I'd be totally happy if I wasn't a good actor at all and just did action movies for the rest of my life. And I got to do it in my last movie (Battle L.A.) I love it.
AGW: Do you like watching yourself on screen? Do you get nervous?
Lucas: Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. But no. I never like watching myself. I'm always nervous okay. I was ready to put my fingers in my ears and go 'la, la, la, la' when I came up (on screen). At the "Walk the Line" premiere when I was a freshman in high school, I could not watch that. I think all actors are critical of their own work.
AGW: What else is coming up for you?
Lucas: I just wrapped this movie called "Battle L.A." with Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodriguez and Ne-Yo. That comes out in 2011. And I did an episode of the TV show "Blue Mountain State" on Spike TV, a college humor type of show about football players and what they do outside of football.
AGW: Did you get injured doing your own stunts? Flipping backwards and crashing through a window?
Lucas: No. Actually I got injured doing smaller stuff like throwing a kick and pulling a hamstring. I'd pinch my wrist. But no big injuries on that one.
AGW: Do you have any habits that you would be embarrassed if someone saw you do?
Lucas: Oooooh. On Battle L.A. we played marines and during boot camp, my nickname was "Corporal Munchies' because we'd have this gear on and I'm always eating like every two hours and I love to snack. We'd be about to get on the firing line and I'd pull out some cheezits and offer them around or some Oreos or in my ammo magazine I'd have some peanut butter crackers.
AGW: Valentine's Day is coming up. If you could send a valentine to someone, who would it be?
 Lucas: Well, ooo yeah, Rachel McAdams! Man, she's smokin' hot. Even if she was not a looker, I just love her talent. She's so good. Yeah, Rachel McAdams!
AGW: Are you obsessed with Twitter?
Lucas: No. I've never been into it. I'd rather just talk to someone or call them or text them... not much different but everyone can read a Tweet. When people mention me, they ask why I'm not tweeting and I'll tweet back. It serves a purpose.
AGW: When we talked with you last August you said your one pet peeve about girls you've dated is when they just take personal cellphone calls during your date like you don't exist. Has that kept happening and how soon would you dump a girl who was that rude?
Lucas: We were just talking about this. Naw, it hasn't happened since because I don't gravitate toward girls who would do something like that. As soon as a girl does that, it's done.
AGW: How can our visitor spot a "player"?
Lucas: If you were to like him a little too much too fast, it's because he knows exactly what he's doing. The moment they say the right things way too often, that's how you spot one.
AGW: What was your favorite scene in the film?
Lucas: The restaurant scene because I get to speak a word of Russian and act like a college student. Who would ever believe me? I get a fight scene and dialogue with Jackie Chan so it was pretty awesome!
AGW: Would you go to college?
Lucas: Definitely not right now but yes, every day I think about getting a degree. I like learning but I just don't like learning on someone else's schedule. I like doing it myself so maybe online classes would be better for me. I was accepted to a university where I lived before I moved out to L.A. It's always a plan in my life, and especially with my parents when I go home.
AGW: What would you study?
Lucas: Maybe German. I've always liked that. I could study abroad and that would be sweet.
AGW: Is there a character in a book or in history that you would love to play some day.
Lucas: I've always been interested in Greek and Norse mythology. I've always wanted to play Hermes the messenger of the Gods or Loki who is similar in Norse mythology, the God of mischief.
pictures
courtesy of and copyright Lionsgate Films, 2010 |
