Odette Yustman at the Spike TV Video Game Awards held at Sony Studios in Culver City, Calif. on December 14, 2008.

For writer/director David S. Goyer the concept of twins was a subject he found both fascinating and creepy. It was that unique, original idea that caught the attention of actress Odette Yustman (Cloverfield), who wasn’t looking to do just another horror film remake. The 23-year-old L.A. native spoke to MediaBlvd Magazine about all the challenges of taking on a role like this.

MediaBlvd Magazine> What was it like for you, when you got the call to do this movie and you found out you’d be leading this cast?

Odette Yustman> My agent said, “You have to read this. You have to go in on this.” So, I read the script and I loved it, and I already loved David’s work. I had to audition quite a few times. I didn’t just go in and hear, “Great, you have the role.” I had to go in and read for Michael Bay, I had to have meetings with all the producers, and I had to read with other characters. So, after I got it, I was so excited. I was like, “Wow, I can’t believe that David is trusting me to lead this whole film. Me! Why me? There are so many other great actresses that could do this role.” But, it’s really cool that I got that experience.

MediaBlvd> When you had to go in and audition, again and again, did you ever get discouraged?

Odette> Oh, yeah, absolutely! It’s a really hard thing to do, to begin with, because there is so much competition in Hollywood and you have to be prepared for rejection because it’s inevitable. You move out to L.A., from wherever it is that you move from, and you need to know that you’re probably going to get rejected a lot, so you have to be okay with that. You have to bring you’re A-game and really just know that, if you’re not right for the role, then it is what it is. There’s going to be something else out there. If you keep working hard for it and you stay serious about your work, then it will happen for you. I’m a big believer in that. For any young people that want to do this, just keep going. If you fail, pick your head up and keep going because it will happen. Sometimes they just can’t visualize you having another hair color, so they’re like, “No, we’re going to give the role to so and so.” It could be anything, why you didn’t get the role. It’s not necessarily that you’re not a good actor, or they don’t like the way you look. It’s just not what they’re looking for.                                          

MediaBlvd> What stood out about this script?

Odette> One of the main things was that it wasn’t a remake. It was a horror film that’s a completely new concept and an original story. That really stood out to me because, nowadays, women don’t have such great opportunities to play a character like this and to be able to carry a whole film yourself. I was really fortunate to have that role and to be able to hit every single emotion because she really is a tortured soul. She goes through so much, throughout the movie. As an actress, you look forward to those roles. It was a challenge. You have to know that yo’'re going to be working all day long. You’re gonna be in bad weather conditions. You can’t complain. You can’t get sick. You have to be on it and do it. That’s what I loved the most, and I’m really grateful that I even got to do this.

MediaBlvd> Did you have fun making this movie?

Odette> I did. I had a blast! I was terrified, to start, because I’m in the whole movie and, as an actress, you think, “Wow, I’m going to have to carry this whole movie! What if it’s not good? What if I really mess up? What if they don’t like it?” So, that was really scary. But, everybody just embraced me. David Goyer was unbelievable. We just really clicked and got along really well. We had a great relationship and we built this character. We worked on it a lot and were really passionate about what was going on. Hopefully, people will enjoy it as much as I did. We had a great time! We were in Chicago and it was really, really cold, but other than that, it was great.                                                                         

MediaBlvd> What was it like to work with David Goyer?

Odette> He’s such a great director! I was such a fan of his work, even before I even got the script. I knew about his writing. Working with him, and sitting down and creating this character and what we wanted from her, we just became really close and had this really great relationship. We joked around all the time, on set, so it was really fun. It was a great experience.

MediaBlvd> Did you find it comforting that you were surrounded with such seasoned actors, as Gary Oldman and Jane Alexander?

Odette> Absolutely! It’s strange to be able to say you worked with Gary Oldman and Jane Alexander, and all these people, and be in a bigger role than they are. It’s really surreal. It’s like, “What did I do to deserve this?” But, I really learned from them. Working with Gary Oldman was unbelievable. He’s such a great actor. He’s so professional, but so funny, and he gave me great advice. And, Jane Alexander was unbelievable. She gave me great advice as well. Just watching those people and how they work, how professional they are and how on top of it they are, just really inspired me. It was really great!

MediaBlvd> When you work with a cast like this, do you allow yourself a moment to be starstruck?

Odette> Oh, yeah! I definitely don’t want to be that girl who’s like, “Oh, my God, I’m such a big fan!” But, after awhile, I definitely let Gary know that True Romance was one of my favorite movies. Working with Ellen Barkin, I let her know that I was such a big fan of hers. And, with Jeffrey Tambor, Arrested Development is so great. Of course I get starstruck, and of course I get super-nervous, but then you realize that they’re just normal people. They do normal things, and you’re just like them. They’re just really, really cool!    

MediaBlvd> The kids in this film are so creepy. What was it like to work with Atticus Shaffer?

Odette> He was great! When you meet him, he is so sweet. He’s like, “Hi, how are you? How’s it going today?” He’s just so eager, and couldn’t be nicer. So, when I watched the movie, I was like, “It really works! He really is a little shithead.” That’s good, I guess.

MediaBlvd> Did you actually watch exorcisms on YouTube for research?

Odette> Yeah, that’s exactly how I did research. I figured I could go buy books and do research that way, but I really wanted something visual that I could see, so that I could create my own idea of an exorcism. I went on You-Tube and checked it out. There were amateur videos of exorcisms. I found really crazy things. It’s actually really terrifying. There were people, all over the world. Some parents think their kids are possessed and take them into a church to get an exorcism, and the kids are terrified. I don’t know if it’s just that the parents are crazy, or what.  But, people react in so many different ways. Some were screaming. Some were completely still. I watched it by myself at night, and I was petrified. I couldn’t sleep. It was the scariest thing because it gets in your head and, for me, psychological thrillers terrify me. The Exorcist is absolutely my favorite horror film. I watched it with my mother when I was seven years old, for the first time. I don’t know why my mom let me watch that. I couldn’t go to the bathroom by myself. I couldn’t go upstairs by myself. I couldn’t sleep. It just got into my head because Linda Blair did an amazing job.

MediaBlvd> How challenging is it to act to what is essentially nothing?

Odette> A lot of times, I had to scream to nothing. I have a great imagination and that’s what carries me because, if not, you can get blocked and get in this stage where it’s like, “What am I doing? How am I going to scream at nothing and be terrified of that wall?” You have to find inspiration, any way you can, whether it’s through music or looking back at old memories, or whatever. Everybody has their own process, so you just have to take your own time and do the steps that you’re used to and that you’re comfortable with. Stepping out of your comfort zone is the way to go.                            

MediaBlvd> What was actually there on set for you to react to? Were the dogs real or CGI?

Odette> There was a real dog. Her name was Mattie. She didn’t listen at all. She was horrible. Literally, the dog wouldn’t move, or it would walk away or not do the right thing, but it was a real dog. They would put the mask on it and it kind of scary.              

MediaBlvd> How did you react when there was a real earthquake on the exorcism set? Did anything else weird happen during filming?

Odette> It was unbelievable how that happened, and so many different weird things happened. The lights would go on and off. There was an earthquake in Chicago. There was a picture taken of this guy going down a stairwell in that old insane asylum and these hands were grasping him. It was a crew member that they took a picture of, and you could see hands coming out.

MediaBlvd> In this film, you have your eye pried open, you’re tied down and gagged, and you’re covered in bugs. Was there one thing that was particularly difficult, or was it just all crazy?

Odette> It all was kind of crazy. Reading the script, I knew that it was going to be physically challenging. She’s a runner, and I knew that that would be really hard, in the winter, in Chicago. I didn’t realize that I would also have to wear contacts throughout the whole movie. I’ve never worn contacts and my eyes are really sensitive, so getting used to that was another challenge. Obviously, the bugs were horrible. They were biting me. They were real potato bugs. They bite, and they eat each other too. It’s horrible! There’s nothing good about them. David Goyer was like, “They’re fine. They’re really great. I’ve held one. They’re totally harmless.” Yeah, right! They started biting me, all over the place. They were crawling up my shirt. It was really bad! On top of having to cry hysterically and scream and be horrified, I had to deal with bugs and a speculum in my eye. But, it doesn’t matter. I’m not complaining at all because I’m so lucky to be where I am and to have David trust me to be the lead of his movie. It’s really unbelievable!

MediaBlvd> Did it hurt to have the speculum holding your eye open?

Odette> Yeah, absolutely! I didn’t know that we were going to do that. David was like, “I have an idea.” I said, “What is your idea?,” and he said, “We’re going to put this thing in your eye, but it’s not going to hurt at all and we’re just going to do it once.” I was like, “Okay, fine. I’ll do it, if you do it,” and he was like, “Of course, I’ll do it.” So, they put these numbing drops in my eye, they put the speculum in, and it hurt. I could feel it. It was so uncomfortable! David saw it and was like, “Oh, man, this looks great! We’ve gotta do a close-up. We’ve gotta do this angle and that angle.” So, I ended up doing it five times. It was horrible! And then, he didn’t end up doing it at all. I was like, “Of course not!”

MediaBlvd> How self-conscious do you get when you have to be in your underwear for a scene?

Odette> That’s horrifying for me! Everybody has their insecurities, as do I. I think that I’m way too skinny. I was like, “Wow, I have to get in my underwear. What am I going to do?”It’s really hard for me, so it’s hard to see those scenes. But, you’ve got to do it and just go with it. At least they covered me. It was a boy-short. They showed me an array of underwear, from g-strings to the ones that were the most covered, and I was like, “We’ll go that way.”

MediaBlvd> The relationships in the film -- between your character and Meagan Good, and between your character and Cam Gigandet -- were very believable. What was it like to work with both of them? Did you spend time getting to know them at all?

Odette> Meagan and I actually knew each other before. I don’t know how we met, but we’d met before and we really clicked, right away. So, when I found out that she was doing the movie, I was really excited. There’s just an immediate chemistry that Meagan and I have. When you meet someone and feel like, “Oh, you’ve been my friend for so long,” that’s how I feel with Meagan. Every time we see each other, we just hug it out and we’re like, “What have you been up to?” It’s really great. It just came naturally. And, with Cam and I, he was actually shooting Twilight before The Unborn, and I was shooting something else, so we were emailing each other back and forth and talking on the phone, trying to rehearse and trying to really just make the relationship believable. When he came to Chicago, we just rehearsed a lot and got to know each other. We would go shopping, and I tried to find out what makes him laugh, just to make it more believable, which I think is probably the best way to work.

MediaBlvd> This type of film has got to be exhausting. As an actress, how do you keep your energy up all day?

Odette> I don’t know how any other actor works, but I feel like the lead actor sets the tone for the whole movie, and it’s really important, as an actress, to be on set, even though you’re so exhausted and you hardly ever get any sleep. It’s really important to come in with a smile on your face and put everybody in a better mood because, if not, what are you working for? We’re all here to have fun. We’re not curing cancer, we’re trying to entertain people. It can get really intense on set sometimes, so trying to ease that up a little bit is an actor’s job. I know a lot of people wouldn’t agree with me, and maybe other actors do their thing and then leave, but I want to embrace everybody and make everybody feel comfortable.

MediaBlvd> So, you don’t need to stay in character in between shots?

Odette> I’m not really Method, no. But, if it’s a really intense scene, people will know. I’ll have my iPod and listen to music, and I’ll have my head down, and they know not to bother me. But, usually, I can pretty much just be me when I’m not shooting.

MediaBlvd> What other scary movies, besides The Exorcist, do you like?

Odette> Rosemary’s Baby. And, there’s this movie, Dolls, that I was petrified of because I had porcelain dolls in my bedroom, growing up. After I saw that movie, when I was 8, I grabbed a hammer and took off their heads. My mom was like, “What are you doing? Those are expensive!,” and I was like, “But, they have a brain. I know it!” I can’t even look at a porcelain doll the same, even now, because I was so scared. I just love scary movies. I love the thrill.

MediaBlvd> After doing a movie like this, that’s so physically demanding, what do you look for next? Do you feel like you’re done with this type of film for awhile, or are you ready for more?

Odette> I never say never. I definitely would want to maybe do something lighter, like a comedy. I’d like to make people laugh next time. That would be really great! Or, a great drama or a period piece, or something that’s steering away from the sci-fi genre. But, if something really great comes up, I would absolutely be interested. I really enjoy it. You can’t really be that picky. I really loved this script. If there’s something out there that’s great, then absolutely. But, maybe I’ll look for some more comedy.

MediaBlvd> Did anyone mentor you on how to deal with the business side of Hollywood?

Odette> I was fortunate enough, when I did this TV show October Road, to have three producers/creators on the show -- Scott Rosenberg, Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec -- who really routed for me. Throughout the whole process of auditioning for that role, they backed me up and finally gave me the role, and they have been there for me, ever since. They helped me get the role in Cloverfield. They are just great mentors. They have helped guide me through what I should do and who I should meet. It’s great to have people that really just truly care about you. There are so many people that are fake in this town and can ruin you, so it’s nice to have people that really, genuinely care.

MediaBlvd> Which do you like better, film or TV?

Odette> TV is really bittersweet for me. It’s really hard because I get really attached, really quickly. All the TV that I’ve done, I’ve built this really close family, so it’s hard when a show gets cancelled because you don’t see that family every day. With a movie, you know you’re going to be done with it in three months, so you can prepare yourself for that. TV is a more stable career. You know you’re going to have a job for at least a year, hopefully. With a movie, you’ve got three months, or maybe not even, and then you need to look for the next job. But, it’s also really rewarding. You’re on the big screen. It can turn out to be a really great career, and you can do different characters all the time. With TV, you have one character that you have to stick with for who knows how long -- five or 10 years, maybe, if you’re lucky -- and every now and then, you can try to squeeze a film in.      

MediaBlvd> You did an episode of the television series Life on Mars. What was that experience like?

Odette> The creators of October Road were the creators of the American version of Life on Mars, so they called me up. They’re so great. They said, “We want to get everybody from October Road on Life on Mars, and we have this role for you. Do you want to do it?,” and I was like, “Sure!” Then, when I read it, it was like, “She drops her dress and is making love to this guy,” and I was like, “Oh, my God! What are you having me do?” But, it’s ABC, so it was very tastefully done. I never watched the British version, but I heard that it was really great. Jason O’Mara is awesome, and working with Harvey Keitel and Michael Imperioli was also a plus. I’ve worked with some great people. I played this undercover prostitute that was getting information from the lead cop, Sam.

MediaBlvd> What do you remember about making Kindergarten Cop with Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Odette> A lot, actually. I remember all the kids going to Arnold’s trailer, knocking on it and then running away, when he was sleeping, and just causing havoc and playing jokes on everybody. I don’t know how they even finished that movie. We were everywhere. It was like, “Where’s this kid? Where’s that kid?” “I don’t know. Climbing the tree.” I had little pigtails and I spoke Spanish in it. It was so much fun!

MediaBlvd> How did Arnold handle all of the kids?

Odette> I think he was really annoyed. After awhile, he was over it. But, what are you going to do? It’s a movie with kids, and that was the main focus of the movie, so he had to put up with it.

MediaBlvd> How did you come to play “Socialite” in Transformers and “Reefer Girl” in Walk Hard?

Odette> With Transformers, I’m pretty good friends with the casting director and she called me in. I was auditioning for something else, and she said, “Hey, before you go, we just have this small role for Transformers. Do you want to do it?,” and I was like, “Yeah, why not? That would be cool!” For Walk Hard, I also knew the casting director, who said, “Will you come in and just play around with this and see what comes out?,” and I said, “Sure!” So, I ended up working with John C. Reilly and Tim Meadows, which was awesome. But, what wasn’t awesome was having to smoke those herbal cigarettes, all day long. My fingers were yellow. It was so bad.

MediaBlvd> What did you do in Transformers?

Odette> I’m in the car, and Shia LaBeouf comes toward me and hits my car. I say something like, “Did that guy dent my car?,” and then the Transformer comes up. 

MediaBlvd> Are there any actresses whose careers you really admire?

Odette> Absolutely, yeah. I love Jennifer Connelly. I think she’s unbelievable. Kate Winslet couldn’t be better. Cate Blanchett is great. I love Meryl Streep, Judi Dench, Jane Alexander, who I worked with, Helen Mirren. The list can go on and on, even with younger actresses, who are my age. I think Natalie Portman is outstanding, and Rachel McAdams is great. There are so many great actresses out there. I’m making my baby steps, and I definitely admire all of these actresses’ careers. I watch them and learn from them.

MediaBlvd> What do you have coming up next?

Odette> I just finished a movie called Rogue’s Gallery. It’s this small, independent movie that is this super-dark, dry wit comedy about a group of assassins that the government has hired to kill people off, but instead they end up killing each other. It’s a really great comedy, and I got to work with unbelievable actors in that as well, like Ellen Barkin and Jeffrey Tambor, and great comedians like Zach Galifianakis and Rob Corddry, and Ving Rhames, who’s really great. We’re all based on Tarot card names, so I’m Temperance and I go to the big guys, like Putin, and get Intel. It was fun! That’s maybe going to be coming out in 2009. Hopefully, it will go to some festivals.

MediaBlvd> Any possibility of a Cloverfield sequel?

Odette> I did have dinner with one of the producers and he toyed with the idea that maybe they would be coming up with a sequel, but I haven’t heard anything yet. I don’t think any of the original cast members would be in it. My guess is that they would probably go with the perspective of another group of people that experience the same event, but I haven’t really heard anything.