-

I've admired Mary Elizabeth Winstead for years. Not only does she have a resume loaded with high quality performances and some very refreshing role choices, but she's also a true pleasure to talk with. That was the case back when I spoke with her about the under-seen Faults at SXSW 2014 and it's still true today. Winstead recently took the time to swing by the Collider Studio for an episode of Ladies Night and it was a downright delightful chat that covered everything from her early career choices to how her priorities have evolved over the years, what it was like working with Ang Lee and Will Smith, and so much more. Plus, Winstead is excellent in Gemini Man. If you'd like to see someone make the most of a role and truly make the character her own, catch the film in theaters nationwide on October 11th.

Smith leads Gemini Man as not one, but two characters. He's Henry Brogan, a top-notch hitman looking to retire. He's also Junior, a mysterious young operative who's after Henry and also happens to look exactly like him. Winstead steps in as Danny, a DIA agent who winds up teaming up with Henry to figure out exactly what's going on here.

Check out the video at the top of this article to hear all about Winstead's experience working with Lee and Smith on Gemini Man. She also talks a little bit about working on Birds of Prey with Margot Robbie, why she'd love to see a Scott Pilgrim vs. The World sequel, and answers a question posed by Collider Spotlight interviewee, Kelvin Harrison Jr. from Luce. We've also got a handy breakdown of the full interview for you below.

gemini-man-will-smith-mary-elizabeth-winstead
Image via Paramount Pictures

Mary Elizabeth Winstead:

  • 01:35 - Did she always want to be an actor growing up?
  • 02:37 - The project that finally made her think acting could be a career.
  • 04:08 - Picking the right projects; how her project-picking priorities changed over the years.
  • 05:54 - Winstead talks about passing on an audition for Mean Girls.
  • 08:09 - Winstead discusses how she handled being given the impression that she was too tall to be a ballet dancer.
  • 09:40 - Going from being picked last at dodgeball to becoming an action movie star.
  • 11:07 - What Winstead needs to have in hand on set.
  • 12:35 - What are Winstead's on-set vices?
  • 13:33 - Winstead answers a question posed by Luce star, Kelvin Harrison Jr.
  • 16:20 - Winstead on working with Will Smith; how he leads by example.
  • 17:25 - The biggest technical challenges of working with two Will Smiths.
  • 19:53 - Would she rather do performance capture or wear a ton of prosthetics?
  • 20:54 - Working with Ang Lee as a director who tells such different stories in each film.
  • 22:08 - Are there shared traits amongst the great filmmakers she's worked with?
  • 22:52 - What happens when Ang Lee gets stressed out?
  • 23:53 - What it was like working with Cathy Yan and a kick-ass female ensemble in Birds of Prey.
  • 24:59 - What it's like working with Margot Robbie as a producer.
  • 26:03 - Winstead on who made a big difference for her on the set of Gemini Man.
  • 27:36 - Collider Random Questions begins!

gemini-man-imax-poster