Typically, it’s the job of the interviewer to put the interviewee on the spot – but Blake Lively is no typical interviewee. Instead, she playfully turned the tables on this shy question-asker, and started our discussion of The Shallows off on a jovial, high-pitched note. I’m sorry, but when Blake Lively asks you to make a silly voice, you make a silly voice. Plus, to be honest, it’s nice to see actors and actresses having fun with these press scenarios. Good on ya, Blake!
Unexpected intros aside, I endured New York City’s balmy summer weather to chat with Blake Lively about her new intensified shark thriller, The Shallows. Specifically, how Blake could ever go back to a beach after fighting heroically against a killer Great White who wants to turn her into yesterday’s dinner. It’s a wonderful, powerful turn for Mrs. Ryan Reynolds – one that should definitely bring her more genre attention in the future – as Jaume Collet-Serra’s aquatic thriller will undoubtedly be one of the more white-knuckle experiences of this summer blockbuster season. Blake Lively may have the body of a surfer babe, but she fights like a survivor and commands a 90-minute movie almost entirely by her lonesome.
As an added bonus – you know, in addition to goofiness and her real-life (YES) experiences with sharks – I asked Blake to give some summer beach tips based on her own personality favorites. Go-to drink, best beach snack, quintessential summer tunes – you know, the things that really matter! She was a great sport through it all, and it was a pleasure having someone so energetic sitting across from me in this typical press junket situation.
Check out our full video interview below, and be sure to check out The Shallows when it takes a bite out of theaters this weekend!