Ellen Page and Michael Cera on Juno

by Jordan Riefe

Currently Ellen Page and Michael Cera are two young actors riding a huge wave of success. In 2005, Page landed her break out role in the controversial Hard Candy and followed it up the next year with her role as Kitty Pride in X-Men: The Last Stand. Cera burst on to the scene in 2003 as George-Michael Bluth in the popular Fox series Arrested Development and in 2007 took his comedic game to new heights in the hit comedy Superbad.

 

Now Ellen Page and Michael Cera co-star alongside Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, and Allison Janney in director Jason Reitman's dramatic comedy Juno. Luckily, we caught up to Page and Cera in Beverly Hills for a quick chat about Juno, baby bumps, fame and Page's Canadian roots.

Ellen Page on seeing the dangers in the relationship with Jason Bateman's character, Mark:

"Well, I think it's purposely ambiguous for sure, and I think it's one of those situations that every viewer will take in a different way, which is fine. I really believe... there's a line in the film where she says, 'I just like being a piece of furniture in your weird life,' and I think that sums it up. Juno is in a situation that allows her access to adulthood and at sixteen that's really exciting. I think she is naive to that whole aspect of it and really doesn't understand where lines might get crossed, she's just generally fascinated and a little infatuated with him."

Page on wearing the baby bump on her stomach:

"I was tempted to wear it out and see what happened, because I’m young and I also look even younger. So it would’ve been interesting to feel that, but I didn’t."

On the downtime she needs between roles:

"I definitely need time because some roles have been fully exerting my mind and body and you need moments to breathe and connect your feet to the ground, or what have you. I feel like if you don’t have your own individual life then you’re just going to burn out."

Michael Cera on the success of his year with both Superbad and Juno:

"I don’t know, I haven’t really felt any kind of buzzing. I mean I don’t know, I don’t really feel that stuff. To me it feels the same. You do this stuff, you talk about the movie, and you do interviews... that stuff is all the same. All of this stuff happens so fast and you can’t control it all, it’s more about working on the movie for me."

Ellen Page on her background and where she came from:

"I grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia and when I was 10 I was randomly asked to audition for a CBC movie of the week, because I was short and had brown hair. I got that part and it was supposed to be this one neat little experience, but that turned into a TV show and that led to something else and so on, and now I’m in the Four Seasons with you [laughs]. When I first started I wasn’t really conscious of what was going on, I was just happy and memorized lines. Then, as I continued to work and started playing more mature roles that required depth and passion - it connected at about fifteen or sixteen and it was on Marion Bridge, directed by Wiebke von Carolsfeld."

Cera and Page On being approached more often now that they're recognizable:

Cera: Yeah, once in a while I’ll be approached by someone and they’ll want a picture or something, it’s strange.

Page: Hard Candy is one of those films that evokes a lot of emotion. I don’t know. I think it’s funny when guys come up and make jokes, ‘I don’t want to be around you with scissors,' and I’m thinking, ‘Really, is that the joke you’re making right now?.'

Michael Cera on the script and his character’s lack of dialogue:

"I think the script felt great and it didn’t seem difficult doing those scenes. I just looked forward to doing them and you handle them and do them one at a time. You just focus on what you’re doing and it was fun being able to say those lines. You just... Jason [Reitman] is a great director and he just talks you through things. He lets you know what’s going on with you, and my character has no idea what’s going on in the movie, basically. Thanks for reminding me of that."

-- Jordan Riefe

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