Set Visit: Thor Interview with Jamie Alexander

Read our full report from the set of THOR here!

The first person we had the pleasure of speaking to while on the ice world sound stage off the set of THOR was the lovely Jamie Alexander (LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS, “Kyle XY”), playing the role of Asgardian warrior ‘Sif’.

In the comics, Sif becomes Thor’s lover and adventuring companion, but their relationship doesn’t begin that way. Alexander, playful and outgoing in her interview, describes the dynamic we’ll encounter in the film.

What’s your relationship with Thor?

The relationship between Thor and Sif in this movie is quite platonic. I mean, they’re good buddies. They’ve grown up with each other, they’re warriors, they fight side by side. They haven’t taken it to the next level yet. She kinda thinks he’s a little bit pig-headed, but she loves him nevertheless. She’s like, “That’s my buddy and I’ll do what I can for him.” But she’ll definitely call him on his shit, which I like.

You said “yet” but think in the future you would?

I think that’s a strong possibility due to the comic books, but nothing’s really been set in stone.

Have you met Natalie Portman yet? You two actually very similar features.

I think so! It’s funny. The dark hair, the mole, the eyebrows… she’s like a miniature version of me. A more FIT version of me. I actually met with her trainer yesterday to start doing a little flexibility training with her and stuff. It’ll be interesting. I’ve heard great things about her and she’s a talented girl and I’ve heard she’s a pleasure to be around.

Do you have any scenes together?

Umm… yes. [Looks back at producer Craig Kyle] Uhhh! This is like being on Twitter! [Laughs] Yes, I do.

When you knew you were getting the part, did you read the comics at all?

Weirdly enough, I grew up with four brothers in Texas, and they’re huge Marvel fans, so I read “Thor” when I was in middle school. I met Walt Simonson recently, and I totally geeked out and I think he thinks I’m a freak. It’s kinda neat, though, because I find Sif to be very strong, and I’m pleased to have gotten this role. She’s just a strong female, and I think that needs to be done for a lot of young women.

Are your brothers losing their minds now?

Yeah, totally. But they’re more like, “Is Natalie Portman single?” And I’m like, “I don’t know, don’t ask me that!”

Can you talk about working with Kenneth Branagh and what the dynamic has been like on the set?

Kenneth is awesome to work with. He allows us a lot of creative freedom. He’s always saying, “Would you like another take? Would you like to try something different?” I say, “You know what, if you got what you want then I’ll be good!” [Laughs] Because by that time I’m usually out of breath. But he’s awesome. He’s very personable, and he really cares a lot about us, and a lot about how we feel, like if we’re in any sort of pain. But he’s also just very clever. He demands a lot of respect without being an asshole about it, which I think is great.

Can you talk about the dialogue? Because of Kenneth’s involvement, is there a bit of Shakespeare there, or is it something more normalized and familiar?

It’s kind of a cross. Not over the top Old English like “The Lord of the Rings” or something like that. But there is a very sophisticated air about the Asgardians in their dialogue. I’m doing an English accent. Well… maybe it’s kind of Welsh. [Laughs] But you know what I mean. On that side of the pond, pretty much.

How many scenes have you had with Anthony Hopkins?

I’ve had a few. He’s a very cool man. He’s kind of like a little boy in an old man’s body. He’s just always so happy and plucky. He goes around wearing these funky bright blue shoes to work, and he always comes in with a scarf and a top hat and wearing bright yellow sunglasses. He’s just great. So much fun. He’s so excited to be in this. It’s really great to see somebody of that age, with such a career like that, still so excited.

Which set that you’ve shot on has been your favorite so far?

The Observatory is the most gorgeous set I’ve ever been on, but the set I’ve had the most FUN shooting on is this one (referring to the glacier set the press is currently gathered in).

It’s got a little bit of a Krypton feeling to it.

You know, yeah, it’s got that feel. I kept thinking about that when we first got in here. I was like “Holy crap, where’s Marlon Brando?”

Do you continue now onto the New Mexico shooting?

That’s up in the air. [Producer Craig Kyle interjects, “It depends on what she says right now.”] You know what, Craig?! [Laughter]

How is it working on green screen?

You know, it’s interesting. It’s the first time I’ve ever worked with green screen technology. And sometimes it can be really boring because you’re like “Wow, I gotta really imagine all of this stuff around me.” But, it’s low maintenance, which is nice. It’s not as hard as I thought it would be. And they’ve shown us a lot of photographs of what this is going to look like, so we can have it in our mind and really use that for our imaginations.

What characters are you here with today?

We have “Volstagg” who Ray Stevenson’s playing, and he’s kind of a jolly good time. That’s the best way I can put that. Tadanobu Asano’s not with us today, but his double is here. He plays “Hogun the Grim”. And actually, Tadanobu is really funny, but he doesn’t get to be in this. And then Joshua Dallas who plays “Fandral the Dashing”, and he’s been loads of fun to work with. He’s definitely been schmoozing the ladies and that sort of thing. His character! He’s married, he doesn’t do that in real life. [Laughter] I should shut up. And then of course there’s Loki played by Tom Hiddleston. And actually, Tom’s helped me a lot with my accent. I’ve worked to sort of match him. We’ve all kind of matched him in the movie.

Can you say what your character thinks of Loki before he becomes an outright villain?

From reading the comics, I took it upon myself to follow those storylines. He’s my buddy and I’ll fight alongside him, but he’s not as good of a fighter as me. And that’s kind of the attitude I have with him sometimes. But still, the core six characters are very much friends. I think certain things that happen throughout the film are a little shocking to Sif.