INT: A.J. Cook

Last Updated on July 28, 2021

The Arrow
interviews A.J. Cook

I
initially noticed A.J. Cook in the brilliant “The Virgin
Suicides” and then, her genre
films “Ripper” and “Wishmaster 3”.
Although I wasn’t
too fond of the two latter movies, A.J. still stood out as a very talented
actress, so when I learned that she had been chosen as the lead for
“Final
Destination 2”, I felt a pretty strong glimmer of hope for the
sequel. A.J. recently took some time off the set to
talk shop with yours truly and this is what she had to say.

ARROW: What’s
your favorite horror movie?

AJ:
[laughs] My
favorite horror movie….

ARROW:
Well, you’ve been in enough horror movies I would assume that you
appreciate the genre.

AJ:
I don’t have a
particular favorite, I can’t think of one right now off the top of my head.

ARROW:
Fair enough…how did you get into acting? Was it always an ambition
of yours?

AJ:
I started dancing
when I was 4 so I just kind made the transition over, I guess.
Acting just kind of happened, it’s been going pretty well, so I keep
doing it.

ARROW:
What was it about the FD 2 script that grabbed ya?

AJ:
I really liked the first one, I liked the concept because it was a horror
film but it wasn’t your typical horror film of like a serial
killer chasing you. I liked the idea that death is the main
character in the movie and that death is chasing you, I just thought
that it was cool and that’s why it did so well, because it could
happen…I don’t know if you’re a big believer in fate or destiny…

ARROW:
I am actually…

AJ:
So yeah, you know…

ARROW:
Do you feel that the sequel take the themes established in the first
one further or is it more of the same?

AJ:
I think it takes it
a little further but basically it’s the same idea of death tying up
loose ends type of thing, but
it does take it a step further than the first one. You learn more
about the loopholes and how to get out of it and that kind of stuff.

ARROW:
Can you give me some background info on your character? What kind of
girl is she?

AJ:
She’s a strong
girl, she’s determined…a year ago her mother died in front of her so
she had to grow up very quick and she has a very close
relationship with her father. I just liked that my character is very
strong and that Ali’s character is very strong too. It’s hard enough to
find a script with one strong female lead, here we get two, I liked
that about it.

ARROW:
What kind of research did you do for the part…if any?

AJ:
I watched the first
one because I hadn’t seen it, so yeah…[laughs]…I fell into it so
quickly that I didn’t really have much time to research. I did most of
it on set and tried to figure everything out as we all went along.

ARROW:
So are you usually a method actress type?

AJ:
It depends, I use a
little bit of the method but sometimes on a crazy set, you just got to
do, what you got to do.

ARROW:
I hear ya…

AJ:
You know, especially
in something like this when you’re doing a horror movie because some the
things you have to do or say are so out of this world and it’s not
anything that you can relate to, so you kind of gotta figure out something that’s
close to that and use it.

ARROW:
What was the hardest scene for you to shoot so far?

AJ:
There’s
a…well, that wasn’t hard, it was fun….but there’s a scene in the
movie where I’m trapped in a van underwater and that was…it
wasn’t hard because it was fun but initially I thought it was going to be
very hard because my biggest fear is being trapped in a car underwater.
So it was kind of cool to face my fear and all that. I’d say the
hardest scenes in the movie are where I’m freaking out and being very
emotional, that’s what we’re kind of shooting right now…

ARROW:
Are you ok {laugh}?

AJ:
Yeah, I’m
hanging in there, just been going through days and days of emotional stuff.

ARROW:
Would you say that this role is the most challenging one that you’ve had to tackle
so far?

AJ:
No, it’s challenging
in the way that it’s a lot of work, I’m very busy. It’s challenging in a
way that it’s a sequel and I feel I got big shoes to fill. I wasn’t at
all affiliated with the first one and it was very successful and
I’m just kind of afraid that people will get to the theatre and say:
“Who’s this girl? She wasn’t in the first one!” So that pressure is
there and in that sense…it has been difficult.

ARROW:
So in terms of being an actress, what was the most challenging part
you’ve had to play?

AJ:
I think the hardest
one was this film I did called “Ripper”, it was a genre film.

ARROW:
Yeah, you played a Goth-like type of girl…

AJ:
Yeah, that was so
opposite of me and to get in that mode was difficult, she was really a
deep, dark character to play.

ARROW:
Yeah, you were pissed off in that movie!

AJ:
[laughs] Yeah, she had issues! But I’m proud of my work in that one. It
was just such a stretch for me, I think it turned out pretty good, I’m
happy with it.

ARROW:
I’m assuming that you’re living in Vancouver, right?

AJ:
No, I don’t, I live
in Salt Lake…

ARROW:
Oops, my bad…are you thinking of moving to LA? I mean your star is
starting to shine very brightly…

AJ:
It’s tough because
I’ve never had to live there and I’m not a big fan of LA, but I am
actually moving there shortly in a month or so…

ARROW:
At least you get the beach there…

AJ:
Exactly, we’re
moving on the beach, we’re not moving in LA, we’ll live on like the
Manhattan Beach area so at least we’ll be away from it all, which is
nice.

ARROW:
Last question– are you signed on for a third Final Destination?

AJ:
Possibly yes…if
they decide to do that.

ARROW:
Well, I’ve been hearing that it will surely happen if this one makes
money.

AJ:
There’s definitely
rumors going around…so we’ll see [laughs]!

ARROW:
Cool, well I’m done!

AJ:
Well, thank you!

ARROW:
Thank you.

I’d
like to once again thank A.J. for the interview, this
gal was a treat to talk to. My pallet is starting to get really wet for some of that Final
Destination 2 stuff, March 2003 is a long time to wait…I think I’m going to
go rent the first one again.