Your first impression of Obsessed was …
Ali Larter: When I was first sent over the script, I thought it was a modern take on the classic sexy thriller like Fatal Attraction. And I hadn’t seen one in a while. I thought the fresh take on it was that it took place in an office. And [it’s about] how modern technology has brought about a different level of intimacy between people. So we tried to explore that. And it was just so much fun to play someone who gets to freak out! At the end of the day that’s what was fun.
How did you find a way to relate to a character that is so … intense?
AL: What was really important to me, diving into this character, was finding the clues to her psychosis. You can’t play crazy as crazy. What happened to this girl that made her so desperate and in need for love? I needed to show the sympathetic side of her. It’s almost sad how far she goes to be with the man she loves. For me, that was the most interesting side of the character and also the biggest challenge — to make the character sympathetic.
Is she actually in love or delusional?
AL: She is 100 percent in love. At least for me, that’s where it all stems from. She just misreads his signals. He’s not innocent in this game. He kinda led her on, too. One of the things that we delve into is how things can get misinterpreted in an office environment. You can spend more time with your coworkers then you do with your husband or wife. So, in Obsessed we try to tap into those fears.
So now you join the ranks of other scary women of cinema, like Kathy Bates and Glenn Close.
AL: The gold standard is Fatal Attraction. That’s just a classic. Obsessed a just a really fun ride. The fight scene at the end is so much fun to watch. I heard that people have been screaming at the screen. Right now, we are in the middle of a recession, people are working their asses off and there is something fun about going to a dark theater with a crowd and just escaping for a while. Me and Beyonce get to act these wild fantasies.
Like the drag-out fight scene with Beyonce?
AL: Yes! We worked on the fight scene for a week to get the choreography down and make sure that it looked tough and rough. And it really delivers to the audience.
So Beyonce can throw a mean right hook?
AL: [Laughs.] I don’t mind getting bruised up. I do fight scenes on Heroes all the time. You gotta dance close to reality to sell it … but not cross that line.
How was working on a movie different then working on Heroes?
AL: It’s just a different medium. In a movie there is a very clear beginning, middle and end. With Lisa Sheridan, she’s a femme fatale. And that’s what made it fun. I hope I get to do it again. The fact that I get to play strong women makes me feel blessed.
You must have quite a busy schedule …
AL: I was shooting Obsessed and Heroes at the same time. That was the most grinding work schedule I have ever had. I would go to Heroes one day and then Obsessed the next. And that went on for several months.
Advice time: How would you recommend breaking up with someone so they don’t go nuts on you?
AL: Honesty. Honesty is the best policy at all times. That’s how you stay in a healthy relationship. If it’s not working out, then you have to be true to yourself and true to the other person. Maybe there is somebody else out there that’s going to love them and is more right for them. I think honesty is never wrong.
Ever had a personal romance get a bit too intense?
AL: I think everybody had a time in high school when they got carried away with the lovage. I remember calling a boy like 10 times in one night and going overboard with the crushes. But that’s when you are figuring it all out.
