TAFs' INTERVIEW WITH T3's CLAIRE DANES!
Danes talks to TAFs about her T3 experience!

It's about time Claire Danes comes forward to sit with TheArnoldFans. We've had the opportunity to interview just about all of the other big players of "T3: Rise of the Machines" over the last several months but Clair seemed to be in hiding. At last we tracked her down. She pulls up a chair next to me and produces that big goofy smile you just got to love so we forgive her. No doubt Danes' lovable T3 character, Kate Brewster, plays a solid role for us to cherish.

TheArnoldFans: You, Nick and Kristanna are all about the same age, so how was the bond on and off the set? How did that go?

Claire Danes:
Well, it was great to have them present because we were all kind of similar under the circumstances - all totally overwhelmed over the prospect of participating in a terminator movie. It was great to have them all there and go "oh God, this is great. Is it really happening?" They'd respond similarly. They are both deep and fun people.



Partying?

Claire:
Um, a little bit. We were working so hard there wasn't much partying to be done... Just a few good barbeques.

Tell us about meeting Arnold and do you do an Arnold imitation?

Claire:
Oh, I do it very bad. A bad, bad, bad Arnold imitation. Yeah, when I've had a beer or two I can start going into it. Other than that my inhibitions keep me from doing it. But it was the second day of filming and the first scene I shot with Arnold, I was on the ground and there were all these explosions going off and there's Arnold all clad in leather emerging from "a ring of fire" and walking towards me with a gun in hand. It was like the wind had been knocked out of me. I didn't know how to process that.

How is it to join such a famous franchise movie?

Claire:
Pretty intimidating initially. It's a part of the American paradigm. It become like mythology and I was really excited to participate in a Terminator movie. I think they're real sophisticated films and I had been an avid admirer of Jonathan's work. I trust him and I believed that I would be in safe company. I was offered the role the day before we started shooting. I got a manic phone call from my agent that said "there's been a crisis on the Terminator set, they've hired an actress who's too young for the role, they need you to recast and they want you to step in. We need you here tomorrow!" I had to assemble a character as quickly as possible.

What was it like firing guns? Claire: Of course the one day I had to fire the machine gun was the one day my mom chose to visit and she was just appalled! Don't forget your line! Claire: Oooooh yes, "DIE BITCH!" I know I was pleading Jonathan. Couldn't it be something else? When I saw a screening of it the other day my head was firmly buried underneath my shirt when I had to do that. I'm quite intimidated by guns - they kill people. It's not such a comforting thought, but, I trained with the prop woman who was very reliable and concerned with safety and she consoled me quite a bit.

How did you feel when you read the ending in the script?

Claire:
Well, it's a bold choice. I was very surprised that they decided to take it in that direction... It's the third installment so it kind of creates some closure.

Stunts and injuries?

Claire:
I spent way too may weeks in the back of that bloody pet van... bouncing me around. I got whiplash at one point so I had to see a chiropractor twice a week. I kept putting my back out because I was hired on such short notice, I didn't have the time to prepare my body for the endurance that was required. But I'm alive and I'm here to tell the tale of my shooting.

Have you signed on for "T4"? Claire: Yes, I am. It's in my contract. We'll see. It's pretty ambiguous to say now of another terminator movie. I think that will be determined by how well it performs in the theater and the audience enthusiasm for it. I tried to pry answers out of Jonathan but he's pretty tight-lipped. I don't know which direction it will head in.

Do you have a favorite Arnold film?

Claire:
Twins comes to mind. I LOVE Twins! Kindergarten Cop and True Lies.

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Randy Jennings