'The Debt' Stars Talk German Accents, '70s Thrillers

Sam Worthington and Jessica Chastain talk to MTV News about challenges and rewards of playing special agents in John Madden film.
By Kara Warner


Sam Worthington in "The Debt"
Photo: Focus Features

Even at a glance, John Madden's new movie "The Debt" has a lot going for it: a cool-looking espionage thriller that boasts a stellar cast, including breakout stars Sam Worthington ("Avatar") and Jessica Chastain ("The Help" and "Tree of Life"), as well as acclaimed actors Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson and Ciarán Hinds.

"Debt" follows a trio of government agents who are haunted by repercussions from a top-secret mission they carried out in the 1960s. When we meet them, it's 1997 and the agents are mature adults played by Mirren, Wilkinson and Hinds. We relive their harrowing ordeal in a series of flashbacks, wherein the same characters are played by Chastain, Marton Csokas and Worthington. But as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems, and the agents must again risk their lives for redemption.

When MTV News sat down with Worthington (and his co-star Chastain) recently, we asked what separates "The Debt" from other thrillers.

"It's like an old 1970s thriller, I think," Worthington said. "It has the feel of 'The Boys From Brazil,' 'Three Days of the Condor,' 'The Conversation,' stuff like that. That was John [Madden's] pitch to me from the start," he explained. "There is a different pace on it, it was a movie that I would like to go and see. It is different.

The role also required Worthington to take on various German accents, so we wondered how the actor went about mastering them.

"I find them always hard, it's like a costume," Worthington admitted. "But to learn German on top of an Israeli lilt thrown on top of an Australian accent with a guy who's not very good at accents anyway, it was doubly hard. You just put in the effort, and Jessica Chastain is great at accents — she kind of helped me through it." Asked if his newly acquired accent stuck with him, Worthington laughed. "No, I drop accents. The character traits I keep and the emotions I keep, but the accents and the costume I don't take home."

Chastain revealed that she also put in a lot of work, perhaps more than she ever has for a character. "I always do preparation but it was very strange," Chastain told us, "the preparation for this was more exhausting than filming the movie. About three and a half months before filming started, I started learning Krav Maga. I took a beginner's course Berlitz in German, I started learning the accent. I started watching a lot of Helen Mirren. I read about the Holocaust and the medical experiments, which was devastating to read about the atrocities that happened then," she recalled. "It really was like going back to school for me."

Check out everything we've got on "The Debt."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1670171/the-debt-sam-worthington-jessica-chastain.jhtml

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Exclusive Interview: Russell Armstrong?s Sister Talks to Nancy Grace [VIDEO]

Bravo?s The Real Housewives of Beverly Hill premiered this week and given the recent alleged suicide of Real Husband, Russell Armstrong, many people are unhappy with Bravo?s decision to air the show. HLN?s Nancy Grace spoke exclusively with Armstrong?s sister, Laurie Armstrong Kelsoe, who believes her brother?s death was not a suicide. Here?s a snippet [...]

Source: http://www.celebritymound.com/exclusive-interview-russell-armstrongs-sister-talks-to-nancy-grace-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=exclusive-interview-russell-armstrongs-sister-talks-to-nancy-grace-video

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Britney Spears Reveals Next Single At VMAs

Singer confirms to MTV News that 'Criminal' is next up from Femme Fatale.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by James Montgomery


Britney Spears at the 2011 VMAs
Photo: MTV News

Britney Spears may have been looking back on her impressive career during a Jo Calderone-helmed tribute at Sunday night's VMAs, but there's still so much for fans to look forward to. The singer has a lot up her sleeve after taking home the Moonman for Best Pop Video for her "Till the World Ends" clip and the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award -- and she revealed all to MTV News.

There's been some hot debate about what the singer's next Femme Fatale single is going to be, and finally her loyal fans are getting the confirmation they've been waiting for.

"I don't if I'm at liberty to tell," she teased MTV News backstage at the VMAs. "But I will anyways: It's 'Criminal.' "

The slow jam should make for some interesting visual fodder, and Spears told us she knows what the video will look like, but she's going to keep everyone waiting a little longer. "Actually the song, when I first heard it, it's really different and it's not anything I've heard like this before. So I really wanted to deliver this song. I was thinking of a really cool concept for the video just to make it interesting," she said, teasing, "You'll have to see."

She's also set to hit the road again when the Femme Fatale Tour heads to Europe. She'll be joined by Joe Jonas for select dates.

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1669925/britney-spears-next-single-criminal.jhtml

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Hair Today Gone Tomorrow For Vanessa Hudgens

After chopping her locks for her role as a pregnant homeless girl in the new flick ?Gimme Shelter,? Vanessa Hudgens welcomed back long hair via clip-on extensions during Labor Day weekend. On Sunday night, Hudgens attended Gilt City?s final summer dinner in Bridgehampton, featuring Atlanta chef Linton Hopkins, at which she and a friend were [...]

Source: http://www.celebritymound.com/hair-today-gone-tomorrow-for-vanessa-hudgens/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hair-today-gone-tomorrow-for-vanessa-hudgens

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Jake Gyllenhaal & Rashida Jones Go On A Lunch Date Together

It’s been a while since we’ve seen photos of Jake Gyllenhaal here on the blog but this weekend he surfaced on a lunch date with a new lady, sparking talk that he may be in LURVE again. Jake and his pet pooch Atticus were spotted on a date with actress Rashida Jones … might this [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pinkisthenewblog/~3/C3zH17Vlvxk/

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Evelyn Lozada: Quitting Basketball Wives, Possibly Cheating on Chad Ochocinco With Terrell Owens


Evelyn Lozada swears she is DONE with Basketball Wives.

The reason is not because she was neither a wife, nor married to a basketball player. She's simply fed up and insists no amount of cash will change that.

Mmm hmm. Heard it all before. Like Sammi and Ronnie on Jersey Shore, she and the VH1 program always end up back together (and painful to watch).

Why is this time (supposedly) different?

Evelyn Lozada Image

Sources close to Evelyn say Lozada made up her mind after VH1 posted a blog implying Evelyn cheated on fiance Chad Ochocinco with Terrell Owens.

Evelyn is furious and claims the rumor - which apparently surfaced earlier this year and was a point of contention with the network - is simply untrue.

She feels betrayed by the network, which has since pulled the blog. Still, Lozada has already decided enough is enough and says she won't be back.

Evelyn is now looking for other opportunities and will focus on planning her upcoming wedding to Ochocinco, according to reports. Thank goodness.

[Photo: WENN.com]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/09/evelyn-lozada-quitting-basketball-wives-possibly-cheating-on-cha/

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