Reese Witherspoon: When Torn Between Two BFs, “This Means War”

Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon steps into her first action role in This Means War, in which two savvy CIA agents fight hard for the love of Reese’s Lauren, a consumer reports analyst. Directed by Charlie’s Angels director McG, This Means War is an action/comedy/romance movie, where the love of a woman turns best friends and super-spies Tuck (Tom Hardy) and FDR (Chris Pine) into rivals, using all the hi-tech tools and muscle at their disposal to wage an epic battle.

The following q&a takes us further into Reese’s latest film and being torn between two of Hollywood’s latest lead men to beat.

Q: What was the appeal of This Means War?
A: “I’d just finished Water For Elephants and then Fox approached me about doing this movie. I thought it was definitely a departure, and also an opportunity to be in an action film. I hadn’t really done that and I thought that if I was ever going to do an action film I’d want it to have elements of comedy in it, so it was kind of perfect. Those are the action films I like… Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Bad Boys, Beverly Hills Cop… movies that make you laugh but also deliver action.”

Q: Your character, Lauren’s quite the savvy shopper – do you have similar skills?
A: Am I a bargain shopper? I like that thing that comes up on the Internet where you can buy one product and see how much it costs everywhere else. The discrepancy in price is astounding – seeing how much people mark things up. If I want to buy a TV or something like that I get on line and do the research, definitely. I’m an out of work actor, what else am I going to do!?

Q: Everyone’s doing a lot of on-line checking up of each other in this movie too – have you ever done that?
A: How can you not? At least find out if people are criminals – it’s so easy nowadays, it’s really remiss if you don’t. You want to at least see if somebody’s a felon.

Q: You have been a little low-key recently – was that a deliberate choice?
A: I’m just very discerning about what I like – I’m really picky. Also, I have two kids, so that takes up a lot of time, and I want to be with them. If I see something I want to do or something that’s a totally different challenge for me, then I’m in.

Q: How was it working with Chris Pine?
A: Chris is totally all-American – a witty, charming, self-possessed, confident man. He has an ease about himself that’s really appealing and he’s very sexy – he almost has a Cary Grant-type quality, sort of effortlessly charming.

Q: Obviously, the entire premise is you choosing between the two men – who would you choose between Chris and Tom?
A: My daily fun ritual with all the women on set was, ‘Okay ladies, today which one would you choose?’ And I swear, every single time people would be divided completely. I think it’s really a testament to McG that the movie just keeps you guessing until the very, very end. And you really have no idea what’s going to happen.

Q: What do you think of the way she handled it – dating them both?
A: It’s a whole new world – the women’s rights movement made way for a film like this! That’s what all those women were marching about.

Q: Have you ever had two guys fight over you?
A: Maybe my husband and my son fighting for my attention! Reese! Mom! Reese! Mom! Reese! Mom! Other than that, I don’t date multiple people at once – there’s too much lying involved. I’m just not a liar.

Q: So now you’ve got your first action film under your belt, how did it feel, and did you pick up any new skills?
A: I got to work with a flame-thrower, which was cool, hang off the side of a car, climb up onto a platform, I did a lot of running with the bad guys shooting at us… I’m not used to that sort of thing but, wow, it was so much fun.

“This Means War” opens February 22 in theaters from 20th Century Fox.