944 interview

Elisha Cuthbert’s career during the past six-plus years has been filled with back-to-back projects, travel, rising fame and, of course, excitement, including shooting the critically acclaimed television series 24 in Los Angeles and venturing to Russia and Australia to shoot feature films. The 23-year-old Canadian actress, who was born in Calgary and raised in Montreal, has also amassed quite an eclectic filmography that supersedes the stigma of many actresses her age.

To her credit, this blonde beauty’s success has been a work-in-progress; Cuthbert has been acting since childhood and wouldn’t have her life any other way. “I think I am most comfortable in front of the camera,” she says. “I focus the most in front of the camera, and I care a lot about what I do. I really just love being around it all.”

Cuthbert’s unexpected return to 24 as Jack Bauer’s (Kiefer Sutherland) daughter, known for getting herself into the most unfortunate of circumstances, gave a twist to the show known for wicked surprises and shock value. However, reintroducing Kim Bauer’s character after a long absence brought apprehension to both the audience and the rising star. “I was actually nervous, because I was afraid so much time had gone by,” Cuthbert says. “I had gotten older, and I thought maybe Kim Bauer had been gone for good for me — physically and mentally.” While the creators of the show (Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran) and Sutherland were anxious for her return, everyone involved knew the timing had to be right to bring the character back.

Nevertheless, all self-imposed reluctance disappeared as soon as she returned to the set. “It was the easiest thing — the most natural thing that could have happened. It was actually really brilliant. I got into the wardrobe, got into CTU and it was just there. Kiefer was there — as Jack obviously — and we just went with the scene,” Cuthbert recalls.

A necessary component for an anxiety-filled show like 24 that stretches the audience’s suspension of disbelief, the father-daughter connection Sutherland and Cuthbert share is extremely believable and intense. “It’s magic,” Cuthbert says of their onscreen energy. “There’s something that happens. He’s known me since I was 17 years old ... and I’m going to be 24 this year.” She attributes much of their convincing portrayals to the fact that Sutherland has seen her, as an individual, mature from a teen into a young woman. “It almost makes it even more real because even though he’s not my father, as a mentor and as someone who has taken me under his wing, he has really shown me a lot of things,” Cuthbert says. “I think that really shows on film, too.”

Outside of her evident passion for acting, Cuthbert is also a huge hockey fan and paints in her free time. “It’s one of those things where it’s a way to be creative without having any sort of consequences, and painting gives me a very satisfying feeling every time I do it. I just like being creative and artistic, whether it be acting or painting or drawing — it’s just a way for me to express myself,” she says.
Cuthbert has considered exhibiting her creations in an actual art gallery, although most of the time she gives her paintings away to friends. “This past New Year’s I sort of made a resolution to myself that in my spare time I would work hard on putting enough together to showcase them — maybe at the end of the year,” Cuthbert says. “It’s a hobby, and I love it. And hopefully one day everyone can see them and appreciate them as much as I do.”

Right after Cuthbert wrapped her last season of 24 — or what she thought was going to be her last season — the actress went to Australia to film House of Wax. Shortly after, she pushed the limits of her role in the entertainment industry and produced as well as starred in The Quiet, an independent film shot in Austin, Texas. “It was exciting to play a really sensitive character that was a little bit younger than most of the characters I’ve played,” she says of her role in Quiet. “I probably won’t be able to play 17 again, it was my last hoopla. Then, I went to Russia and made a movie called Captivity with Rolland Joffé, who is a fantastic director.”

Most recently, Cuthbert finished shooting He Was a Quiet Man with veteran actors Christian Slater and William H. Macy in Los Angeles, which she claims is rare because most of her films are shot in other countries. “I played a quadriplegic who is sort of confined to a wheel chair. I’ve just been all over the place with films and TV. Right now, I am interested in making films for myself that are interesting, unique and just really different,” she says.

Part of her recent choices stem from an exhausting schedule that has had Cuthbert bouncing between various ties among her many projects. Yet, her diverse choices have allowed her to change it up and avoid being typecast — despite her young, trendy Hollywood actress appearance. Among Cuthbert’s many endeavors, the starlet lent her voice to the 24 videogame and Cat Tale, an animated feature showcasing the seasoned voices of Stanley Tucci, Chazz Palminteri and Catherine O’Hara.

This current workload can also be traced back to one of the first pivotal moments in Cuthbert’s career, The Girl Next Door, her first role lead in American film. “I worked really hard, and I loved being a part of that film,” Cuthbert says. Despite the fact that the comedy was a bona-fide breakthrough hit, she remains humble. “There are so many more movies that are about to come out that I can’t even say yet,” she says. “It’s just one of those things where I try and make every experience on every project meaningful and worthwhile, so we’ll just have to see.

source: 944.com