The natural redhead goes blonde and reads comics to ensure an accurate performance in the new superhero film.
In the world of SPIDER-MAN comic books, Peter Parker’s first love was Gwen Stacy. Gwen met an untimely death at the hands of the Green Goblin, and at some point after that Mary Jane Watson became the love of Peter’s life. In the movies, director Sam Raimi chose not to introduce Gwen in the first film, so as not to confuse younger fans who only know that in the comics Spider-Man is married to Mary Jane. Two movies later, Raimi finally introduces Gwen Stacy played by Bryce Dallas Howard in SPIDER-MAN 3. iF MAGAZINE talked to the natural redhead about joining such a tight ensemble cast, having fun as a blonde, and dangling from a harness for weeks at a time.
iF MAGAZINE: How excited were you to join this project?
BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD: I was so excited. I’m a huge fan of this franchise. I loved the first film and I saw the second film and was completely blown away because I felt like it was better than the first, which I didn’t know was possible. I became one of those people who was going online to see what rumors about the third one were, and when I saw that they were talking about having another female character, I was all over that.
iF: When you researched Gwen in the comics, she is most famous for her death. Were you expecting to die?
HOWARD: I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, and the script did change a lot, but there was never an incarnation where that actually occurred. I have to say when I did start doing research and I found a picture of her on the Internet, I thought, ‘Are they sure they want to cast me as this character?’ because she had such a specific look and it wasn’t anything I ever saw myself doing or being able to do. There was a lot of hair meetings and make-up meetings.
iF: Do blondes really have more fun?
HOWARD: It was a lot of fun. It really was. Obviously, I feel more comfortable as a redhead because that’s what I am naturally. I got a lot of attention is grocery stores as a blonde, though. People would come up and offer help all the time. [Laughs.]
Continue reading Bryce is the New Girl Next Door in ‘Spider-Man 3’