Her dad may be Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, but Liv Tyler did not have a free ride to the top of the movie business. She did get one thing from her father, though: his unstoppable work ethic.
Tyler cut her teeth on straight-to-video and independent films, and after tasting blockbuster success with "Armageddon" she has made at least one movie every year since the mid-'90s, including "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
She recently returned to smaller films such as the home-invasion horror movie "The Strangers," which was a solid success. Now Tyler is starring as Betty Ross in "The Incredible Hulk." Hollywood is giving the world's least-jolly green giant a second chance on the big screen, rebooting the popular comic book character with the brand-new movie. Ed Norton stars as Bruce Banner, researching a cure for the condition that causes him to hulk out and become a tank-tossing goliath when he gets angry, and Tyler has to soothe the savage beast.
A stunning beauty with blazing blue eyes and more than a little talent, 30-year-old Tyler confesses to living a quiet life, watching old movies and caring for her 3-year-old son, Milo.
Q: Did you have any knowledge of The Hulk when you were a child?
A: My mom and I were obsessed with the TV show. We used to watch the TV show together a lot. When I lived in Maine and was a little girl I remember loving it. I asked my mom this question and she said I had a Hulk doll that had stretchy arms and legs and I used to play with it all the time. That was the extent of my relationship with The Hulk. Now I am lovers with the Hulk. That is amazing.
Q: What did your mom say when you told her you were going to star in "The Incredible Hulk?"
A: She was very excited.
Q: How do you deal with it when other people are angry?
A: It depends on how scary they are. I either become a deer in the headlights or I am a tough cookie. I would fight for myself. I will defend myself. I am probably annoyingly rational at times. I am always like, "OK, let's think about this. Let's talk about this." I do not get mad for no reason. I am not particularly very moody, I guess.
Q: So what are you like when you get angry?
A: I actually do not get angry very much. It is one of the only emotions that I am not so good at. Actually, if I ever have to get mad in a movie, I get really freaked out. It is much easier for me to cry or be scared. When I have to get angry, I almost blackout. Isn't that weird? I have to get more in touch with my anger. I would tend to feel sadness or empathy more than anger. I need to get angry more!
Q: Who is your superhero?
A: That is a good question. I do not know. I do not know any superheroes. Superheroes are pretend.
Q: Well, which superpower would you like to have?
A: Everybody asks me that and I say that I would not want one, I don't think.
Q: Really? Why not?
A: Because it is a problem. Every character that is a superhero, it is the whole bane of their existence. All they want to do is be normal in some kind of way.
Q: Ah, so you enjoy being normal?
A: Well, actually in one of the Hulk comics, Betty says something about how people that live more normal lives always dream for an extraordinary life. She is talking about her life with the Hulk, and she says that, "My life with the Hulk was always so extraordinary that I longed for normal life." I was like, "Wow!"
One of the writers from The Hulk wrote that, but that rang really true for me in some way too because my life from the day I was born has been so extraordinary, and that is normal to me. But I find that I always crave or gravitate towards very simple things. Very simple things make me happy. But my grandmother said to me once, "Livy, stop trying to be so normal all the time. You are not. You are an extraordinary person and you should be proud of that." So that is something that I live with, I guess.
Q: How do you "try to be normal?"
A: I am just myself. I try to be myself and people always tell me, "You are really grounded. You are really normal." And I am like, "Really? Is that a compliment?" I don't know. I just try and be myself.
It is hard growing up in a world where there is so much competition and there is always "wear this, say this and do that." I have never been a particularly competitive person. I went to see "Iron Man" the other day and I loved it. Gwyneth has never been funnier or better to me, and I was so happy and excited for her. I did not feel like, "I wish I could have done that role."
Q: When you saw "Iron Man," did you go to the premiere or a regular screening?
A: It was a regular screening but a small place in Tribeca, The Grand Hotel. Very small screen. I do go to the regular movies.
Q: Do you get recognized when you go to the movies?
A: I don't know. Sometimes. I tend to keep my head down and try to blend in and be normal.
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