00:00If I had to play like a really successful, self-assertive teenager, I would have had a much harder time.
00:06My 14-year-old self was very uncomfortable.
00:09You do crazy things at that age, not really knowing where they'll lead.
00:13I certainly didn't mean to really change my name.
00:15You are so spectacular in this. It's so lovely to have you back.
00:19And I'm curious to know whether, when you signed up to play Kiri, even for like the second one,
00:25whether you knew what was in store for her, that she'd be such an integral part of like Fire and Ash
00:31and everything that's happening in Pandora.
00:33I did. I mean, Jim and I had sort of talked, I thought a little jokingly about this forest girl
00:40and how immature I was. Thank you. Thank you, Jim.
00:44That's what old friends are for.
00:45But I must say that she does become increasingly integral, as you say, in four and five, even more.
00:53So I do hope we get to do them.
00:55But I found it, it's such a sweet thing to ask me to do.
01:01I think he knew that my 14-year-old self was very uncomfortable.
01:05I was this tall when I was 11, and so I was like, mm-mm.
01:08And so to revisit that, at least begin with that, because I didn't want to play a teenager.
01:14I wanted really to grow and be a teenager like a plant.
01:18And now it is incredible to get out of her way in the volume and let her be herself.
01:26And it's a kind of acting I feel like I can really appreciate having been in the business so long
01:32because it's not an A.D. going, you know, we have to get this before lunch.
01:36There's none of that.
01:38There's none of the encumbrances.
01:40And you're just there for as long as it takes with Jim Cameron right there in your little suit
01:45with your wonderful co-stars finding out what the scene is about.
01:51And in Kiri's situation, it's almost, how do I make sense of this world
01:56and what's going on when it doesn't make any sense?
02:00And so she's always at a certain pitch, unless, of course, she's with Spider
02:05and then it's a little more relaxed.
02:07Yeah. No, I wasn't sure, because I know when people have asked James Cameron about the next films,
02:11he's like, don't want to talk about them.
02:12I'm unemployed right now. Like, I'm not thinking about it.
02:15So I wasn't sure whether he had let you in on where things go.
02:18But it's nice to know that he has.
02:20I was curious, though, you mentioned about, like, when you were a teenager
02:24and how you were at 14.
02:26So I know there was a big change for you.
02:28You changed your name when you were 14.
02:30For me, when I was 14, the first Avatar came out.
02:32So that was like, you know, there's nice connections.
02:35So, yeah, what was, like, 14-year-old Sigourney like going through?
02:40And how much did you manage to bring her to Kiri?
02:43Well, I think I clearly wanted to get away from myself because my name was Susie
02:48and I was so tall I wanted a longer name.
02:52You do crazy things at that age, not really knowing where they'll lead.
02:57I certainly didn't mean to really change my name.
03:00I was just taking it from a book while I could figure out what name I wanted to have.
03:04And I didn't want to be called Susie, but now, of course, people who know me well call me Siggy.
03:09So in a way, you can't escape your destiny.
03:12But, you know, I feel like my experience at that age was I remember so vividly being that age,
03:20physically, mentally, emotionally.
03:22And so that certainly, the ability to just sort of get back into that space was certainly where I began.
03:31And, you know, with respect for what people that age are going through.
03:38It's a very complex time.
03:39It's confusing.
03:41It's intimidating.
03:42It's, you know, there's so much going on.
03:46And so that's where I began.
03:48And I still feel my roots are there.
03:51But it was kind of, you know, if I had to play like a really successful, self-assertive teenager,
03:56I would have had a much harder time.
03:59No, you did very well.
04:00She is.
04:01Yeah, she's adorable in some ways.
04:04You are an icon of so many franchises.
04:06Obviously, there's Alien, there's Ghostbusters, and then there's this.
04:09And you must have seen so much change, I think, within the industry, having been in it so long.
04:14Is it nice when you have someone like James Cameron, who is still championing using real actors?
04:20Because I've heard him so much say, this isn't generative AI.
04:23It could be, like, a film like Avatar.
04:26But he's such a champion of, like, real actors.
04:29Like, how much does that mean to have someone who's making sure that you're still getting to do what you do?
04:35Yeah, it is really unique.
04:37I mean, he actually created this technology for the actors to be able to have this freedom and integrity.
04:44And I think it's been kind of a great joy for all of us to put out the truth of what we do, you know, pull the veil aside so you can see we're not in a studio, you know, voicing a character.
04:56But he, you know, I agree with Jim.
04:59I think what he's saying is, you know, AI might be useful in certain areas to save money with special effects or something like that.
05:06They're already doing that.
05:08But to, you know, remind people that the creative spark and the originality of the human being, the heart, the soul, the mind, you know, people have been able to rip off a movie like Alien for forever.
05:26But, you know, you don't watch them more than five minutes.
05:28So I think he, as a true artist, he wants to remind people that the script that's written by a passionate human being, the role that's played by a passionate human being, you know, have, I believe the audience, I believe in them.
05:44I believe they can absolutely tell everywhere that this is real and authentic or when it's just sort of, you know, you know, coughed up gobbledygook that sort of tries to ride on the coattails of another hit.
06:00Honestly, there's nothing like the experience of Avatar.
06:03I'm so proud and grateful to be at a point in time where we're able to give the audience this uniting experience because, you know, this is a movie that everyone around the world can get to and share.
06:18And in this horrible time of politics and war and conflict and misunderstanding and accusation to go to a place where we can all be reminded of how important family is, all be reminded of that your fellow creatures on the planet are equal citizens of the earth and corporations and greedy individuals don't have a right to nullify their experience.
06:46And in fact, wipe them out.
06:48It's a beautiful film.
06:50Visually, everything, the story and you, Sigourney, are irreplaceable.
06:53And I don't think anyone could do what you do.
06:55Aren't you nice?
06:57It is lovely to meet you.
06:59Lovely to meet you, too.
07:00Long may you continue doing this because I love seeing you on screen.
07:03Thank you so much.
07:04Thank you so much.
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