Emma and Jesse Alive in "Zombieland"

The U.S. has been overrun by virus-ridden sub-humans who thrive on human flesh. They are your parents, your BFFs and your neighbors. Whoyagonna call? Nobody left. It's up to you to survive. For Wichita and Columbus (Emma Stone and Jesse Eisenberg) this involves heavy artillery, some well-practiced survival rules and a con game! Columbus (Ohio, where he's from) is a big wuss but fear has turned him into a pretty good zombie slayer. Wichita and her little sis have survived by conning other remaining humans, carrying shotguns and just keeping on the move. When Columbus and Wichita meet, they finally find the solace they were seeking in a world gone mad.

We went to the amusement park on the Santa Monica pier on a hot L.A. day to sit down with Emma and Jesse and get the scoop on this funny, action-packed horror thriller. Picture sand, ocean waves, sail boats and roller coasters (the film's big finale takes place in an amusement park) in the background as we chat with the young stars. Emma, who had been doing some TV interviews, was dressed all glam with ultra-red lipstick and her brown/red hair in an updo. She was decked out in a sexy black cocktail dress and very high red stilettos which weren't the safest way to navigate the pier's wooden slat boardwalk. Casual Jesse was in black tee and jeans.

We learned that Emma loved working with 13-year-old Abigail Breslin as her little sister and that co-star Woody Harrelson had taken Emma to meet his friend Sir Paul McCartney at dinner which she dubbed "f**king awesome!". We found it curious that both Emma and Jesse kick serious zombie butt in the film but neither actor is that fond of action work. Emma feels she's a klutz at it and it's just not mild-mannered Jesse's cup of brew. Let's get the details on that....

TeenHollywood: Jesse, you usually play the quiet type. In this you are quiet but have big action moments. Was that one of the things that attracted you to the script?

Jesse: No (laughs). I prefer the mind-mannered parts of the script. They usually have another guy in my clothing do all the stuff that's exciting-looking. I prefer the scenes that are quiet and talking but the action stuff was okay. It keeps you in shape I guess but otherwise, it's really just exhausting.

TeenHollywood: Oookay. Emma, you also got to kick it with a shotgun and some fast moves. Was that part of the role attractive to you? I don't think you've done a big action part.

Emma: I'm terrible at action. I really am. I'm just bad at action movies. It was definitely interesting. It was something I'd never done before and I loved the character. I just can't run to save my life. Literally, to save my life.

Jesse: You didn't limber up (one of his character Columbus's many "rules" to surviving in a world of zombies).

Emma: (Laughs) I didn't limber up or do cardio (another rule). I hurt my muscle. I had to do ultra-sound physical therapy while we were shooting.

TeenHollywood: And I hear you also hurt your hand?

Emma: Yeah. It was really nice of (the director) after every take when I was crying and in so much pain, he'd say "you're not cut out for this. That looked horrible". It's true. I'm horrible (at action).(Note: she looks fine at it in the film!).

TeenHollywood: Amid all the action there is a ton of comedy. Was it hard for you to keep a straight face, Emma?

Emma: I never keep a straight face, ever, ever. I break all the time. I should not be in comedies, or action films... I shouldn't be doing movies (laughs). Any time anybody does improv I laugh, when a joke is funny I laugh. I'm like an audience. You should just bounce it off of me.

TeenHollywood: What is your favorite zombie kill in the film?

Emma: It's when I get to butt a zombie in the back of the head with my shotgun and it has the added effect of being in slow-motion in the movie and he falls.

TeenHollywood: The director told us he had eight stitches in his chin when you hit him in the face with the shotgun.

Emma: I never saw him bleeding.

TeenHollywood: Your director says the guy had on zombie make-up and was bleeding already down his chin so...

Emma: Oh....(she makes a "yikes" expression) nevermind. I'll find another favorite kill then.

TeenHollywood: Did you have a fave kill, Jesse?

Jesse: The script was endless violence. All the kills were so creative. I guess my favorite was the top of the toilet. What do you call that part? They called it the porcelain lid but the (teen) demo isn't going to appreciate that so we called it the killer toilet. (Jesse's character Columbus decks a zombie with the lid to his toilet).

TeenHollywood: Emma, did you and Abigail Breslin (who plays her little sister Little Rock in the film) work out a backstory as to why the two sisters are doing cons even before America becomes Zombieland?

Emma: I think they were both very smart characters. In the script, it didn't quite make it into the movie, but there's an issue with our father so we ran away and we've been away from home for a while before the Zombieland even occurred. So we needed a way to make money and they're pretty smart girls and there's not much a 12-year-old can do for work so as cool as Abigail is, she can con. So I think that's why we started. Just trying to survive on our own. They had survival instincts kicking in even before Zombieland.

TeenHollywood: What was it like working with Abigail Breslin as your little sister?

Emma: We went by Emmagail. She was just amazing, you couldn’t ask for anybody better to play your little sister. We got along so well and I felt really, really lucky. She’s not just a cool kid, she’s like a really cool person. She’s like a small.... person and it seems like she’s incredibly developed (and adult). But she also really likes Twilight and the Jonas Brothers, so she’s normal. But every chance I got to hang out with her was so much fun. It was a blast, I was incredibly lucky.

TeenHollywood: How can you identify with your character if she's so good at action and you feel you aren't? She's tough.

Emma: I was living vicariously through her. There's one part of me that feels brave like a bad ass in a situation where you feel out of control. I just tried to key into that and do that constantly instead of just as a fleeting feeling in me. But there were also parts of her that were vulnerable and scared and human. She wasn't brave all the time. There was a lot about her that I could relate to as a human being.

TeenHollywood: Jesse, your character narrates the film and, in the opening, Columbus talks about a virus that developed into the zombie virus. I couldn't help but think about the Swine Flu breakout. Was that planned?

Jesse: Yeah. We actually planned the Swine Flu to coincide with the movie opening. And there's some collateral damage but, ultimately, we'll have a big opening weekend. If it doesn't kill too many. No. It was in the script.

TeenHollywood: What would you like to see your characters do in a sequel?

Jesse: I say we go to New York. It would be such a short trip (from L.A, where the characters end up.... he's kidding) or Paris or something.

Emma: Let's go international!

Jesse: The producer wants the Caribbean. (It's where zombies began).

TeenHollywood: Jesse, what rule for surviving zombies would you add to your character's long rule book?

Jesse: I did add a few (on set) because I was filling out my prop notebook. Double-knot your shoe strings. That was one.

TeenHollywood: Yeah, don't want to fall down when running from zombies. Jesse, you are working on a new film. Are you learning more about Facebook playing one of the creators Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network?

Jesse: I'm learning more about the creation of it than the site itself. I haven't been on it yet but the story is really remarkable; the creation of the website and the legal aftermath. It's a really fascinating story. I guess if I say anything else, I'll be sued probably by the movie company and the internet company. It's a fascinating story and there is a book written about it if people are interested called "The Accidental Billionaires" that details the story pretty thoroughly.

TeenHollywood: And Emma, I was on set for your upcoming film Easy A and you did an awesome dance, even if you do say you aren't good with action.

Emma: (big grin) Thank you!!