We "Run Away" with Dakota and Kristen - Part II!

Get 'um started and they'll talk up a rock 'n roll storm!  Here are the new BFFs spilling more insider info on The Runaways, their friendship, their edgy style and "look" in the movie, and how they both feel about the Twilight saga ending.

TeenHollywood: What attracted you to this role, Dakota, and what excited you about the script?

Dakota: When I first read it I wasn't familiar with who they were and who Cherie (Currie) was. I had heard of Joan Jett and was familiar with her music but not really The Runaways. So I did look up their old videos and pictures of them and when I saw her perform 'Cherry Bomb' I knew that I really wanted to do that.

TeenHollywood: Speaking of 'Cherry Bomb', you've said you were glad to keep your sexy pink bustier outfit from that on stage performance. That was Dakota as we've never seen her. Were you nervous about doing that?

Dakota: I was nervous right before the take started but I had been looking forward to it. it was the second to the last day of filming and that's what I was most excited to film. So, it was okay.

TeenHollywood: You've talked about actually being 15, playing the part of a 15-year-old. Did that help you portray Cherie?

Dakota: I think it did. I really liked that it was authentic and because of the subject matter I didn't want people to think that I was trying to be older than I was or something like that and to be authentic to her age was important. I think that it just worked out and the timing was perfect.

Kristen: It's such a Hollywood thing to hire older actresses to play younger parts and especially with this it would've totally erased the impact of what it was to watch girls that age behave like that.

TeenHollywood: Yeah, totally. Joan [Jett] talked about her hair and that you told her that you were going to really cut your hair which showed a certain level of commitment on your part –

Kirsten: Yeah. I love how that's her thing. She really holds on to the hair thing.

TeenHollywood:  You've always had sort of the same longer, signature hair so did you find cutting it daunting?

Kristen: (laughs) Did you just say that I had signature hair?

TeenHollywood: Kind of. You've had a certain look over the years.

Kristen: Yeah. I mean I had short hair when I was little but that's just sort of something that –

Dakota: It's this thing that's the signature part (she reaches out and touches Kristen's wave of bangs).

Stewart: Yeah. Anyway, I needed to feel sweat dripping down my face. I would've felt like a fraud if I'd of had a wig on. I've worn wigs in the past. They can look great. A lot of actresses won't work without them. Dakota's wig looks amazing. (to Dakota) You worked really well in it. Sometimes they're serious problems. But there you go.

TeenHollywood: Did the hair help you become Joan then?

Stewart: Yeah, definitely. God yeah. There were a few levels of that. When I first met her I hadn't even done New Moon yet and we were still a couple of months away from doing The Runaways and I felt 'how could she think that I was the right person to play her?' She's so different from me really or certainly she was.

I needed [it]. I'll think that it's this huge job, like, 'How am I ever going to approach this?,' and then, as soon as you get there, it all comes together. With the wardrobe and the hair and once you get on set with everyone else it's like it slowly becomes a reality that you can believe. I can't really bring myself to do anything until I'm on set. Like the dance, we didn't see Dakota do 'Cherry Bomb' until we shot it and we were all literally floored. It was so cool (is Dakota blushing?)  

TeenHollywood: Kristen, any looks from the movie that you could adopt or something that could turn into another trend?

Kristen: I think there are so many things that would be cool to come back. Not just the Joan cut, like the shag is really awesome. Her sort of shaggy type thing is really cool. The makeup is really dramatic and people made statements with it. People don't really do that anymore.

People used to have haircuts. People don't do that anymore and they freak out if you get one. It's weird if you don't have long locks.

TeenHollywood: We're noticing that you two seem like old pals. Now that you've done several projects together, how has your friendship evolved?

Kristen: It's weird to talk about your friends when they're sitting here.

Dakota: Very weird.

Kristen: But, we've been (talking about each other) in interviews all day. (To Dakota) Go!

Dakota: Throw me under the bus a little bit! I think that especially with this experience, working this closely with someone, you can't help but really become bonded with them and it really helps when you actually like them and actually get along really well and you can become really good friends.

I haven't really done a lot of movies with people close to my own age to have a good friend like that. So I was excited to do that and I couldn't have asked for a better person to do it with.

TeenHollywood: This film is very female-empowering. So, how did you feel when Kathryn Bigelow just won the Oscar?

Kristen: I think it was great.

Dakota: I know and I really loved that movie (The Hurt Locker), too. It was wonderful.

Kristen: It's so awesome. If you make something good you're going to get recognized for it but it's so hard to get there. She's obviously really talented and smart and awesome. Good for her.

TeenHollywood: Do you feel like when Cherie decided to leave the band that Joan should've pushed her more to stay in it?

Kristen:  They're very independent people and they know themselves. I think it's a really cool thing to watch two very different people choose the paths that are ultimately going to make them the most happy because it's not a cop out what she's doing. It's not like, 'Try harder to do drugs. Try harder to do something that's not making you happy.' Joan would never do that. I really don't know how that went. What we did in that scene really probably happened over a couple more occasions. I think it's a really cool thing to see, actually.

TeenHollywood: Will you both be sad when the whole Twilight film saga is wrapped?

Dakota: I'm not a huge part of that. I'm just in a few scenes. But I'll be sad when I don't get to wear red contacts anymore.

Kristen: (laughs) Yeah. As an actor, it's the only opportunity that I've ever had to do something so concentrated and something that I love. I feel like I could go back to any character now.