Interview

JF: But the cool thing is, like Jodie Foster, you're being very smart about the types of roles you're taking on. You got into acting because your dad [TV director John Stewart] exposed you to the industry. And you take it seriously. You seem to have a lot of maturity in your decision-making. You seem like a pretty together young lady who's taking a very stressful set of circumstances, starring in all these movies, and taking it in stride.

KS: Well, this is never something that I sought out. For most actors, it's such a struggle to get work. Once they have it, they feel that there's an enormous amount of pressure on them to make it work, and have everyone love them. In my case, it was never like that. It was just about working with the people that I want to work with, and telling the stories that I want to tell, you know? And, you're right, it was also because my whole family is involved in the entertainment industry in some way. My brother's a grip. My mom's a scriptwriter. My dad's a director. So it's like, at heart I'm a below-the-line girl.

JF: You really bring your lunch pail to work, so to speak. You've got a really strong blue-collar ethic about acting that I like to think I have, too. We auditioned a lot of people your age for Zathura, and I have to tell you, you really stood out as having a presence, and a look, and chops, and poise. Most young girls or boys have sort of an unfocused, scattered energy. You have a very still energy to you. And the other thing that was very interesting about you is that a lot of girls your age dress up like Hilary Duff or Britney Spears. They have a sultry thing going on and wear a lot of makeup, and their skirts are short, which can be uncomfortable to see. Whereas, I think you're very attractive, but you remind me more of people like Kristy McNichol or Tatum O'Neal, the girls who were stars when I was growing up. 

KS: I know what you mean. 

JF: I thought it was such a cool mix. And then I looked on the Internet, and there are a lot of boys who have crushes on you. 

KS: Really? 

JF: There's a whole generation of kids coming up who are totally tracking your work and who've probably got your picture up in their lockers. 

KS: [laughs] God. 

JF: When I saw you with the bleached hair, was it for In the Land of Women, in which you play Meg Ryan's daughter?

KS: Yeah.

JF: You looked totally different. And in Fierce People you have a romantic interest, right? Anton Yelchin? 

KS: Yeah. It was my first romantic role. It was a good first one, too, because their relationship is really innocent, very fresh and sweet. None of it was ever weird or awkward.

JF: And now you've done The Messengers with the Pang brothers. 

KS: Yeah. 

JF: I thought it was so funny that there was so much resistance to hire you for Zathura, but as soon as the executives at Sony saw you on film they ended up having you as one of the stars in The Messengers. What was that like, working on a horror movie? 

KS: The thing is, it wasn't like the girl in peril screaming, running around with her tits hanging out, running for her boyfriend. It wasn't like that. It's a very classic, very straightforward ghost story. 

JF: Asian horror is really setting a trend. The Pang brothers are from Hong Kong, so they just bring a whole different sensibility to a horror movie. In Hong Kong, they're actually doing stuff that's very artistic and pushing boundaries.

KS: They take into account absolutely every single detail. With every frame it's like they've painted a picture. They choose colors based on their symbolic meanings and their culture. I didn't have any idea. 

JF: I did that too, on Zathura, by the way. 

KS: Oh, did you? [laughs]

JF: Yeah. I got my feng shui ex-pert to walk through the set.