They said what: Best quotes of 2022

(Conclusion)

Here are more of the best celebrity quotes from our Q&As—from one-on-one chats, roundtables and press conferences—last year.

Chris Hemsworth on playing a well-meaning ‘mad scientist’ in ‘Spiderhead’

We all want to make the world a better place. But how do we execute these good intentions and come up with an “idealized” version of the world? My character [Abnesti] is sort of this mad scientist who runs the facility. How he sees himself is not necessarily how other people see him.

He believes he’s doing this wonderful thing that could change the world—and I do think his intentions are in the right place. But then, it becomes a moral discussion about what one person’s life is worth.

At what cost are we allowed to change the world for the better? Because surely, to be able to achieve that, there will of course be some bumps in the road ahead. But if his experiment succeeds, it will eventually lead us to this perfect situation, where we can all live in harmony. But while he may have that deepest understanding of people on an emotional level, it’s anchored on a scientific point of view.

John Cena on Peacemaker’s concept of what a superhero should be

Peacemaker is jealous of every superhero because they’re “real” superheroes. They stand for what’s good. Meanwhile, Peacemaker is just a guy in a uniform with a great set of skills. He does some really nefarious things, so he does not really qualify as a superhero.

For the future of the DC Extended Universe, it’s important to set up the question, “What is super heroic?” Or “How much virtue do you need to have to fall into that category?” With those blacks and whites in place, is there space for those who fall under gray?

Chris Evans on playing a villain in ‘The Gray Man’

Playing a villain is always a little more fun. You have a little more freedom, you get a lot more jokes. So, working with the Russos (who directed the action film) provided me that sense of trust and freedom.

When you believe in the filmmakers, you’re more willing to take risks. And certainly, a character like this demands risks. So, I don’t know if I would have had such a rewarding experience without the Russos and the relationship and rapport we have.

Jung Hae-in on how he related to his beleaguered character in ‘Connect’

The first thoughts that came to my mind when approaching my character, Dong-soo, were loneliness and solitude. He essentially has a good heart, and he slowly figures out his special abilities and decides to use them for the right cause.

I didn’t see him as a hero, but as someone who aspired to be a hero. His journey very much felt like the struggle of a man who wants to prevent bad incidents from happening.

Grammy winner Foxes on her four-year hiatus

I just needed to pause it because I was like, “Am I actually happy like this?” So many people would love [to have] this career. But I needed to make sure that, while I was writing from an authentic place, I was also still loving it.

Yeah, it was a brave move and there was a part of me that was like, “If I do this, I probably might not be able to come back from it.” But sometimes, you have to make those moves because, for me, it’s more about the art you’re making, rather than the popularity you’re creating.

There’s a part of me that’s saying, “I probably could be a lot bigger now [if I didn’t take a break].” But it’s also nice because the pressure’s been taken off, and I feel like I’m now writing songs that really feel real.

Josh Charles on playing an abusive cop in the series “We Own This City”

Around the time we started filming, Jon [Bernthal] and I went on a ride-along with the police in the Southwest. And I’m sure Jon remembers this: The cops were pulling some guys over. They had drug paraphernalia in their car, and I thought they were being relatively respectful to the guys.

But the young men were really upset that they were being taken out of their car and asked to sit down. One of them said, “You don’t understand what this is like”… as if he was referencing the characters from the Gun Trace Task Force, and trying to explain how profoundly affected they were by the actions of the guys that we were playing!

I looked at Jon, and both of us were like (sighs) … even just saying this makes me realize the sense of responsibility we have, and the reverberations of [the cops’ actions]! In that moment, I felt how important it was to tell this story as honestly and accurately as possible.

Sandra Oh on being raised by a ‘tiger mom’

I’m not afraid of the concept of a tiger mom. I mean, I love my mom, who’s a fierce, fierce person. She’s tiny but fierce. You know, I do have something that I posted a very long time ago.

Because it was such an unbelievable quote that my mom said in the kitchen, I had to write it down on post-it, then put it up on Instagram. Basically, she said—and I’m not joking—“If only you were neater, I would love you more.”

I do have a really good relationship with my mom. But I also know that I can’t stop her from being herself—and I won’t! So, I’m just going to enjoy that and do what I can, because I can’t be who I’m not. I think Asian mothers are just very, very difficult to satisfy.

Lea Salonga on seeing more Filipino characters in Hollywood productions

It wasn’t always like this. I mean, take our show “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.” There are four Filipinos in it—myself, Malia, Emily Bautista and Sharon Leal, whose mom is Filipino, though Sharon doesn’t play a Filipino character in it.

I mean, ‘Pretty Little Liars’ came out 12 years ago, and the only person of color [in its cast] was Shay [Mitchell]. But now, majority of the girls in the current series are actors of color. There’s already a marked difference!

[Like Jo Koy], there are people now who are helping create spaces for our stories to be told. I’m hoping that more and more stories get told, because there is room [for them].

Jo Koy on Steven Spielberg’s support for his film ‘Easter Sunday’

Don’t get me wrong … I didn’t write the movie. I only pitched in my ideas to [the writers] and I would tell them as many of my stories as I could, then they would write those into the movie. But there were obstacles that needed someone like [producer] Steven Spielberg so that we could hurdle them.

That’s how much love [Spielberg] has for this project, you know? So, let this sink in, guys: This is the first time that a movie with an all-Asian cast with a Filipino lead is produced by a major studio!

That’s the reason why I’m overwhelmed. I’m living a dream.

Milly Alcock on keeping the role of Rhaenyra in ‘House of the Dragon’ a secret

It was like an MI5 situation! I was scared a black car would come in and I would get whisked away and never be seen again (laughs). At the time, I was working at this restaurant, washing dishes, and I was like, “I have to quit my job and move to London.” And they’d say, “What do you mean ‘move to London’? During a pandemic?” Yeah, keeping it a secret was wild.

Kate Winslet on reuniting with James Cameron after 25 years

Jim (Cameron, director of “Avatar: The Way of Water”) has always written for women… They’re characters who aren’t just strong. They’re leaders who lead with their heart, with integrity. They stand in their truth, and they own their power. They have physical power… and that is admirable.

Charlize Theron on fairy tales

I’m from South Africa. I was raised in a lot of mythology and African folklore. [Check it out and] do yourself a favor. Nelson Mandela wrote these incredible books… like, stories that kids are raised on in Africa. They’re such a wild ride, and there’s nothing that quite grows roots like this type of mythology.

So, I really can’t do fairy tales with my own kids. As an adult, I started reading fairy tales, many of them new ones, but I was kind of experiencing them like a young child hearing them for the first time … and I found some of them somewhat problematic.

Jason Momoa on playing a quirky, Burtonesque character in ‘Slumberland’

I’ve never played something like this, so I was nervous when we started filming this. I didn’t come in with preconceived ideas on how to portray [the half-man, half-beast] Flip. Nor did I try to be someone else. So for me, it really was just a crash course on learning how to do it.

Josh dela Cruz on his takeaway from his ‘Blue’s Clues & You!’ TV show and its movie spinoff ‘Blue’s Big City Adventure’

The show taught me to work harder, be kinder, and know that you can’t do anything without a community. In anything that you pursue, find those good people and help each other out. Because there’s no way that I would be here if it weren’t for a family and a community that pushed me, helped me and supported me on my journey. INQ