Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles star Megan Fox is no stranger to acting opposite things that do not exist in the real world. Watch Transformers online and there she is running from/with enormous robots, and now she’s back utilizing her imagination in the reboot of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But, this time with the turtles, it was vastly different.
“When we were doing Transformers, Shia [LaBeouf] and I were just screaming things at the sky. We had no references, at all, at that point, because how can you when you’re dealing with 30-foot robots,” Fox told Movie Fanatic.
“But with this one, we had four actors that were really there -- in what I consider a stroke of genius, cast by Jonathan [Liebesman, director]. They were perfect for their roles and really embodied them.”
Having real actors doing things that computers would enhance later made all the difference for the actress.
“When you’re doing movies like this, you do the scene with the actors, and then you have to do a clean plate without the actors there, so that if they want to use that shot, they don’t have to paint them out before they paint the Turtles in,” Fox said.
“And inevitably, in every single one of those, I was always significantly worse when the actors weren’t with me. Because they were so good, they helped make me a lot better. So, whenever you have the opportunity to work with real people, that’s always helpful.”
Growing up, Fox was a huge fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles -- as millions of others her age were too. But, she has her sibling to thank for her affinity with the crime-fighting turtles.
“I had an older sister that was really into the movies, so I got into it because of her,” Fox admitted. “I also watched the cartoon. I’m not going to claim that I read the comics because I didn’t, and I don’t want to get stoned for claiming that I did something that I didn’t do.”
Fox’s character, April O’Neill, isn’t idly sitting by while her turtle friends get in on all the action -- teased in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trailer. Fox had to train and be ready to fight as the scenes required. “We initially started out doing some kickboxing training. We had an incredible stunt team, so they would teach us as we went along,” Fox said.
The actress was also pregnant, so she was clearly thankful for her stunt double that could fill in the action blanks. “I couldn’t do all of the stunts while I was filming. What I couldn’t do, we had an amazing stunt girl that would do the series stuff for me. But I did what I could, and that was a lot because I’m bad-ass!”
She was also drawn to the role because it was the rare moment where she could play a character that was highly intelligent and not overly sexualized. Not that she minds the latter.
“I don’t mind doing that stuff. That’s been a part of being an actress in Hollywood since the beginning. I don’t feel ashamed. If you don’t take me seriously when I’m wearing a tank top, that’s your (expletive) problem, not mine,” Fox said.
Given her passion for all things Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, that was clearly the big draw. “I was attracted to this because I was a fan as a kid. I really wanted to do this, and I got the opportunity to go in and have a meeting,” Fox said.
Her long meeting over the part affected her amorous plans with her husband Brian Austin Greene, but it was worth it!
“It was Valentine’s Day and three of us were in there for five hours at Paramount. Brian was texting me, ‘It’s Valentine’s Day. Where are you?!’” she said.
Fox was thrilled to get the part, and as a fan, she was motivated not to miss her mark and deliver for the millions who adore the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
“I really campaigned to get this because I was a fan. I was afraid, at the same time, because you don’t want to ruin something that you’ve loved and be a part of its downfall. I was terrified of letting people down, but I had to do it because it was iconic to me, as a kid. I just feel lucky to have gotten the opportunity.”
O’Neill is a journalist in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Fox admitted that she is the wrong person to ask about how much to give the media in terms of your personal life. “I clearly haven’t learned that lesson,” Fox said and laughed.
“I like to be open and honest. I hate being disingenuous. It’s really uncomfortable for me. I don’t excel at doing that. But I’ve also learned that, because of what journalists do, so much of what I say gets sensationalized. I don’t have a good gauge on how to edit, but my intention is a good one.”
Whether public opinion about her talents or those who despise the Transformers movies that made her famous, or even the raised eyebrow that some elites have when it comes to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, Fox has a message for the haters.
“Let me tell you something about those people. How much money did Transformers 4 make? Those people can complain, but they all go to the theater and see those movies,” Fox said.
“They’re gonna love it, and if they don’t love it, they can f-ck off.”
Be sure to watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles online and check out how this world got started cinematically!
Leonardo is living large in his own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles poster!