You often seem to be cast as a villain—Betty Draper has a scary mean
streak, and in X-Men: First Class [out June 3], you play Emma Frost, aka
Diamond Girl.
It’s a huge responsibility! [Laughs] And I’m a villain. As Emma Frost
I’m telepathic, and I can turn into a diamond, which means I’m very,
very cold. I always wear white: lots of iridescent stretch leather, lots
of sparkle, and ass-kicking white boots.
You will get a zillion marriage proposals at Comic-Con.
Great! That’s perfect! Comic-Con is mostly male, and I don’t really have
that audience. And I’m really like a guy in a lot of ways. My screen
saver is a picture of me with Eli and Peyton Manning taken at the
Kentucky Derby. The most starstruck I get is around football players. I
like the Pittsburgh Steelers—I was going to be Troy Polamalu for
Halloween.
The free-spirited, wild-haired Super Bowl champion?!
Yes, but I told too many people I was going to be Troy, so I ended up
going as Yves Saint Laurent. I didn’t do nude Yves Saint Laurent,
although I love that picture. Instead, I slicked back my hair and put on
glasses. I wore a tux with a bow tie. Unfortunately, people don’t know
Yves Saint Laurent, and they thought I was the guy in the Six Flags
commercial.
A lot of people—men and women!—probably went as Betty Draper for
Halloween.
Who knows? But because of the clothes, I understand. It’s strange, but
when the season ends I miss wearing all Betty’s underpinnings. I love
long-line bras and girdles. There’s a sexiness about girdles—on Mad Men
I wear them four months out of the year, and I see my body changing.
When you wear a girdle, you can’t bend in the usual way. Your thighs are
cinched together, which makes your stride shorter. You automatically get
a wiggle in your walk. It’s sexy.
When you’re out of costume, do you get recognized?
Yes. The paparazzi are lining my street, waiting for me to come out of
the house. And I’m always doing the same thing: walking the dog. My poor
dog is getting to know all the photographers. I say to him, “Why aren’t
you barking?! These aren’t your friends.”
