Guardians of the Galaxy | Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana & Vin Diesel

0:06Welcome to the Talks at Google podcast where great minds meet. I'm Kyle bringing you this week's episode with actors Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, and Vin Diesel to discuss the original Guardians of the Galaxy film. Talks at Google brings the world's most influential thinkers, creators, makers, and doers all to one place. You can watch every episode at youtube.com slash talks at Google. Back in 2014, Marvel produced the first Guardians of the Galaxy film based on the comic of the same name. The movie was a stunning success, becoming the third highest grossing film of the year and nominated for two Academy Awards.

0:41The trilogy was then completed in 2013. In this conversation, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, and Vin Diesel talk about the original movie and their roles, what it's like to be action figures, and who would win in a battle royale. Originally published in August of 2014, here is Guardians of the Galaxy.

1:04You all can just say your names. No, I'm just kidding. Vin Diesel, Zoey Saldana and Chris Pratt. Look at them. They're famous. All right, so we're going to ask. Well, first of all, we want to thank you guys for coming to the very center of the nerd universe. Eric Google. Yes, home. A wise choice. Knock a lot of them out right out of the gate. So we're going to ask you some questions. OK, so this movie, we all saw it last week. It was amazing. It's really, I would say it's almost like 95 % of comedy. It's really like a fun, I mean, the tone is like super light and fun like is it hard to keep it loose when you know that it's you know they're spending like a million dollars a minute i'm not good with math but something like around a million dollars a second i think oh sorry yeah um you have those figures you know it is it is a little difficult juggling tone i think when you have comedy and action and drama and all those things in the same movie a lot of times when movies try to have all three of those things they essentially fail at all three like you know movies that are trying to be funny and have action and have drama oftentimes fail at all of those things.

2:09And so, you know, it is a little scary because you're there and, like, you know, you're surrounded by alien makeup extras and you're on this amazing set outdoors. You know it's literally costing at least thousands of dollars a minute, if not more. Yeah, yeah. And they're like, okay, no, do the running man more. And you're like, oh, my God. Like, if this doesn't work, it's going to be super embarrassing. You know? So it is a little tough. But I think tone is something that's like, we just sort of have to trust James in the post-production process that he's going to polish it and test it and make sure that the comedy's working but not overshadowing the action and not overshadowing the drama.

2:51I mean, I like to liken it to gastronomy, you know? Like those kind of dishes that shouldn't work together but do. And it's the result of a chef knowing just how much caviar to mix with the lollipop and the cat food. The gastronomy. That tastes so good. Yeah. Yeah, because a lot of times it is weird when you're like, oh, wait, now the raccoon's crying. What are we, you know? Right. But it worked. But it works, yeah. I think as long as the ingredients are really organic and fresh and you have it in the hands of a good chef, they can, like, give you a dish that you're not used to eating, but you're like, goddammit, that's really good.

3:21And I, you know. Are you hungry, dude? Did you eat before? I did not eat. Every time I only use food metaphors, you know I'm hungry. All right. Have any of you auditioned for any of these superhero, huge superhero comic book kind of things before? I know, Vin, you've been in a billion action movies. No, this is the first Marvel film, the first superhero film I've done. And there was like a social media wave to get you involved in a Marvel movie. Was that how this came about? Yeah, it happened last year. It was at Comic-Con. I was at Comic-Con and I was there for Hall H for Riddick. And someone in an Iron Man outfit asked me the question, how did I envision my relationship with Marvel would be?

4:12And then the next day, Kevin Feige was there and they asked him the same question. And then two weeks later, Kevin Feige called me and said, you want to play a tree? To which you said, I am... I am Groot. Yeah.

4:31Yes. How many times did you have to say that? I mean, was it like, hey, just come in and give us six, and then we're good? Thousands. Thousands? Yeah. I mean, the cool thing about James Gunn is that he really was invested in this movie. And I was lucky because they had already shot so much of the movie. And when I went into the ADR booth, I was loving what I was seeing. I was loving these characters. So you got to play off the scenes that you already saw. I got to play off all of them. So I'm loving Star-Lord. I'm loving Gamora. I'm seeing these guys in action. And I thought that there was only going to be three words when I came in there.

5:12And there was a 50-page document with I.M. Groot on the left-hand side. And then whatever he wanted to say. I know some of you, I mean, if this is the nerd capital, you do know what a floricolossus is. And it is a Groot. And essentially, people that are familiar with him can understand him. But if you aren't familiar with him because he has a hardened larynx, you can't understand the nuance of his speech. So James Gunn really wanted to give me the line. And then the process with trying to make that line fit into the three monosyllabic words of I am Groot. So speaking Groot, say if you wanted to say, I'll take the check, how would that sound?

6:09Awkward. All right, all right. You gave us one. I gave you one. Come on, what is this? Zoe, between Star Trek, this, and Avatar, you're in space more than you're not in space. Is that something, is it hard for you to go from that to, okay, now you're in Pittsburgh with Christian Bale, and it's a serious scene. I kind of wish I was in space when I went to Pittsburgh. I know. No. No. No. Listen. Listen! The author, she's in the workplace. No, no, no. The content of what we were doing was so not fun. When you work, when you work in a movie like this, you're kind of skipping to work and you're just sort of bitching and moaning about the long hours of makeup and the 18 hour shoots or whatever.

7:00When you do a film like Out of the Furnace, we can be shooting it in Miami, in South Beach. It's still not going to be fun. And you're still going to wish that you were in space. The content was really heavy. Nobody made a joke. And everybody was like a method actor. So I'm the only one like walking to work like and sitting in the makeup trailer. Wipe that smile off your face. And I have like Christian Bale here and Casey Affleck there. And I'm like... Like it was just like oh my god I'm so like... So it was good when after that movie you know and I was very proud of it. I saw it too. It's good to do things here on earth sometimes and Because then when you do get to go in space you're like yeah Was sci-fi doing all that stuff was sci-fi something?

7:48I love Pittsburgh by the way you guys have so many awesome bridges and the Andy Warhol museum is there By the way don't see in a miller me please But Kristen Bale and Casey Affleck not so much. I'm just kidding But was sci-fi something that you've been interested in? Like, were you originally when you started acting? Or did this kind of come to you? No, I was, I grew up in a household where my mother, if she wasn't watching science fiction, she was reading it. And I remember I read Dune when I was very, very young. And I was Lady Jessica for many Halloweens. I was a Bene Gesserit. And so I just, there was something about the curiosity of what can happen there.

8:29and having a lot of respect through my mother's eyes for the writers and creators that were able to imagine the unimaginable. I just thought it was such a bold decision and they were so, they were originals, you know? And being an underdog myself, I kind of felt an affinity always with people that were able to go outside of the norm and see life for what it truly, truly is, which is a complete blank canvas. So filmmakers like J.J. Abrams, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg are not people that I would have thought that a girl from Queens would get to work with in the first, you know, seven or eight years of my acting career.

9:11And yet I did. And I was very grateful for it. And then I connected all the dots and it has to do with our affinity with space. And I'm okay with that. I did have a fear when James Gunn came calling. They come calling, I swear to God. I always go, this will be the last. And then it's like, you got so-and-so. It's like, what do you want? You're going to be green now instead of blue. All right, I'll do it. Yeah, that brings up, is it hard to play a green person or a blue person? Well, because I'm a little lazy and hard. I like motion capture better because you guys get to do all the hard work. And I just, I do my work and I put it all out there.

9:53but then I walk away and then it's all done in two years, like in post and things like that. For Guardians of the Galaxy, like I have to sit there for five hours and it's not cool. Like I have ADD, I have OCD. I'm in England, I'm away from home. So it's just, it's still dark and you go in and you're getting your makeup done and you come out and it's still dark. Like the day hasn't even started and then you have like 16 hours worth of work to do and you can't complain because everybody's just so happy to be there. So it's a little challenging. We were watching it. We were just like, so does every actor know karate now?

10:37It seems like, did you guys know many martial arts before this or did you have to learn it for the... Not your laser. When you were in the booth, I am Groot, just doing it for fun. No, but I mean it seems like you guys were doing a lot of martial arts. They had to really dumb down my martial arts skill. Oh, yeah. No. I'm a tenth degree black belt in every martial art. No, yeah, I did kung fu when I was, I think, in third grade. So I was pretty much qualified to go kick ass in space. Didn't she kick you pretty hard a couple times? Yeah. Yep, she did. For yourself? You know, she's got these, she's really a very powerful athlete and a lot, you know, people don't understand that power doesn't come from brute strength, it comes from grace and it comes from like clean lines, you know what I mean?

11:27Like, you see the most graceful mixed martial arts fighters and they're not like big muscle heads, they're actually like, almost like ballerinas, you know what I mean? And she's a ballerina so she whacked me once in the ribs. I think, I push on it, it hurts still so it might be broken, I don't know. It's been like a year, so I think she broke it. But, yeah, she was wearing these boots, too. They're kind of like high-heeled boots, but instead of having a heel, they have a thin rubber hard sole at the bottom, and then a heel. They're kind of interesting, like a triangle. And then she sort of drove that triangle, I guess, into my lung.

12:04Diaphragm, into your diaphragm. Yeah, I'd say through my diaphragm, more into my lung. Yeah, it was good. She just she whacked me good, you know, but it's kind of nice because That's just told them. It's like do you want to wear your guard your safeguard? No, no, no, no, no Everybody came James Gunn this done coordinator everybody and I was like seriously Chris you don't want to wear it Are you sure? He's like come on. It's like we know we know our marks and all right Well, but are you not supposed to make actual contact? No, you usually you don't you're not supposed to and and but Ben does when you work with a director

12:43When you work with someone like James Gunn, he'll go like, well, you just get a little closer. Just get a little closer. And they're kind of like looking at each other. It seems kind of like you're blaming James and me for like not wearing some protective shield. Look, the thing is, is when people do stunts and when you do physical activities, you just get bumps and bruises. And the fact that I got one from Zoe seems for some reason to be remarkable. because she's a female, but she just happens to be another one of the people who did a lot of her own stunts. And so, you know, you just get bumps and bruises when you do these things.

13:16And my, you know, the tougher bump I got was her kicking me in the ribs. Do you, now you, there's a lot of talk about how in shape you got for this and how, you know. I go on, like be more specific. What exactly do you got? You, you, I don't know. You just got totally ripped, you know, Mr. Universe style. Do you now have to get back into comedy shape? Is there a comedy weight that you have to get to? I've been doing some extensive comedy weight training. You want to train with us? Yeah, we can train you. We're good. We're right around in that good comedy weight. Yeah, I definitely started incorporating fun things and tasty things back into my life.

13:57That's like just sort of the natural balance. You know, like you work very, very hard. but it really, you only live in that impeccable shape for maybe 24 hours. You know, seriously, it's like several months built up to like, it's like an orchid that blooms and dies on the same day, you know? It's like care and concern watering in the perfect amount of sunshine for six months, and then it just, and you take a selfie. And then you slowly, the orchid falls off and... You were sucking in the whole movie. Pretty much, yeah. Pretty much, yeah. I have to say, Chris went through an arduous and very strict and purposeful process, transformation process that I had the gift of witnessing.

14:46And he did it primarily for health reasons. And he's a father as well, so he wants to be a good example, not just to his family, but also to people out there that it is possible you could do it. You could be the guy, the chubby guy from Parks and Recs. and then all of a sudden. You could just be on some crummy TV show on NBC. And then a superhero in a Marvel movie. And it's just, the message, the positive message it's sent out there. It's really great. Where's my money? I'm going to go on that diet, the get cast in a huge blockbuster. Yeah, yeah. It's a good one. Kind of like you're going to do a nude scene diet.

15:23Yeah. Anybody, want to open it up to questions? Anybody? But Vin, the working out thing is, you have to do that all the time. For you, is it like his process of like, it's the one day that's perfect? For everyone, in some ways, it is. I mean, you're always building to a specific scene, or you're building to a specific fight scene, whether it's an aesthetic thing. Yeah. Are you ever just like, hey, just let me stay in the car the whole time? I am like that a lot. I am like that. Just keep me in the car. The rock is out there. I don't want to get out of the next day. I don't want to slip on baby oil.

16:01So, I don't want to slip on baby oil. Can I ask a question? Hi. Speaking of baby oil. So, Vin, Mr. Diesel, I don't know if we want to be on a first name basis or not. Hey man, now we are. Okay, sweet. So, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana, both of you have been action figures before for Chris. I don't know if there is a Parks and Rec action figure, but maybe this is the first time you're an actual action figure that's out there and kids play with. So one, what's that feel like? And two, have you ever played with yourself? Oh, come on. I'm in real. Scott Crowley, come on.

16:51Yes, I have played with myself, by the way. Yeah, my son was at Target and somehow found a Groot doll. And then when my daughter wanted one, they said they were sold out and they didn't have any of the Targets and it became a big deal. And it's a strange thing when you see a doll of yourself. It's very Twilight Zone. You imagine going to brush your teeth at night and opening up the cabinet and seeing nothing but Groot dolls. It's freaky. It's a real freaky thing to see a doll of yourself. I mean, especially if you're a tree. Now, how did you guys were, who were you acting with? Was it like a tennis ball thing or for Groot and what's the fox guy's name?

17:42What's that guy's name? The raccoon. The raccoon, sorry. Yeah, how dare you. Rocket. He would, he'd blow your head off. I know, I know, I know. Shoot a hole in your face. No, no, no. You see, like, it really, like, the way it works technically, and not to bore you with all the, what it takes to make this movie. No one's going to be bored by technical stuff here. I guess that's probably true. It is pretty fascinating. You know, it really depended on what the shot was would determine what we were acting opposite. So if we're doing a close-up of Gamora, and she's having an emotional scene with Groot where she looks at him, and she's, like, having a real interaction, and we need to capture that magic right here, then you'll have her acting opposite an actor.

18:28It would either be Christian, who played the role of Groot on set, or Sean Gunn, who has another role in the film as Kraglin. Oh, he was hilarious. Yeah, he's really great. James Gunn's brother, Sean, he's so good. And those characters were definitely born there on the stages when we were working. And those guys have had a pretty thankless job, And they're sort of the unsung heroes of the movie because they were there every single day, in and out, creating this stuff really just so that we could have organic performances opposite them. So when you go in for those money shots, those magic emotional moments where you're having, for instance, Quill is reacting to Rocket when he sees him in the prison for the first time.

19:07And he sees the cybernetic enhancements on his back. He sees that this is a creature that's not just a tough little guy with a machine gun, but actually like a living, breathing creature who feels stuff and who's like probably lonely. Like you develop empathy. And that's all because I'm watching Sean walk in and essentially create that performance just so that I can react to it. So like depending on, and then sometimes you'd have like an LED light or an eyeline or if it's a big wide shot, we might have nothing at all. We did have some tennis balls every now and then. There was time for tennis balls, yeah.

19:37And sometimes Chris had his own tennis ball and I had my own tennis ball. Yeah, and they had separate trailers. They kind of, actually, they didn't get along. No, our tennis balls and I get along. Yeah, we'd have different eye lines. So like if this plant didn't exist right here and we need to look like we're looking at it, I'd be looking at the young lady here in the black and rose dress. I'd be looking at the dress in between these two individuals. And I'd be looking somewhere over there. Yeah. And Groot would be licking his shoulder. Licking his shoulder, yeah. Licking his flower, yeah. Now when you were watching the stuff, were they like, did you accidentally hear the other guys, I am Groot's?

20:14We're like, turn those off. Never. I never heard any I Am Groot. It was just wide open. It was a really special experience for me because I was able to take my kids into the ADR booth. And so my kids were, even before I saw the movie, my kids were already imitating both of them, literally. My three-year-old son was saying, Star-Lord, man.

20:43And my daughter runs around acting like she's Gamora now. And they already know each other. So it's a surreal thing. Such a good experience. It's one of those, you all saw the movie? Yeah. Oh, so you all saw this movie. Oh, yeah. We get to see stuff early around here. What did you think of the movie? Yeah. Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo!

21:11I call it a gift movie. I call it a gift movie because you have to gift it to someone. You want to share it with someone. You want to take every kid in your neighborhood to this movie.

21:26Let me get a question from this gentleman. First of all, congrats on Guardians 2. Hey, thanks. That's awesome. Already. So my question is, Vin, you came in a bit later, so is the press junket really how you're getting to know these guys? and are you going to be doing on-set stuff for two? Very, very good question. I've known Zoe for many years, so Zoe was kind of a comfort zone coming into this. I directed a web series, some of the episodes of a web series that Vin created called The Ropes. My sister and I directed three or four episodes of that, so that's how we know Vin and his family. And Chris, I met on the junket.

22:09I met Chris before I met Bradley Cooper. I mean, literally, I met Bradley Cooper backstage at one of the talk shows. But I felt like I knew him because I saw him in the ADR booth and I'm playing off of him. But it is surreal. It's kind of a, I play a tree. I mean, I guess there are no rules. How do you play a tree without seeming wooden? It's strange. I guess I'm going for that wooden performance. I mean, I look at trees different. You got to say, guys, you've seen the movie. You have to tell me you look at trees a little bit different. Like they're going to kick my ass. Well, you're not so ashamed of your tree hugger parents anymore, are you?

22:58I mean, it's a new world. Did anyone plant a tree after they saw the movie? Not much to ask. Not much to ask. Let's take one from the, a super nerdy one from the Dory here. Give every member of the team whatever weapons he or she wants. Who would win in a battle royale slash hunger game scenario and why? Part B, tossing the Avengers. Tossing the Avengers, now what? Let's just make this, who would win in a fight? You guys are the Avengers. Are we, do we get to use our spaceship? Yes. Because Iron Man would be able to, wouldn't be, I mean, like, I think... Well, he gets to wear his suit. He gets to wear his suit, right?

23:39But he can't take anybody with him in Thor either. Thor can only take, like, his girlfriend on a ride. Only Natalie Portman. Yeah. Yes. Does it take place on Earth or in space? In space. In space? Yeah, yeah. We win. We win. The suit, you can... Well, we have more, yeah, we have... I think the deciding factor would probably be Rocket, because he would take Tony Stark's suit apart and build a nuclear bomb out of it or something. And then they also have a god, so you would obviously dismantle Thor. Yeah, right, because we also have a god. Star-Lord! He's my daddy. But I seriously think that we would win.

24:25But it's not... You're supposed to be the deadliest woman in the galaxy. Yeah, I seriously think that we would win because they're all human. They're all Taron except for Thor and You know and and we are well

24:44He's such a nice guy Rocket would kill Bruce Banner he would wait for the Hulk to stop being the whole guy All right, all right in and like slit Bruce Banner's throat and then it would be done you guys are writing the movie right now It's like an Avengers Guardians movie. There's going to be a crossover and they all die in the first three minutes. I'm sorry. And then it just becomes like a kind of buddy comedy between Groot and Rocket. Do you guys ever start like pitching ideas like that to the director? That's what we're doing right now. Oh, okay. I thought this was a creative meeting. This is a pitch meeting.

25:14This is. This is. This is all testing really well. Yeah, thank you. We throw around ideas. We pitch ideas, but you know, they don't listen to me. Do you want to see Avengers vs. Guardians?

25:29What do you think would happen? Ready? All at once. All at once, man. Yeah, everyone go. Well, first of all, I'm... Sing the chant, man. Guardians of... I'm hooked on a feeling. Let's take one from the gentleman over there. So, Vin, I've heard you're really into Dungeons & Dragons. So, I have two questions. Yes. What character do you play? And would you be willing to join our group?