In the crime thriller “The Call,” Oscar winner Halle Berry stars as 911 operator Jordan Turner, who is haunted by guilt over an emergency call that she took from a teenage girl who ended up being kidnapped and murdered. When another teen named Casey Welson (played by Abigail Breslin) is kidnapped, and Jordan is the operator who gets the teen’s 911 call, Jordan figures out that the previous kidnapper/murderer (played by Michael Eklund) is the same man who kidnapped Casey.
A suspenseful, nerve-wracking hunt for the killer ensues as Casey spends much of the time trapped in a car trunk but able stay connected on the 911 call that she made on a cell phone. One of the cops involved in the manhunt is Paul Phillips (played by Morris Chestnut), who happens to be Jordan’s boyfriend. At the Los Angeles press junket for “The Call,” the movie’s top three stars (Berry, Breslin and Chestnut) did these brief interviews about what it was like to make the film.
Interview with Halle Berry
Did you listen to any real-life 911 emergency calls as research for “The Call”?
I did. Hundreds. And I sat in real call centers and listened to them take live calls and how they navigated it. I felt the tension. I needed to feel what this place is all about. On weekends, it’s non-stop.
What’s the most “normal” job you’ve ever had?
When I was 16, I worked at the Cookie Company and I sold cookies at the mall.
How long did you have that job?
About a year … And I spent all my money to get to work, so I didn’t make much money.
What was it like working with Morris Chestnut? A lot people have been waiting a long time to see you two in a movie together.
It was lovely. We’d never even met each other in passing. We’d never met until the first day he showed up for work on the set [of “The Call”]. It was our first time meeting, and luckily we hit it off. He is one of the nicest men I think I’ve ever met. I think he’s just a solid, good dude. And those teeth! Could those teeth be any whiter?
Interview with Abigail Breslin
How many days of shooting did you spend in the car trunk?
About four, each for about nine hours. It was pretty crazy.
Was it a specially designed trunk?
I’ve never been claustrophobic before. Nobody should ever been in a trunk. It’s really uncomfortable and really terrifying. They built these fake trunks, and then they’d pull out a wall and put the camera in. They got it from all different angles. It was very bizarre but ended up working.
Did you listen to any real-life 911 emergency calls as research for “The Call”?
Yes, I did. I talked a lot about it to Brad Anderson, the director [of “The Call”]. And I listened to tons of 911 calls. Every once in a while, you can find something to break it up, whether it’s a little girl asking for math homework help, so that was cute, but listening to the intense ones, it really helps you to understand the panic through somebody in that type of situation. It’s obviously difficult to listen to but helpful.
How has it been to grow up in the entertainment industry? Is it everything you thought it would be?
Yeah, I love it! It’s so much fun. And I feel so lucky that I get to do it. As long they’ll keep having me, I’ll keep doing it.
What are some things you do to have a normal life outside of the entertainment business?
Whenever I go back to New York and I’m hanging out with my friends, just going to the movies and hanging out, as soon as I’m not working, it’s just completely normal.
Interview with Morris Chestnut
Why do you think you’ve had career longevity as an actor?
I’ve been fortunate to work with a lot of good people. It’s a blessing from God just to be able to keep doing it this long in this industry. I’m just blessed.
What was it like working with Halle Berry? A lot of people over the years have wanted to see you two do a movie together.
People have told me throughout the years that they want to see us work together. And I’m really proud to be in this movie and working with Halle. We didn’t really get to work together as often. We only worked together two days. She was in her little cage, and I was I my little cage. We had great chemistry.
When I met her the first day, she was just so open. You never know what to expect. You work with people, and some people are really nice, and some people are so full of themselves. It’s Hollywood. And she was so sweet, open, inviting and genuine. So she really set the tone for that, and that showed throughout the entire movie.
For more info: "The Call" website
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