Chris Evans
Cleveland was fantastic. And if I could, I'd make plenty more movies there. Everyone was very kind and welcomed us. I felt right at home.
My favorite memory was one of the big fight sequences between the Winter Soldier and me. The whole fight style was tailored from the very beginning to show Captain America's evolution as a fighter. We just wanted to make it a little more brutal, and show his power, speed and reflexes.
There is no accidental hitting each other. You hit each other. Even when you block a punch, you're blocking a full blow, so it's painful even when you're doing it correctly. It was one of my favorite scenes to film, and I think it's going to be one of the better scenes in the movie.
Seeing all the kids dressed up like Captain America watching the filming certainly helps you be thankful for where you are. It's a strange thing when you see all those people watching. It's almost a little intimidating. But it certainly helps you be appreciative and gives you a healthy amount of perspective. You can't help but be filled with a sense of gratitude, because this has been a long road.
You always feel bad when you're showing up and shutting down traffic and causing trouble for commutes. I'm from Boston. We typically have things come through the city that cause disruptions, and it's really frustrating. I know exactly how that feels, and I felt pretty bad for people who want nothing to do with Captain America and we're there messing up their daily commute.
Hopefully, we can pay them back with a decent movie. — as told to John Hitch
Samuel L. Jackson
I was a big comic book fan growing up, and I always wanted to inhabit their world and be a part of it. With these movies, it has been the perfect opportunity to actually step in there and live out the fantasies of a kid when you're reading those books.
When I get approached for a new role, I'm drawn to that character's part in telling the story and how they move the story along. In this particular instance, I knew that Nick Fury was part of the Marvel Universe and I was going to do nine pictures with them. It was the perfect opportunity to be in whatever scenario they would come up with. I said yes because I believe in this franchise.
There is a surprise Pulp Fiction reference in this film that I think fans will really like. I had no idea they were going to put it in, but I can't say I'm surprised they did it.
When I shot my first scene in Cleveland, there were a lot of people looking out of office windows and going, "Who's in that car? They're blowing it up!"
It didn't bother me at all that we had those crowds there watching us, because before I got into acting in movies, I was a theater actor in New York and when you do that people are always watching you work.
I just want to say thank you to Cleveland for letting us destroy your city. But with that said, I hope you have had a chance to put back everything that we tore up. When the people of Cleveland see the movie they will be like, "I was in that traffic jam!" It's worth it — it's totally worth it. — as told to Chris Van Vliet
Sebastian Stan
It's exciting to see my character take this turn and show more sides of him. But, at the same time, it was challenging. I felt like I had a lot of homework to do. This character is so complex and tragic in a way and there are so many sides to him that hopefully we will see in the future.
The Winter Soldier wears a mask for most of the film, which made it difficult for me to convey emotions. But it also kind of helped in a way. I felt when I was looking at myself in the mirror that I couldn't recognize myself at all. I had to pay more attention to the way I behaved, the way I moved and the physicality of it all.
A lot of the close combat was very difficult for us to shoot. It was hard because your heart is racing and you're trying to get it right. But you're also going over it in your mind, because you have rehearsed it so many times and you're concerned with not hurting the other person.
I did feel bad about shutting down the [West] Shoreway and the traffic problems that it caused, but I honestly never thought we would be granted that kind of access. Most times with these films you end up working with a green screen. I feel like you can really tell the difference with this one, because we didn't.
As an actor, it helps so much to be able to turn up on set and see an actual highway be shut down and explosions everywhere. You get goosebumps. — as told to Chris Van Vliet
Moises Arias
The Kings of Summer was organic and beautiful. It was a movie I felt something for. I was able to spend a lot of time in the woods and the parks, something I don't ever see in LA. I read a lot of books. It was the first time I was on set by myself, and Ohio grew to be my home for a while. It even inspired a short film I wrote.
I just watched the movie a couple of days ago when some friends were over. It is one of my favorite accomplishments. Chris Galletta wrote an incredible script, which is why everybody signed on. The dynamic between all those characters is amazing. Our director, [Jordan Vogt-Roberts], really enjoyed ad-libbing. I could say anything that came into my head. And I've always been obsessed with fire and knives so I couldn't have asked for a better movie.
I stayed with the other guys at a retirement home in Chagrin Falls. It was probably the perfect place for us. I went into Starbucks once and someone recognized me, but I stayed in character the whole time. I love character roles. I love the individuality and being able to recognize myself within a role.
Nobody really knows where Biaggio came from or where he is now. We're hoping for the best for him. I read the script and fell in love with the character. He's out there but he's believable. If you scale back Biaggio, it would completely ruin the character. We found a happy medium. — as told to Barry Goodrich
