'Atonement' Stars Talk Oscar

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Atonement

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ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Between this and next summer's action thriller Wanted with Angelina Jolie, you're really about to take off, James. Whereas Keira's already been through this kind of sudden fame.
JAMES MCAVOY: Having worked with Keira and having recently worked with Angelina Jolie as well, I know I'll never get to the point, frankly, where people will run across freeways to take a picture of me. It's a different thing for women.

Both of you have also been through the Oscar-season process before. What was it like for you?
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY: For me it was the first time that anyone said that I could remotely act. So going from just a pretty face who's s--- to somebody being nominated for an Oscar was hilarious! And also I knew that I hadn't got a f---ing hope in hell of actually winning it, so it took the pressure off. But I never read a script and go, ''Ooh, that could be an Oscar.''

I'm sure some people do.
MCAVOY: Agents do. Last King of Scotland was kicking about for eight years before it got made. And there was always this perceived opinion that whoever played that part was getting an Oscar-winning part. It was always deemed as an ''Oscar script.'' I know that that wasn't in any way a consideration for Forest Whitaker, but I know that had he not won Best Actor, there would have been people in the industry who would have considered it a failure. And that's f---ing ridiculous. There were people connected to the film that were aiming for that from the moment he was cast.

So now that you've essentially completed your international press tour for this film, what would you say is the one question you've each gotten the most?
MCAVOY: [Affecting an American accent] ''Could you, uh, just talk about the five-minute tracking shot? Was that all one shot?''
KNIGHTLEY: I've had ''Why are you only good in Joe Wright films?''

In those exact words?
KNIGHTLEY: No, okay, maybe not those words. But pretty much. ''Would you agree that you have done your best work...'' You know, that kind of thing. ''Why are you so s--- in everything else?''
MCAVOY: And I've been asked to grade your kissing ability.
KNIGHTLEY: That was my fault. I got asked for the 20 millionth time who was the better kisser between Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom, and I thought I'd be really clever and say ''James McAvoy. Ha ha ha!'' And now every single one is going, ''So James is a better kisser than Johnny and Orlando?''
MCAVOY: [Again with an American accent] ''So, James, I hear that you're better than Johnny Depp! Do you care to say anything about that?'' And I just go, ''Yeah, you know, I'll f---in' kick his head in.''
KNIGHTLEY: Brilliant!

Want more? See what happened when the EW.com video crew caught up with Keira Knightley and James McEvoy

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Dave Karger's 2008 Oscar Predictions
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