After nailing his first lead role in retro comedy Adventureland, with Kristen Stewart, and racking up a slew of upcoming movies, 25-year-old Jesse Eisenberg has more than earned his "rising star" status. This month he gets to showcase his horror comedy chops with a lead role in Zombieland, starring alongside Woody Harrelson and our former cover girls, Emma Stone and Amber Heard.


What can you tell us about your character in Zombieland?
Columbus is obsessed with surviving in a world over run by zombies.  He is careful and clever and has a list of 47 rules for surviving Zombieland, which are real-world, unheroic rules like cardio, Ziploc bags, stretching.

How was your experience working with Woody Harrelson? Is he as badass as he seems?
He is the greatest improviser I have ever worked with. I like improvisation and  have never seen someone who never ever breaks (i.e. laughs) during a take. The director of this movie let us improvise sometimes for upwards of 20 minutes, leaving the camera rolling. It was my favorite part of the movie.


Better kisser: Kristen Stewart or Emma Stone?
If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me this, I would have ten cents because I did an interview in Scotland where I was asked the same question. I have thought about this a lot and have created a Venn diagram detailing where the two young women overlap. It's a complicated chart that is available on my website, JesseEisenbergGotToFakeKissFamousWomen.org.

How would you sell college kids on seeing Zombieland?
If they like zombie movies, they will love the movie. However, if they don't like zombie movies, they will still love it. It's very funny. Frankly, I could care less about zombies but this movie is hysterical.

What are some of your favorite horror movies?
I really don't watch horror movies. I did a movie with Wes Craven, though, and I watched some of his earlier movies which were very interesting and shocking and cutting edge at the time. They have all since be remade I think.