Stars Spread The Word About 'Contagion'

By Michael Lopez

Last week, we mentioned how director Steven Soderbergh and writer Scott Z. Burns were looking to "freak out" America with their pandemic movie Contagion. And though they've done a terrific job of setting up the terror, it's the cast performances that will really turn you into a germaphobe. At a recent Contagion press conference, several of the actors got to chime in on why they joined the project.

"Steven sent me the script and said, 'read this, then wash your hands," star Matt Damon jokingly said.

Matt actually plays the "everyman" in the movie. A happily married father of two, his character's world is turned upside down when his wife (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) contracts a lethal virus and dies after experiencing a seizure.

Damon explained how he had met with real doctors to get information on how people react to a loved one's sudden death. He went on to say how being a parent has changed his perspective on keeping his family healthy.

"I'm more protective than I've ever been now that I have children," Matt said. "My wife's nickname for me is 'Red Alert'."

Laurence Fishburne plays Dr. Ellis Cheever in the film. As one of the chief physicians researching the cure for Contagion’s mysterious disease, he was required to recite quite a bit of complicated medical dialogue.

"I was blown away by how smart this script was," Fishburne said. "Because, to be quite honest, a lot of what's being made now is stupid."

Actress Jennifer Ehle's role required even more research. Her character is a hard-nosed scientist who is racing against the clock to test virus strains and find the master antidote for the Contagion outbreak. Ehle seemed to deeply enjoy the chance to flex her scientific acting muscles and likened the story to a good-old-fashioned suspense novel.

"Contagion’s script was a wonderful page-turner," she said. "I was thrilled to be asked to be a part of it."

But the big question on everyone's mind at the press conference was, how exactly to categorize Contagion? Is it a horror movie? A political commentary? Perhaps an Oscar-worthy drama? Matt tried his best to sum it up when he said,

"This movie is a really exciting, but it’s also horrifying at the same time."

You can judge for yourself when Contagion hits theaters this Friday.

Are you planning to watch Contagion? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Contagion, Exclusive Entrevistas, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Ehle, Laurence Fishburne, MAtt Damon, Movies & CineMás, Steven Soderbergh, Tr3s Exclusives