Answers with Laura Regan

Answer 1

Did you always know you wanted to act?

I didn't at all. I was actually slow to make the connection between the fact that I loved drama class and plays and the idea that I could be an actor. Growing up I didn't know anyone who was an actor, so it seemed unreachable.

Answer 2

How did you first get into acting?

I went to New York as a junior year away. I started studying acting and fell in love with it. I took classes all around town, exposing myself to different techniques. Finally I decided I might be as capable as some working actors and I took the leap. I started auditioning for everything I could find in Backstage, and submitted myself to agents and managers. I met a great manager who had me do a monologue for her and then she took me on. The first audition she sent me to was for M Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable. I got the job, got an agent, and the ball started rolling.

Answer 3

If you weren't acting what do you think you'd be doing as a career?

I might be in business, as an entrepreneur. I'm constantly dreaming up ideas for new enterprises. Maybe I'll start one of them someday. For now, I'm dedicated to acting.

Answer 4

What can you tell us about your character Dagny Taggart in "Atlas Shrugged"?

Dagny is a very principled woman who runs a large company. She has a strong moral compass and a keen sense of fairness. In both business and her personal life, she follows her own moral code. This is not the code most people are taught to live by, but Dagny knows her own mind and lives according to her own rules. She is not concerned with what others think of her.

Answer 5

How do you relate to your character Dagny Taggart in real life?

I have learned from her that if I feel strongly about something, I must act on it - regardless of what others might be doing or thinking. You have to be true to yourself first.

Answer 6

What was the funniest thing that happened while shooting "Atlas Shrugged"?

One particular very long Friday, as it got into the wee hours, I had a scene with Kris Polaha (John Galt) and Mark Moses (Midas Mulligan). We were tired and giddy and struggling to keep it together in between takes. We were discussing another character, Dr Akston (played by Stephen Tobolowsky). Our director gave us a pep talk and we got serious and stopped laughing. Then the cameras rolled but instead of calling "Action" he accidentally called out, "Akston"! That just sent us over the edge.

Answer 7

A different actress in each of the installments has portrayed Dagny Taggart. How challenging was it to pick up Dagny's character in Part III?

I didn't try to match the other two actresses in any way. I used the book as my guide and tried to be faithful to the spirit of the character on the page.

Answer 8

Do you think it's confusing for viewers to follow the storyline and the development of Dagny's character with different actresses playing her?

All of the parts were recast with each installment, so it's not like in a soap Opera when they replace someone and you have to suspend your disbelief. You can watch it as an independent piece - in the same way you can watch Batman or Spider-Man played by different actors.

Answer 9

The franchise is based on Ayn Rand's iconic 1957 dystopian novel "Atlas Shrugged." Did you read the 1,100-page book to prepare for your role?

Yes! I also got the audiobook, so I could keep "reading" in my car.

Answer 10

What was it like to work alongside Hollywood's elite in "Someone Like You"?

"Someone Like You" was only my third acting job and I was totally starstruck. All of these big name actors were very helpful and patient with me, but Hugh Jackman was especially kind. He must have realized that I didn't really know how film sets worked yet, and so he would check on me, ask if I needed anything, and just generally make sure that I felt comfortable.