Michael Cera and Kat Dennings – Nick and Norah’s Infinate Playlist

If you believe in “musical soulmates,” look no further than the teenage adventure flick “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.” The film stars Michael Cera (“Superbad”) and Kat Dennings (“Charlie Bartlett”) as the young title characters who jump from club to club all night in New York City searching for a secret show by their favorite band.

While in Dallas promoting their film, Cera, 20, and Dennings, 22, talked about staying up all night to make a movie and their own musical preferences and talents.

I read there was a pretty crazy shooting schedule for this film.

Kat Dennings: We shot from around 4 p.m. to 6 a.m. probably.

Michael Cera: Yeah, whenever the sun went down.

Had either of you ever shot in the middle of the night like that?

MC: I really liked doing it, actually.

KD: I had only done a little night shooting, but this was all-night shooting.

MC: I’m nodding.

Had you ever experienced New York City at 4 a.m. before?

KD: My friend Maria and I used to walk to restaurants in the middle of the night when we were hungry. I thought someone was going to kill me, so I would always have like scissors or hairspray in my pocket just in case. For protection, or to cut someone’s hair and style it.

MC: I’ve been up all night before, but I’ve never chased a band around.

Had either of you made a mix tape before like Nick?

KD: I’ve made mix tapes just for the intention of introducing friends to music that they’ve never heard.

What about for a significant other?

KD: I’ve done that, yeah, but it didn’t work out, so it must’ve not been very good.

So, is someone’s taste in music a make-or-break factor for you in a relationship?

MC: Not for me. Who’s to say who has bad taste in music?

KD: No, unless it’s like some crazy, white supremacist rock, I don’t think I would have a problem with it.

So, if someone pulled out a Michael Bolton CD on a date, you’d be okay with that?

MC: Totally. There’s no need to be a snob.

Michael, I know you’ve proven your musical prowess with your guitar-playing in Juno, but what about you, Kat? Do you have any musical talent?

KD: I don’t have any talent, but I really like to play instruments. I don’t know if I’m any good. (Laughs) I’ve played every instrument for like 10 minutes and enjoyed them all. I really liked playing the saxophone and the drums. Those were great.

MC: I want to take trumpet lessons one day.

During your travels making movies, what city’s music scenes have impressed you the most?

MC: Austin’s got a good one. It’s really active. People seem to be really enthusiastic about it. I think Toronto has a good one.

KD: Yeah, I was gonna say Toronto. I went to one of my first concerts in Toronto. Toronto has a lot of great bands.

Since this film is the first time both of you are working from a script that is actually adapted from a book, did you get to talk to the authors about the characters and how you would play them in comparison to how they originally imagined them?

KD: They were on set a bit and we talked to them. I think they felt good about us being in the roles and had faith in [director] Peter [Sollett]. I’ve talked to them since. They were at the premiere in Toronto, and they were really ecstatic about the movie.

Kat, is there more pressure on you having two films out at theaters at the same time, “Nick & Norah” and “The House Bunny?”

KD: Not at all. It’s nice for my family. I know they get a kick out of it. But it’s just back to my life [after shooting].

Back to doing more video blogs [subscribe to katdennings on YouTube.com]?

KD: Oh, yeah. I have to get back on that. I’ve been working on other video projects for the “Nick & Norah” DVD but I haven’t been doing the others.

Michael, are you comfortable being this quasi sex symbol for hipster girls worldwide?

MC: Yeah, I’m comfortable with it. Enjoy the show, ladies.

KD: (Laughs)

OK, so you walk into a club on a Saturday night. What do you want the DJ playing for you as your theme song when you make your entrance?

KD: Um, the theme song to “The Golden Girls.” Or maybe “Night Prowler” from AC/DC.

MC: Or what about “You’re the Best” from “The Karate Kid?”

KD: Or maybe the “Rocky” theme song. If they played it when I was going into a club, it would be awesome. If they played it when I was going into a library, it would be double awesome.

Kat, you’ve had the chance to play college-age characters in a couple of movies, but Michael, you seem to be stuck in high school mode. How long can your boyish looks get you by?

MC: I’ll probably do a couple more movies as a high-school kid. Then I’ll be ready for college.

So you don’t want to end up like Ralph Macchio, almost 30 and playing Daniel Larusso in “The Karate Kid III?”

MC: I’d rather be Ralph Macchio in “My Cousin Vinny.”