Kick-Ass Co-Star Talks Role, Establishes Fanboy Cred

Clark Duke [pictured above right with Seth Green] has been on the road for the last couple of weeks, going to various U.S. cities to help promote his new teen comedy Sex Drive. After every screening, he conducts a Q & A session where he inevitably gets hit up with the same question: "What are you doing next?"

"When I say that I'm co-starring in an adaptation of the comic Kiss-Ass, there are always six or seven guys in the audience who start hooping and hollering," says Duke, 23. "There is a die-hard group of people who love Kick-Ass.'I do too. I'm such a big fan of the comic. I'm pretty sure the movie version is going to be f---ing awesome."

Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake," Stardust) from a Mark Millar comic, Kick-Ass stars Aaron Johnson as the title character, a high-schooler who decides to become a superhero even though he doesn't possess a single super power.

"It's cool how this kid just goes out and does it, becomes a superhero," says Duke, who first gained fame via the web comedy "Clark and Michael" which co-starred Michael Cera. "He makes a costume, starts walking around on roof tops and tries to stop petty crime. Of course, he gets the s-t kicked out of him and almost dies. But he still comes back and he catches on - and then a whole bunch of other people start trying to fight crime too."

Additional cast members include Nicolas Cage as a police officer who prepares his 11-year-old daughter (played by Chloe Moretz) to be a vigilante named Hit Girl, Lyndsey Fonseca as KA's gal pal and Superbad's Christopher Mintz-Plass as super villain The Red Mist. Duke plays Kick-Ass's best fried who is clueless about his buddy's secret identity.

Unlike most superhero movies, the feel of the film is raw and reality-based. "I watched them shoot the stuff with Kick-Ass in costume and it's so gritty and real," says Duke. "It really just looks like kids in costumes, which is interesting."

The $65 million movie, which is set in New York City but shot in Toronto and London, is being financed independently. Not having to answer to a studio has been a boon for Vaughn, says Duke.

"It can be as epic and violent as Matthew wants it to be," notes Duke, who'll also pop up in 2009 as Eddie Murphy's assistant in A Thousand Words. "I'm a big fan of Matthew's movies, especially Layer Cake. He's one of the coolest guys I've met too. He's funny, talented and he's married to a supermodel."

Duke doesn't hesitate a moment when he's asked what superpower he'd most like to possess. "I know it's generic but I'd really like to be able to fly," he responds.

As for which super hero is his favorite, Duke says no character compares to the Dark Knight. "I read everything but Batman is probably my favorite comic," he says. "I don't like the current notion of making Batman like a psychopath, though. I like the swinging, chest-hair, '70s-style Batman which Neal Adams drew. Grant Morrison is kind of doing that in the current run, which is terrific."

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