GOTG: Pom Klementieff's Mantis Performance Was Inspired By Dancing Bug Videos & Her Childhood
The latest entry in the MCU comes in the form of "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3." With James Gunn once again returning as writer and director, the film sees a mix of new and returning performers, with the latter group including Pom Klementieff. Klementieff first appeared in "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2" as Mantis, who was initially aligned with the Guardians' antagonist Ego (Kurt Russell), before joining the group by the end of the film.
In an interview with Reel Rejects, Klementieff was asked whether any character backstory she had envisioned for Mantis while making "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" factored into the decisions she made for the character in the third film.
Klementieff responded that her process to get at the core of her character is different. In the case of Mantis, she began by having discussions with James Gunn about Mantis before using that to delve into the emotional aspects of the character and the world she was in.
Instead of mulling over the character for hours, Klementieff said she drew inspiration for Mantis from videos of praying mantises fighting or dancing. She also thought back to her own childhood and how she would speak when she was first learning English. Being French herself, the actress pointed out that learning English after knowing another language creates a difference in tone and pronunciation, and she used that to inform how Mantis speaks.
The combination of those features, alongside listening to music that inspires her, all worked together to inform her portrayal of Mantis.
Klementieff also credited her co-stars with helping shape Mantis
Elsewhere in the interview, Pom Klementieff was asked about whether there was a particular co-star who helped bring out the empath side of Mantis in scenes together.
Klementieff responded that every cast member was easy to connect with, both as their characters and as co-stars on the set. She added that she cared deeply for all of them, and couldn't choose one co-star over the other.
Later in the interview, Klementieff added that she has a lot of fun working with Dave Bautista, who plays Drax. She spoke about encouraging him to push the barrier in the comments Drax makes about Mantis, adding that she finds the interactions hilarious herself and has to focus on staying in character so she doesn't laugh and ruin the take.
In an interview with MajorFilmEvents, Klementieff also spoke about what it was like working with Chris Pratt, who plays Star-Lord, and Zoe Saldana, who plays Gamora. She mentioned that Pratt helps lead the set, bringing his improvisational skills to the films and making suggestions for other characters as well. She singled out Saldana as especially impressive in the fight sequences.