You know Chloë Grace Moretz from her acting roles in movies such as Kick-Ass and The 5th Wave, or from her high-profile relationship (and subsequent breakup) with Brooklyn Beckham. But did you know that she's also an avid video gamer?
"I grew up in a family with four older brothers," Moretz told Refinery29 in a phone interview. "What I liked about it…was that I could fully take down my foot-and-a-half-taller older brother by just being a better gamer than him." (And she has — Moretz said none of her brothers or her boyfriends have ever beaten her at video games. "I’m by far the best gamer in the family, and it’s a huge badge of honor," she said.)
Moretz has also been outspoken about her support for gender equality, and (naturally) wants to promote gender equality in the gaming space, as well. For the former, Moretz spoke at the recent Democratic National Convention; for the latter, she's teamed up with Alienware for a series of videos. The goal is to crush perceptions about what a gamer is, and prove that female gamers can be just as good (or better) than the guys.
We chatted with Moretz about the project, and about her love of gaming.
How did you get started playing video games?
"I grew up in a family with four older brothers. I never really had any gender cues in my life — I did ballet, jazz, tap; I did basketball and soccer; and I played video games. Video games were a part of my life since I was 3 or 4 years old, watching my brothers play and me wanting to play. What I liked about it above a physical sport was that I could fully take down my foot-and-a-half-taller older brother by just being a better gamer than him. It was a good way to even the playing field between us." How so?
"When you're in the game, you’re the player, and it doesn't matter if you’re an 800-pound man or 95-pound girl — it’s just whether or not you’re a good gamer. Gaming is fun, and it’s a fun way for guys and girls to have some friendly competition and even the playing field. It’s not a wrestling match — they can’t overpower you. It’s a fun way girls can exercise their strength." Have you ever had any negative experiences once other players realized you were a girl?
"My voice is kind of noticeable, so my brother and I would actually play pranks on people. We’d go on Call Of Duty Online, and you hear the voices of a bunch of young men. I would go in there and put on a really high-pitched voice and really get in there with that bad-mouthing and do it in a very obvious feminine tone. It’s funny to see the reaction you get from a lot of the young men, for sure. It’s a funny part of gaming, the bad-mouthing, especially coming from a young woman. They don’t expect it." What role has gaming had on your acting career?
"Video games in general really are role-playing. From a young age, I was able to jump into these super stylized, wild roles and characters through video games. With a movie like Kick-Ass, when I was 11 years old, I was probably more open to and more excited about it because I had played video games at a young age. And I think video games can help build your imagination as a kid. You're walking through these worlds, and it’s exciting." Do you have anything to say to women who don't play video games?
"Imagination is gender neutral. Video games are just a heightened form of imagination. There are amazing experiences you couldn’t do in everyday life — it’s like you’re watching a movie. It would be a shame for people not to at least try and see what it feels to get behind the controller. Gaming is fun."
"I grew up in a family with four older brothers. I never really had any gender cues in my life — I did ballet, jazz, tap; I did basketball and soccer; and I played video games. Video games were a part of my life since I was 3 or 4 years old, watching my brothers play and me wanting to play. What I liked about it above a physical sport was that I could fully take down my foot-and-a-half-taller older brother by just being a better gamer than him. It was a good way to even the playing field between us." How so?
"When you're in the game, you’re the player, and it doesn't matter if you’re an 800-pound man or 95-pound girl — it’s just whether or not you’re a good gamer. Gaming is fun, and it’s a fun way for guys and girls to have some friendly competition and even the playing field. It’s not a wrestling match — they can’t overpower you. It’s a fun way girls can exercise their strength." Have you ever had any negative experiences once other players realized you were a girl?
"My voice is kind of noticeable, so my brother and I would actually play pranks on people. We’d go on Call Of Duty Online, and you hear the voices of a bunch of young men. I would go in there and put on a really high-pitched voice and really get in there with that bad-mouthing and do it in a very obvious feminine tone. It’s funny to see the reaction you get from a lot of the young men, for sure. It’s a funny part of gaming, the bad-mouthing, especially coming from a young woman. They don’t expect it." What role has gaming had on your acting career?
"Video games in general really are role-playing. From a young age, I was able to jump into these super stylized, wild roles and characters through video games. With a movie like Kick-Ass, when I was 11 years old, I was probably more open to and more excited about it because I had played video games at a young age. And I think video games can help build your imagination as a kid. You're walking through these worlds, and it’s exciting." Do you have anything to say to women who don't play video games?
"Imagination is gender neutral. Video games are just a heightened form of imagination. There are amazing experiences you couldn’t do in everyday life — it’s like you’re watching a movie. It would be a shame for people not to at least try and see what it feels to get behind the controller. Gaming is fun."