‘The Host’ first look: Jake Abel on playing Ian, working with Stephenie Meyer - EW Interview [read the full interview here]

What is that like to play? I know that’s tricky for Saoirse, but you’re dealing with essentially two different characters.

Jake Abel: I was really lucky. It was much easier for me than for Max and Saoirse, because my scenes with Saoirse were mostly with her as Wanda. So the physicality we created for both of us was just that: For me, that entity was just Wanda. Andrew Niccol and I [discussed] that Ian was much more evolved than most people in the cave, second to Jeb. His biggest muscles were his heart and his brain. He’s able to understand that yes, Jared may love the human, but he hates the alien. [Ian] has grown to understand [the alien], and through understanding, grown to love her.