If you watched Kick-Ass without any prior knowledge of Hit Girl, you no doubt experienced the biggest cinematic surprise of the decade. Talk about inverting stereotypes: Chloë Moretz looks like she'd save her pocket money to buy books or tickets to a Hilary Duff concert. Until she dons that purple suit and becomes one of the most terrifying heroes in cinema history that is. Taking a leading role in the limb-hewing, bloody action, she was the clear star of the show. Impressive for anyone - let alone an 11-year-old girl. Moretz started acting at seven, first appearing in The Amityville Horror, followed by the charming (500) Days of Summer and then the Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Then, in 2010, the adaptation of Mark Millar's gruesome comic showcased her talent for more demanding roles. The film sparked worldwide controversy, and Moretz was at the heart of it: never before had we seen such a young and innocent-looking girl swearing so profusely and killing so many people. It was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of role, and Moretz took the ball and ran with it. Kick-Ass led to the dark vampire flick Let Me In, and the remake of Stephen King's Carrie. Still only 17, she has emerged as one of Hollywood's brightest young stars. Like this article? Anyone to add? Let us know in the comments section below.
Mike Revell is the author of STONEBIRD (Quercus, 2015), and is an award-winning journalist. He has written for the Mirror and NFL UK. He lives near Cambridge, and has an unhealthy obsession with American football, Doctor Who, and Game of Thrones.
