Amber Heard has a very small role in the movie Zombieland, but she plays a character who is quite crucial to the plot. The 2009 horror-comedy tells the goofy, charming story of Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) as he travels cross-country fighting the undead. It's set in a world in which mad cow disease has led to an apocalypse where people who get sick become zombies. While attempting to survive, Columbus is ed by the tough Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and sisters Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) and Wichita (Emma Stone). Heard appears in just one scene, but it's among the movie's most humorous moments, setting the tone for the remainder of the story.
After her first film role as Maria in the 2004 football drama Friday Nights Light, Amber Heard appeared in the crime drama Alpha Dogs before breaking out in the 2009 slasher All the Boys Love Mandy Lane. She has never strayed too far from the action genre in recent years, starring in the DCEU as Mera. The question of who Amber Heard played in Zombieland proves that her talent always results in an unforgettable scene, even if her character never appears again. While Heard's part is brief, she's the focus of a funny and compelling scene that sets the main character on the right path.
Amber Heard Played 406, A Zombie Who Columbus Kills
In Zombieland, Amber Heard plays 406, the very first zombie that Columbus sees, and the role is used to emphasize that he is involved in a very real and very frightening situation. In the scene, he's relaxing in his apartment when his neighbor, "406," shows up in a panic. Unfortunately, she's eventually turned, has blood all over her face, and vomits in his direction, and he springs into action to save himself. While Columbus later has rules for surviving zombies, this is before he's become an expert on the subject. He surprises himself by removing the lid of his toilet and killing her, his first experience taking out a zombie.
The 406 scene may be short, but the interaction explores how different Columbus's life is now that he is attempting to survive the apocalypse. He says, "You just can't trust anyone. The first girl I let into my life, and she tries to eat me," which proves that this was not a typical date night. This quote also shows Columbus's sense of humor and innocence, as before the apocalypse began, he didn't have much dating or relationship experience. Without this brief moment involving Amber Heard's character, these details of his character might not be fleshed out quite in the same clear, clever way.
406 Inspires Columbus To Be Stronger And Tougher
While it's true that Zombieland is an example of a zombie movie that isn't scary, Columbus becomes a stronger and more capable person after killing 406, and he will never be able to truly forget this experience. The movie's comedy comes from the approach that this character takes to rid the world of the zombies he meets. Columbus is always comionate, even when a zombie is about to kill him, and this is his defining character trait. While he is definitely immediately afraid when 406 moves toward him, he is equally concerned about her well-being and asks, "Are you okay?"
Before realizing that his neighbor — whom he was interested in dating — has become a fearsome creature, Columbus most likely never imagined he was capable of killing. Amber Heard's character gives him a vote of confidence that he can survive these encounters and solidifies Columbus's zombie survival rule about focusing on "cardio." Because he moves quickly without thinking too much about it, he is able to win and get out alive. In a memorable detail, he apologizes for what he has done, proving that he will never forget to be kind, even when killing zombies.
Why Amber Heard's Zombieland Character Is Named 406
Amber Heard's Zombieland character's real name is never given, which was a purposeful storytelling decision. All the character names in the movie are significant because they refer to the place where they are from. In one scene, Tallahassee says "Stop, no names. Keep us from getting too familiar," as he is tough and independent and doesn't want to lean on other people or ask for help. Because she lives in apartment 406, this is the name that Columbus calls her. In contrast to the main characters in both Zombieland movies, this is the only real detail that is shared about her.
It's smart to only refer to the character as 406. If it wasn't for the fact that zombies are taking over the world, it seems possible that Columbus and 406 would start a serious relationship, but there is no time or space for this. Since the name comprises three numbers, it feels sparse, technical, and clinical, which is the opposite of romantic. That Columbus knows her name but never shares it emphasizes the fear-inducing world that he is now living in and that he views everyone as a potential threat. There is no such thing as being friendly to a neighbor anymore.
Why Amber Heard Enjoyed Playing Her Zombieland Role
Amber Heard liked playing her Zombieland character, and while she appears briefly, she quickly shows the emotion of being someone turned into a zombie after being infected with a virus. Heard told Bloody Disgusting, "I really loved the script, and I thought this would make a great project... The director and I spoke on the phone, and I was going out of the country, and I think I literally had like three days. But I was like, 'I want to be a disgusting, bloody zombie,' and he’s like, 'Okay, I think you’re the first to ask me for that, no problem!'"
Although 406 has an off-putting appearance, Zombieland succeeds in making the main characters' experiences with zombies more hilarious than frightening, and the fact that Amber Heard was glad to play this small role is evident in her memorable scene. With so many movies and TV shows focusing on zombies, it would be easy to be forgettable, but 406 has an eerie look in her eyes and lunges at Columbus in a way that makes an impact. Heard's character emphasizes the strange and surreal nature of this experience, as Columbus is attempting to connect with the person he likes, and instead, he ends up killing a zombie.