"The book was incredibly informative for me," says actress Samantha Mathis who plays Dagny Taggart in Atlas Shrugged Part II, "in terms of figuring out [Dagny's] backstory and where she came from, and why she believed what she believed, and what her relationships were."

ReasonTV correspondent Kennedy spoke with Mathis and other cast members at the film's Hollywood Premiere on Oct. 5 to find out how they connected with their characters and the themes portrayed in the movie.

Atlas Shrugged Part II, the second of three films based on Ayn Rand's controversial 1957 novel, hits theaters nationwide on Friday, October 12, 2012. (For more information on the film, go to http://atlasshruggedmovie.com)

About 3 minutes.

Produced by Tracy Oppenheimer. Camera by Paul Detrick.

Scoll down for downloadable versions, and watch Reason TV's Ayn Rand playlist at http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5DD8AB31C88BE88D