Last week, I had the opportunity to interview the star of the newest Disney movie- The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. She was so kind and wise beyond her years, and I can’t wait to see her on the big screen for years to come!
We had the chance to chat with her for a few minutes before the big world premiere {read more about that here}. Read on for what she said about getting the lead role in a new holiday classic, how they celebrated the holiday on set, and more!
How does it feel to be a classical holiday character now?
It’s really fun. What’s beautiful about The Nutcracker that it’s such a beloved story throughout many, many years, so it’s really fun to be able to play a character that so many people all over the world can relate to and have this childhood connection from seeing the ballet when they were young, and I think that’s really important to be able to do.
Can you tell us about the audition process?
The audition process was actually quite long. It was about two months, which isn’t really long, but it is more than usual. I did self-tapes because the casting was with me in London. Once I did a screen test. They flew me to London to do it in full costume- hair and makeup, a partial set, real camera. I didn’t really have too many details about the story of the character when I first got the audition. I just knew that it was a British character and that immediately piqued my interest.
And so as I went further into the actual process, I learned more of what the story is, and what the character was, and I kind of got to go a little deeper into her, and then when I booked it, I was fully immersed in Clara, which was fun.
What was it like to get the call that you were going to be Clara?
It was really exciting. So I was actually in the shower, and doing my hair when my mom ran in, and she was like, “The director’s on the phone!” I was like, “Oh my gosh, okay”, and so I put a towel on, and I answered. The director was like, “Would you be our Clara?” I was like, “Oh my goodness, yes. Thank you so much.” And he’s like, “Alright, see you in a couple weeks!”
The cast is amazing. Do you have any funny stories that you can tell us?
I feel like there’s probably a lot of really funny stories, it’s hard to pinpoint one. With Jayden and I, we always got into kind of mischief. We were always hoarding chocolates and stuff on the set. We filmed this in the winter, during Christmas even, because we were doing a Christmas film- we were going to do it properly. There was a little competition within the departments to see who could decorate their trailer, and we went all out. If you ask him, he will say that he won it, but I had a little Christmas tree- I’m just saying.
You’ve done several films, and you voiced some other characters on animation. From- because you’ve been working as a young age, so what was the difference with this character, because you’re the main character in this film than what you played before? What was any challenges that you had comparing those?
Well every character, no matter how big or small, has its own challenges because they’re all unique, and you have to do the research in order to properly create them. But I would say with Clara, and her being a main role, it follows my character, so I have to make sure that everything is in line. I have to make sure the past is in my head, and I have to make sure I know where she’s going. So with the bigger part, you have to go more in detail to all those things, especially how they relate to every single character in the film.
What was your favorite costume to wear?
I wear quite a few costumes in the film which was really, really fun. They were all handmade- all very, very intricate, which is really amazing. I really love the purple party dress because that one has a bustle- and it’s really fun. Actually I have a couple bustles in the film- I have a proper cage and then I have just a bum pad. It was very beautiful- there’s a lot of detail that went into the costume design, from the tights, to the shoes, to the many skirt layers, and the bodices, and the corset. So I have a very high respect for all of the costumes, and also they have kind of a different character to them, and they kind of go with Clara’s evolution, which I really like.
On performing stunts for the film:
I actually did a lot of stunts and stuff, which was really fun. I did horse training, which was awesome, and I went to this place- it’s called The Devil’s Horseman; they’re film horses, and so they’re proper stunt people. It was really, really cool being with these horses. It’s what you think of the English countryside- that’s what it looked like there. And so it was actually amazing training outside on these beautiful horses. It was crazy.
Every holiday, we have those must-see movies that we have to watch every year. Do you see this film as being one of those traditional holiday movies that families will continue to watch every year?
Well, I definitely hope it is something that people want to see every year. I think the film really captures the spirit of the holiday season- when it starts to be cold, and you just have that joyous feeling. I think it really captures that, and I think it also has elements of the book and the ballet to where if you are older, you have seen it many times, you have that nostalgic feeling. But it also has kind of a new twists and turns, and so it brings in the younger. It brings everyone in together to watch it. So I hope that families like it, and that they go and see it every year.
What advice do you have for young girls that look up to you and want to follow in your footsteps?
I hope they see this film, and I hope they see that Clara is unapologetically herself- that even though she’s this young inventor in her time period, and it wasn’t really socially acceptable, she still- this is who I am. this is what I love to do, and I’m gonna do it. I hope they see that and know you can do that. You can be interested in science, you can be in interested in mechanics, and you can still wear dresses and like those kinds of things.
HOW TO SEE IT:
Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is in theaters RIGHT NOW! You can grab your tickets wherever tickets are sold.
Love this? Don’t miss my post about my experience at the World Premiere of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms and click here to read my full {no spoilers} review!
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