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| The Bad Boy Of Narnia - Monterey Herald |
It's
not easy being Edmund in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." Three
of the four Pevensie siblings are brave, heroic and all-around noble in
C.S. Lewis' classic Narnia series. But Edmund causes most of the
problems by taking the side of the evil White Witch.
And, ultimately, he makes the biggest change when he repents.
We wanted to know how 14-year-old Skandar Keynes feels about playing
Edmund in the film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and
the Wardrobe." But we figured the best person to ask the questions
would be someone who's tackled the part, too.
Eric Kielczewski , 16, of Grand Prairie, Texas, played Edmund at
Creative Arts Theatre & School in Arlington, Texas, in April.
Skandar called us from his home in London to answer Eric's e-mailed
questions.
First, however, we had to know how he felt when he got the role:
"I was on the bus going to school, and it was raining. They said they
would call me on Thursday, and it was Friday, so I was down, not
feeling too great. My phone rang, and they said, 'You've got the part!'
They were yelling at me on the bus, 'Turn off your phone, boy!' so I
said, 'Thanks! Bye!' I was cheering inside, though."
ERIC:
What was the hardest part of developing the character of Edmund? For me
it was making the live audience believe I had changed from evil to good
(that and sustaining a British dialect).
SKANDAR:
The emotional scenes were hard. I don't usually cry, and that was a
challenging thing to do. But once I had done it, it was really
rewarding. It is a great feeling doing something that challenges you.
ERIC:
How did you film scenes with Aslan (the lion) since he was CGI
(computer-generated imagery)?
SKANDAR:
I only had one scene with Aslan where I'm nodding at him. I was really
nodding at a rock. In scenes with the other kids, Andrew (Andrew
Adamson, the director) and his assistants would act out Aslan's lines
dressed up in green suits so they could be edited out.
ERIC:
Did you sometimes feel guilty playing such a rotten kid? I wonder if
people on the street will treat you as if you're a spoiled child now
that the movie has been released.
SKANDAR:
I hope not. I think it's fun to play the evil character. Besides, he
gets redeemed.
ERIC:
They say actors are cast because the director sees a part of them in
the character. How are you like Edmund?
SKANDAR:
I could not be denied my mischievous fun on set. Every day I would
sneak up behind our producer and stab him in the stomach. He would jump
up and chase me yelling, "Skandar!" It was so funny. Also, I was
brought in at the last minute. The others had known each other for a
year and a half. I was on edge, I was nervous. That helped me with the
character.
ERIC:
Did everyone in the cast get along, especially the kids who played the
four siblings?
SKANDAR:
We had great fun. I remember Will (William Moseley plays Edmund's older
brother, Peter) saying if one hadn't fit in with the group it would
have been awful.
ERIC:
How long did it take to shoot the film?
SKANDAR:
Six months. We shot it while I was 12, and I turned 13 halfway through
the shoot. I grew 6½ inches. They had to keep re-doing and
re-doing my armor.
ERIC:
How did your friends at school handle you being in the film?
SKANDAR:
I've got one friend that's very excited, and every time we go anywhere
and see this massive billboard of me, he'll say, "Skandar, look, there
you are!" It's a blessing and a curse. I'm thinking of going to school
at 2 in the morning so no one notices me.
ERIC:
What advice would you give young actors like myself on "making it" to
the big screen?
SKANDAR:
Stay with it. I've been up for loads of auditions when I didn't get the
part. Relax, calm down and be yourself. If you don't get a part, it's
not the end of the world. Even after I came back, I went up for six
auditions and everyone decided I didn't look right for the films.
There's a lot of rejection, so be cool with it.
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Narnia
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The
Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian
The
Chronicles of Narnia - LWW
