Post by Lucy on Apr 27, 2010 22:27:22 GMT
Gayle MacDonald
Globe and Mail Update
Published on Thursday, Apr. 22, 2010 10:03PM EDT
Last updated on Thursday, Apr. 22, 2010 10:07PM EDT
.ABC’s new mystery thriller Happy Town, debuting on Canada’s A channel next Wednesday, is advertised as anything but cheery. And it’s precisely the perversity and the multitude of twists in the eight-part series that delights Toronto actor and dancer Sarah Gadon, who landed a leading role after sending an audition tape down to Los Angeles.
“I’m naturally drawn to characters who are complicated and difficult to figure out,” says the 23-year-old film student at the University of Toronto, who plays Georgia, a young woman with a dark past and dreary future.
Though never short of work – she’s had guest appearances in Canadian dramas such as The Border, Being Erica and Murdoch Mysteries – Happy Town marks the first time Gadon has landed a regular part in a series. And the former student at the National Ballet School just boosted her career another notch when acclaimed director Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot) picked her to appear in his next film Dream House, a psychological thriller starring Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts and Rachel Weisz shooting in Toronto.
Gadon said she goes to the film set every day pinching herself. And she loves the fact she’s once again playing a dark, ballsy chick – this time one who gets to mess with the man who plays 007.
How did you get involved in Happy Town?
It was a year and a half ago, and my casting director in Toronto had me send a tape to L.A. So off it went into the great abyss – where you just sit back and hope someone actually watches it. A few weeks later, I got the call that I was getting an audition. So I went online, paid $20 for the script, and immersed myself in the entire concept of the character. Thankfully, it worked.
Can you tell us a little bit about the show?
There is only so much I can say since they are keeping a lot of the plot under wraps. But basically I play this small-town girl from the wrong side of the tracks, dealing with this crummy hand she’s been dealt. Her dad is a struggling drug addict, and she has no mother or siblings. She babysits for the Conroy family and they become her surrogate family in a way. The show is interesting to me because every character is struggling on some level, and they are not what they seem. I’m always drawn to shows that have more than one storyline. And I love this show because of the elements of mystery, intrigue and surprise.
You co-starred in Canadian Reginald Harkema’s Leslie, My Name is Evil, which debuted at the last Toronto International Film Festival. Did you hesitate to sign up for an incendiary film that focuses on the murder trial of Charles Manson and his followers?
I play a character based on [former Manson family member] Linda Kasabian. Sure, it’s a heavy topic, but Reg’s film is also a comedy, albeit uncomfortable at times. As a filmmaker, Reg is so down to earth, open and passionate. I had to do the film. He puts no pressure on his actors. And I view working in independent films as a great prepping ground for the frenzied pace you have to get used to in series TV.
What is it like working with a director of Sheridan’s stature as well as the dreamy James Bond star?
Well, I play a gothic punk kid who, quite simply, is not nice – not a good kid at all. And I hang around Daniel’s house, causing him nothing but trouble. Daniel is obviously an accomplished talent and he’s exceedingly generous to work with. Working with Jim Sheridan is an amazing process. He has a very specific process that he puts actors through. Jim is not at all married to the text – he likes to improvise and he encourages his actors to do so. He pushes you as an actor to get to a place that’s very honest. And it has nothing to do with words, but rather how it’s going to make you feel in that scene. He really breaks you down in a scene, and he does it to everyone, even Daniel Craig.
What are your plans after Dream House wraps the end of this month?
I’m a part-time student and a full-time actress. And I love the fact that I can do both. We’ve been shooting Dream House while I’ve been writing my school exams, so it’s been a little exhausting. But my parents have always stressed a balance between acting and school. So, for now, that balance is what I’m aiming for.
www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/a-villainous-bond-girl-and-part-time-student/article1543900/
Globe and Mail Update
Published on Thursday, Apr. 22, 2010 10:03PM EDT
Last updated on Thursday, Apr. 22, 2010 10:07PM EDT
.ABC’s new mystery thriller Happy Town, debuting on Canada’s A channel next Wednesday, is advertised as anything but cheery. And it’s precisely the perversity and the multitude of twists in the eight-part series that delights Toronto actor and dancer Sarah Gadon, who landed a leading role after sending an audition tape down to Los Angeles.
“I’m naturally drawn to characters who are complicated and difficult to figure out,” says the 23-year-old film student at the University of Toronto, who plays Georgia, a young woman with a dark past and dreary future.
Though never short of work – she’s had guest appearances in Canadian dramas such as The Border, Being Erica and Murdoch Mysteries – Happy Town marks the first time Gadon has landed a regular part in a series. And the former student at the National Ballet School just boosted her career another notch when acclaimed director Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot) picked her to appear in his next film Dream House, a psychological thriller starring Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts and Rachel Weisz shooting in Toronto.
Gadon said she goes to the film set every day pinching herself. And she loves the fact she’s once again playing a dark, ballsy chick – this time one who gets to mess with the man who plays 007.
How did you get involved in Happy Town?
It was a year and a half ago, and my casting director in Toronto had me send a tape to L.A. So off it went into the great abyss – where you just sit back and hope someone actually watches it. A few weeks later, I got the call that I was getting an audition. So I went online, paid $20 for the script, and immersed myself in the entire concept of the character. Thankfully, it worked.
Can you tell us a little bit about the show?
There is only so much I can say since they are keeping a lot of the plot under wraps. But basically I play this small-town girl from the wrong side of the tracks, dealing with this crummy hand she’s been dealt. Her dad is a struggling drug addict, and she has no mother or siblings. She babysits for the Conroy family and they become her surrogate family in a way. The show is interesting to me because every character is struggling on some level, and they are not what they seem. I’m always drawn to shows that have more than one storyline. And I love this show because of the elements of mystery, intrigue and surprise.
You co-starred in Canadian Reginald Harkema’s Leslie, My Name is Evil, which debuted at the last Toronto International Film Festival. Did you hesitate to sign up for an incendiary film that focuses on the murder trial of Charles Manson and his followers?
I play a character based on [former Manson family member] Linda Kasabian. Sure, it’s a heavy topic, but Reg’s film is also a comedy, albeit uncomfortable at times. As a filmmaker, Reg is so down to earth, open and passionate. I had to do the film. He puts no pressure on his actors. And I view working in independent films as a great prepping ground for the frenzied pace you have to get used to in series TV.
What is it like working with a director of Sheridan’s stature as well as the dreamy James Bond star?
Well, I play a gothic punk kid who, quite simply, is not nice – not a good kid at all. And I hang around Daniel’s house, causing him nothing but trouble. Daniel is obviously an accomplished talent and he’s exceedingly generous to work with. Working with Jim Sheridan is an amazing process. He has a very specific process that he puts actors through. Jim is not at all married to the text – he likes to improvise and he encourages his actors to do so. He pushes you as an actor to get to a place that’s very honest. And it has nothing to do with words, but rather how it’s going to make you feel in that scene. He really breaks you down in a scene, and he does it to everyone, even Daniel Craig.
What are your plans after Dream House wraps the end of this month?
I’m a part-time student and a full-time actress. And I love the fact that I can do both. We’ve been shooting Dream House while I’ve been writing my school exams, so it’s been a little exhausting. But my parents have always stressed a balance between acting and school. So, for now, that balance is what I’m aiming for.
www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/a-villainous-bond-girl-and-part-time-student/article1543900/
