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Oct. 12th, 2009 09:39 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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hogwartsishomeOne of the best things about my uni is the Union. Every week they have a guest speaker who comes to do a Q&A session for anyone who’s interested. This week, they had Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge, if any of you don’t know).
First things first, she is tiny. And I mean, really, really short. The camera makes her look taller, I’m not kidding. I don’t think it helped that she was standing next to her husband Jim Carter who is huge – together they made a very comedic little-n-large duo.
Secondly, she’s hilarious and lovely. She was very down to earth, talked as much about things she thought she’d been crap in as much as the things she’s proud of, and was open to any and all questions we had.
Of course, the bit you care about is ‘what did she say?’. Well, this being Cambridge, there were a fair number of ‘how strongly do you feel that acting is a reflection on society, and of what relevance is theatre in the electronic age’ questions as well as less high brow ones. Imelda dealt with them all exceedingly well, not batting an eyelid. (For those of you that care, she said that acting and performance is a key part of society that brings us together, and something that we have always valued, citing how Roman amphitheatres and arenas were always the centre of towns, and then that theatre is still exceedingly relevant as the most powerful performances are those with an audience, that theatre is a whole different level of intensity than a film can be).
But what I asked was about her turning down Harry Potter (as I knew she had done so before being offered Dolores Umbridge). She told me that she’d originally auditioned way back before PS for Molly Weasley, but had been asked instead to play Mme Hooch. She turned them down, citing a very one dimensional character. Apparently, they then approached her again to play the exploding Aunt in PoA(?) – Aunt Marge, but she wasn’t interested, having another part. Of course, we all know which part she finally did accept.
She also had some very funny stories about CGI acting, with regards to the scene where she is chased by the Weasleys’ firework dragon. Apparently, the camera was simply mounted on to a wire at the top of one end of the hall, and then released to zip down the wire to the bottom at the other end. Imelda was told to run, and to ‘just duck out of the way if it gets too close’. She says the scenes were terrifying to film, as this thing rushed towards her and she had to run away in her heels, all the while looking back over her shoulder rather than where she was going!
She also talked a lot about her other work, but says she doesn’t mind that although its not her best piece in her mind, people only associate her with the HP franchise. So long as people are talking about her, she says, it pays the mortgage.
Like I say, she talked a lot about her other work, but I think I’ve mentioned everything HP related and interesting.
To the Hufflepuffs, you didn’t see me here tonight! I’m still on hiatus, but thought this was Relevant To Your Interests enough to break cover (okay, and to avoid the huge pile of work)
First things first, she is tiny. And I mean, really, really short. The camera makes her look taller, I’m not kidding. I don’t think it helped that she was standing next to her husband Jim Carter who is huge – together they made a very comedic little-n-large duo.
Secondly, she’s hilarious and lovely. She was very down to earth, talked as much about things she thought she’d been crap in as much as the things she’s proud of, and was open to any and all questions we had.
Of course, the bit you care about is ‘what did she say?’. Well, this being Cambridge, there were a fair number of ‘how strongly do you feel that acting is a reflection on society, and of what relevance is theatre in the electronic age’ questions as well as less high brow ones. Imelda dealt with them all exceedingly well, not batting an eyelid. (For those of you that care, she said that acting and performance is a key part of society that brings us together, and something that we have always valued, citing how Roman amphitheatres and arenas were always the centre of towns, and then that theatre is still exceedingly relevant as the most powerful performances are those with an audience, that theatre is a whole different level of intensity than a film can be).
But what I asked was about her turning down Harry Potter (as I knew she had done so before being offered Dolores Umbridge). She told me that she’d originally auditioned way back before PS for Molly Weasley, but had been asked instead to play Mme Hooch. She turned them down, citing a very one dimensional character. Apparently, they then approached her again to play the exploding Aunt in PoA(?) – Aunt Marge, but she wasn’t interested, having another part. Of course, we all know which part she finally did accept.
She also had some very funny stories about CGI acting, with regards to the scene where she is chased by the Weasleys’ firework dragon. Apparently, the camera was simply mounted on to a wire at the top of one end of the hall, and then released to zip down the wire to the bottom at the other end. Imelda was told to run, and to ‘just duck out of the way if it gets too close’. She says the scenes were terrifying to film, as this thing rushed towards her and she had to run away in her heels, all the while looking back over her shoulder rather than where she was going!
She also talked a lot about her other work, but says she doesn’t mind that although its not her best piece in her mind, people only associate her with the HP franchise. So long as people are talking about her, she says, it pays the mortgage.
Like I say, she talked a lot about her other work, but I think I’ve mentioned everything HP related and interesting.
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Date: 2009-10-12 09:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-12 09:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-12 09:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-12 10:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-13 01:40 am (UTC)She says the scenes were terrifying to film, as this thing rushed towards her and she had to run away in her heels, all the while looking back over her shoulder rather than where she was going!
That does sound terrifying! Knowing how I am in heels, I'd have either fallen flat on my face or run too slowly and been whacked by the camera. I hope they didn't have to do too many takes of that, oh my.
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Date: 2009-10-13 03:36 am (UTC)I have caught only two of Imelda Staunton's other works. "David Copperfield" (1999 film) & "Nanny McPhee".
She must be an excellent actress cos I really hate her character in Order of the Phoenix, and she is totally the opposite in real life.
Thanks for sharing :D