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Every director takes their own unique path in their pursuit of transforming an idea into a movie. Christopher Nolan tends to limit or avoid the use of computer-generated imagery for his films, and Martin Scorsese prefers to focus on human beings conveying their emotional and psychological experiences.
Similarly, Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos is known for putting the spotlight on thought-provoking, psychological thrillers and dark comedies. Another thing that makes Lanthimos stand out from other directors is his penchant to make his actors go through bizarre auditions.
For his drama comedyThe Favourite, he had Emma Stone pant like she was giving birth throughout the lines. Considering Stone’s character is not pregnant and seldom pants in the movie, it’s tough to get a gist of Lanthimos’ thought process. And the actress wasn’t the only cast member who endured a very different type of experience during the audition.
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What Nicholas Hoult Had to Do During the Audition for Emma Stone Movie
Yorgos Lanthimos’sThe Favouritemostly revolves aroundEmma Stone‘s Abigail and Rachel Weisz’s Sarah Churchill. After Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) of England falls sick, Sarah governs the country in her place. But things quickly change after Sarah takes Abigail under her wing, providing the latter the opportunity to get closer to the queen.
As Sarah and Abigail struggle to win over Queen Anne’s (Olivia Colman) affection and favor, another character makes his mark with his cynical agenda in the period black comedy.
Nicholas Houltportrays Robert Harley, Leader of the Opposition, who piles on the pressure in parliament to get the results he wants politically. To get cast in the movie, Hoult underwent a bizarre and seemingly unrelated – with regard to the movie’s plot – audition. He told (viaUSA Today):
“Yorgos asked me to hum while the person I was with said their lines. Then I had to imagine force fields around the room and sculpt them into things.”
The strange process continued in the rehearsals as well. According toThe New York Times, the cast were involved in games, including tying themselves in knots and jumping from carpet tile to carpet tile, for three weeks.
Read more:“He has this face which is so intense”: Nicholas Hoult Feared ‘The Flash’ Star Michael Shannon Loathed Him When They First Met
How Yorgos Lanthimos Flipped the Script for Nicholas Hoult’s Character in Emma Stone Movie
Hoult also had a very unique experience during the filming ofThe Favourite.
While Stone and Weisz’s characters appear on screen without makeup for the most part, the 33-year-old portrayed Harley with very heavy makeup, wigs, and high heels in Lanthimos’ movie. Hoult insisted (viaYahoo Movies UK):
“I definitely understand the pain that heels cause now.That’s real. Sandy Powell, the costume designer, would make me walk up and down. She was like ‘you’re able to’t walk how you walk’, so I had to try and glide a little.”
Lanthimos’ unorthodox style might make inexperienced actors nervous, but it worked wonders this time, withThe Favouriteearning a remarkable 10 Oscar nominations in 2019. Colman won the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. It’d certainly be interesting to know what the acclaimed filmmaker made her do during the audition.
Read more:“I’m drawn to people who are broken”: Angelina Jolie, Who Cut Herself During S*x, Found Solace With Nicholas Hoult to Get Over Brad Pitt
Source:USA Today,The New York Times,Yahoo Movies UK
Vishal Singh
Articles Published :513
Vishal Singh is a Content Writer at FandomWire. Having spent more than half a decade in the digital media space, Vishal specializes in crafting engaging entertainment- and sports-focused stories. He graduated from university with an honors degree in English Literature.
