For the release of the film Artemis Fowl, young actors Ferdia Shaw and Lara McDonnell answered our questions. They evoke a relaxed shoot where they learned a lot.
To wear his film of fantastic adventures Artemis Fowl, Kenneth Branagh has recruited two young Irish actors to live up to the vision of novelist Eoin Colfer. After a long audition process, Ferdia Shaw and Lara McDonnell were chosen for the roles of Artemis Fowl, the 12-year-old crime genius, and Holly Short, the fairy he captures. to enter into communication with the underground world he has just discovered. In a videoconference interview, the two young actors shared their filming anecdotes with Linternaute.com.
Were you a fan of the books before you starred in the movie?
Ferdia Shaw: Yes, we were already fans. That’s why we were very comfortable playing these characters. We added our own lines, Ken regularly gave us the opportunity to give our opinion. It was a chance to get to know the books before working on this project.
Do you remember your first meeting?
Lara McDonnell: I remember it very well. It was my second audition and he his third. We were taken to London, which is where we first met Kenneth Branagh. This is also where I first met Ferdia and knew from the moment I saw him that he was a troublemaker!
Ferdia, you got to play against Colin Farrell. Did he help you on the set?
FS: He’s such an experienced actor that it’s impossible not to notice what he’s doing. Just seeing him play his part helped me. It was always great to watch him play because he’s a great actor.
Of course, you must have done stunts in the movie. How was it ?
FS: I did a lot of stunts with ropes. When there are explosions for example or when I must have fallen from a candlestick for example. I also learned to travel by Onewheel to the Fowl mansion. It’s a twisty road and I had to do it quickly so I had to practice on it.
LM: It was awesome. We worked with a great team of stuntmen who always took care of our safety, which is obviously important when we do something that we have never done before. I was able to learn a lot of new things: gymnastics, self-defense, kickboxing and of course I learned to fly. I have to say it was pretty cool!
Carrying around with all this rope paraphernalia must have been difficult …
LM: A little because I had not yet had this experience. But once you get comfortable with the equipment, like I used to do almost every day, it almost becomes second nature.
What was the atmosphere like on set?
LM: We had a lot of fun because the team made sure we were very comfortable on the set. The movie is very funny and the characters, especially Holly and Artemis, are lively which allowed us to joke around on set. And when the cameras weren’t rolling, we had a lot of fun but never during the tutoring sessions, we were always very focused during the tutoring!
FS: (smiles) Yeah, we were super focused!
I smell like a little bit of irony!
LM: A tiny bit !
Were you able to keep a prop from the film?
FS: I kept my Onewheel! Well, I entered a gate with it so it is quietly waiting to be able to be repaired but it was very nice the first days!
LM: If you pay attention to the costumes in the film, you will see that the FARfadets costume has a little green earpiece, I kept one that I stashed somewhere where no one can find it.
