‘Les Miserables’: Hathaway, Seyfried dedicated to singing
“Les Miserables†director Tom Hooper never wavered in his bold decision to have all his actors sing live during shooting. (Most movie musicals have the actors lip-syncing to pre-recorded tracks.) Rather, Hooper was encouraged by the dedication each of his actors gave to their parts -- and their songs.
During the Envelope Screening Series featuring the cast and director of “Les Mis,†Hooper explained the lengths his actors went to for the roles.
Anne Hathaway, who plays Fantine in the musical, trained for six months before they started shooting, mastering the task of hitting the notes while keeping her face relaxed. Eddie Redmayne reinvented his song “Empty Chairs and Empty Tables†from how it had been sung for the past 26 years on stage.
And though it was a challenge, the actors didn’t miss the lack of dialogue in the script.
Amanda Seyfried, who plays Cossette, says the songs she sang were so embedded in her, that she was practically addicted to “Les Mis.â€
“I hope this opens a lot of doors for film musicals,†said the actress, who previously starred in the musical “Mamma Mia.†“It’s another level of emoting for actors. It’s super-satisfying.â€
To hear more and to learn about the crucial changes made to Hathaway’s role from the stage to the screen, take a look at the video above.
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Envelope Screening Series--full videos
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