Most people know her as Sleeping Beauty from Disney’s animated film Sleeping Beauty. What I like about our film is that you get to know her more because in the animated movie, she’s just this pretty girl who is asleep most of the time. In our film you get to see her have different emotions and really get the essence of her. I love how she’s very free spirited, and since she has been kept away from normal life, she’s very open to things and innocent.
How did you become involved with this filmIJ
Without reading the script, I went in and I met with Rob Stromberg, linda Woolverton and Joe Roth and in that first meeting they told me about the story, and that I would be playing Sleeping Beauty, which is like a dream come true for every girl in the whole world — a Disney princess. We got along very well in the meeting and they gave me the script to take home and read.
How did you want to approach this characterIJ
I feel that because she’s so beloved by so many that I wanted to try to do her justice in that way because she’s such an iconic character and I was hoping that I could bring the essence of her. Before we started filming the movie, I watched the animated movie again, just to see if I could pick up on any little mannerisms that she did while she’s in the forest, and when she brought those little princess elements. I wanted to make her have those elements but also make her a real person, not just an animated character.
Who is MaleficentIJ
You think of Maleficent as the evil fairy with the horns and all that. We definitely have that. There’s no one better to play Maleficent than Angelina Jolie. She is just so perfect; the way she looks, and everything. Maleficent is such a strong character and when I watched the animated movie I never really was super scared of her. I always thought that she was so elegant and had that angular beauty, so I was always intrigued with her. So, we have that part of her as well. Yes, she’s strong and powerful, but you want to watch her the whole time because there is more to her than you knew.
What do you think Aurora represents in this movieIJ
She exudes lightness and it’s so great in our movie that we have the dark and the light, total opposites, because they work so well together, like opposites attract in a way. Aurora is a very happy girl, but she experiences some things in the movie that are pretty sad. When you think about it, she’s just been growing up in this cottage with what she thinks are her three aunts, but who are actually pixies. She’s been told that she doesn’t have a mom and dad and talking about that subject is not allowed. You could feel sad for Aurora because she’s been locked away from the real world her whole life. later on in the story she discovers her life and where she has come from. It’s hard for her when she does have to hear that people have been keeping secrets from her for 16 years.
Who is King StefanIJ
King Stefan is Aurora’s dad, which she does not know about until later on. In the beginning of the film, you get to see his character from when he’s young and follow his journey. You get to see why he becomes so evil, and why Maleficent becomes so evil. later on Aurora does get to meet him and discovers that he is her father. Aurora doesn’t get the reaction that she wants from him
What prompts Aurora to leave and go find her fatherIJ
A lot happens when Aurora becomes a teen. The pixies reveal that she does have a father, which is a shock. They also reveal that she has been cursed, which is pretty hard for Aurora to take, so she goes off to the castle to find her father.
Tell us about working with Angelina Jolie.
It’s really been amazing. I remember meeting her for the first time in london. We were doing hair tests and makeup tests, the whole thing, and we were at Pinewood Studios. I turned the corner and there was Angelina. I had never met her before, and she gave me a big hug. She said we were just going to have so much fun together. And we did have a lot of fun. It's been great.
Tell us about the first time you saw her in full Maleficent costume.
I came on set one day and Angelina was there, filming another scene. She had her contacts in, her horns on and prosthetics. I didn’t know what her look was going to look like, so it took me a second to take it all in. It was very dramatic.
How has it been working with director Robert StrombergIJ
Robert’s just been so nice to me; we've had a great time. He’s very funny. He likes to get in there. If a tree branch isn’t in the right place he’ll go up and move it around and make sure that it looks right in the frame. I think that’s great.
