Prime Video’s new thriller, The Girlfriend, kicks off when a protecting mother begins to suspect her son’s new girlfriend isn’t precisely who she says she is. The sequence stars Robin Wright as Laura, a rich lady who turns into satisfied that Cherry (Olivia Cooke), her son Daniel’s (Laurie Davidson) charming girlfriend, is manipulative and harmful, however whether or not she’s proper or not is a part of the stress that retains you watching.
I caught up with casting administrators Lucy Bevan and Olivia Grant, who I beforehand talked with about Masters of the Air, to speak in regards to the very completely different challenges of discovering the proper actors for The Girlfriend. We mentioned how Robin Wright’s twin function as star and director formed the audition course of, how Laurie Davidson and Olivia Cooke introduced such layered performances to their characters, and why an intimate story like this one requires its personal distinctive sort of casting chemistry. This interview has been edited for size and readability. Watch the total dialog within the video above or on our YouTube channel.
I’m going to be trustworthy, my spouse was the one who wished to look at this, and I reluctantly agreed. However after about 20 minutes, I used to be hooked. And the solid is ideal, as common, with you guys. In comparison with the final present we talked about, Masters of the Air, which was so huge and sprawling, that is completely the other. It’s way more intimate.
Lucy Bevan: It’s so true, it’s a extremely good phrase to make use of for it, isn’t it?
It was a extremely completely different problem as a result of the entire present actually type of relied on the chemistry between the leads, between Laura, Cherry, Daniel, and Howard. It was a extra intimate casting course of, definitely.
Does a small solid release your time to seek out actors in a slower means? Versus issues being rushed on an even bigger manufacturing.
Olivia Grant: Nicely, I believe we did the preliminary casting course of earlier than full casting began, which was simply Cherry, Daniel, and Howard. That was very nice to have correct time to place that household unit collectively earlier than we dived into everyone else.
Lucy Bevan: And in addition, one of many variations with Masters is that we have been ready to do this within the room, and Robin was actually eager to fulfill and skim with actors, in order that was an actual delight for us, to work actually intently with Robin studying, notably for each Cherry and Daniel’s components. We learn numerous actors
As an actress herself, it’s fantastic working with administrators who’re so nice with actors and provides such good notes, and so you may actually type of really feel the chemistry within the room, which was so important, notably for the a part of Daniel. And we did all that in-person auditions, which we love doing.
When Laurie got here in and auditioned for the a part of Daniel, he learn superbly with Robin, took all her notes. We auditioned with the swimming scene within the first episode, they usually go within the sauna afterwards, they usually chat. We used that as our auditioning scene, and Robin and Laurie learn that collectively so superbly. She gave Laurie some notes, and he adjusted completely.
After which when he left, it was like, “Yeah, he undoubtedly feels just like the one.”
Speaking about Laurie, he’s so good on this, and so charming. It’s very irritating to me, as a result of I do know I’ll by no means be anyplace close to that kind of appeal. Had you ever auditioned him earlier than?
Olivia Grant: Yeah, we’ve auditioned him many, many instances. We’ve solid him twice earlier than. He’s at all times been so good when he’s come within the room, whether or not he’s obtained the half or not. It’s only a case of whether or not he’s been proper for it or not.
Lucy Bevan: And he’s so intelligent, in addition to being charming, that’s what I actually love about him. You actually consider him as a physician, I believe. You actually consider that he loves his mom, he actually believes that he loves this lady, and also you additionally consider that he’s extremely good. Yeah, it felt like an excellent match.
Olivia Grant: Yeah, he’s additionally simply obtained a extremely good humorousness, and I believe amidst all sort of actually dramatic moments, he has an incredible reward of having the ability simply to make mild of one thing. I believe it additionally makes it extra plausible as to why Daniel doesn’t essentially see how the ladies in his life are working on both facet, as a result of he’s not taking life vastly critically.
I’ve seen Olivia Cooke in a handful of issues now, and he or she’s virtually like a chameleon. I don’t suppose I’ve seen her play the identical character twice. Was she already hooked up to the function while you got here on board?
Lucy Bevan: No. Robin was hooked up once we got here on board, and we solid the remaining with Robin and producer Jonathan Cavendish, the producers of Imaginarium. We recommended Olivia as an concept. Robin and Olivia met and instantly hit it off. Robin may see what a powerhouse Olivia is, and it felt like a really nice match. However yeah, she is a chameleon, completely. She’s sensible.
How is it working side-by-side with Robin? She was an government producer, she directed 3 episodes. How was the collaboration between you guys?
Lucy Bevan: She’s nice enjoyable. And actually type to all of the actors. I hope that each actor that got here within the room and auditioned with us, whether or not they obtained the half or not, had a extremely nice expertise with Robin. She’s so beneficiant to actors, she offers them fantastic notes. She was a delight to work with, very open, very collaborative, I mustn’t overuse that phrase, however she actually was.
She was actually open to concepts. Like, we have been actually eager for there to be variety within the solid as a lot as attainable, and we launched concepts to her that she was extremely open to. She was a pleasure to work with.
This was primarily based on a ebook. Did you guys ever go that unique supply to analysis the characters?
Olivia Grant: Yeah, we did. I believe we correctly did that earlier than we began the method. I believe it was additionally clear that we had, type of, free rein to be as inventive with it as we may. And I believe Robin was open to altering some issues, which was good. I don’t suppose we felt hemmed in essentially by what had been precisely established within the ebook.
Who was the toughest function to solid this time round?
Lucy Bevan: Olivia’s mum was fairly a problem, as a result of she is a extremely vital half. We don’t see her in as many scenes, however Karen Henshorn, who performs that half, was sensible. When she goes toe-to-toe with Robin, I believe you actually really feel the powerhouse of her as a mom from a really completely different background.
Olivia Grant: After which I suppose the opposite half Lucy and I talked rather a lot about was Howard, the husband. Waleed Zueta is such a talented actor, and I believe does rather a lot with what’s on the web page. I believe he’s extremely transferring within the present, and that felt like a troublesome half to get proper, since you’ve obtained to ship anyone that’s as incredible as Robin.
You stated you probably did a read-through. I’ve accomplished a few read-throughs after I’ve been solid in reveals. I don’t know why, but it surely’s probably the most nervous I ever get all through the entire casting course of. Everyone’s there watching you and also you don’t wish to screw something up, you wish to justify why you’re there, ?
Lucy Bevan: They’re actually nerve-wracking, and as with a lot of our job, it’s at all times about making an attempt to make the actors really feel as snug and as welcome as attainable.
And really, one enjoyable factor from that read-through, Marina Bye, who performs Cherry’s work colleague, was so humorous that we went on to solid her in Bridget Jones as Hugh Grant’s nurse.
She was so humorous in that read-through, she was so nice that after that read-through, we thought, “Oh, she’s obtained the boldness to do this half in one other present.”
However, yeah, read-throughs are nerve-wracking. The factor is simply to do your greatest and notice that everybody is simply happy and also you’re completely happy that you simply’re there.