I was invited on an all expenses paid trip to cover #DisneysNutcrackerEvent. All opinions are my own.
Mackenzie Foy is such a talented actress. I loved her in the conjuring and think she is wonderful in Disney’s THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS (Now Playing!). We had the chance to sit down with her to talk about her role as Clara in the movie. I was delighted by how eloquent and poised she was.
How does it feel to be a classical holiday character now?
It’s really fun. What’s beautiful about the Nutcracker that it’s such a beloved story throughout many, many years, so it’s really, really, really fun to be able to play a character that so many people all over the world can relate to and have kinda like this childhood connection from seeing the ballet when they were young, and I think that’s really important to be able to do.
Could you tell me what was your favorite costume to wear?
I wear quite a few costumes in the film which was really, really fun. They were all handmade- all very, very intricate, which is really amazing. But I really love the purple party dress because that one has a bustle- and it’s really fun. It was very beautiful, there’s a lot of detail that went into the costume design, from the tights, to the shoes, to the many skirt layers, and the bodices, and the corset. So I have a very high respect for all of the costumes, and also they have kind of a different character to them, and they kind of go with Clara’s evolution, which I really like.
What was it like to get the call that you were going to be Clara with the movie?
It was really exciting. So I was actually in the shower and doing my hair when my mom ran in, and she was like, “the director’s on the phone”. I was like, “oh my gosh, okay”, and so I put a towel on, and I answered and the director was like, “would you be our Clara?” I was like, “oh my goodness, yes. Thank you so much”. And he’s like, “all right, see you in a couple weeks”.
What was it like working with Morgan Freeman? He seems like a father figure, so what was that like?
He’s a really nice guy. He’s very joyous and has a very fun sense of humor, so it was really fun just getting to know him and getting to talk to him, and seeing what he was like.
The cast is amazing. Do you have any funny stories from filming that you can tell us?
Oooh, I feel like there’s probably a lot of really funny stories. Um, I don’t know, it’s hard to pinpoint one. With Jayden and I, we always got into kind of mischief. We were always, like, hoarding chocolates and stuff on the set and so that was pretty fun. And what was really fun because we filmed this in the following winter during Christmas, because we were doing a Christmas film. We were gonna do it properly. There was a little competition within the departments to see who could decorate their trailer, and we went, like, all out. And so even Jayden and I, and our teachers, because we shared a schoolroom- divided and try to decorate and outdo each other and it was really fun. If you ask him, he will say that he won it, but I had a little Christmas tree- I’m just saying.
Now that you’re in a Disney movie, what are some of your favorite Disney movies?
Cinderella’s my favorite. I also really like Atlantis.
Do you think this movie will be one family’s watch every year?
I think the film really captures the spirit of the holiday season, you know when it starts to be cold, and you just have that joyous feeling. I think it really captures that, and I think it also has elements of the book and the ballet to where if you are older, you have seen it many times, you have that nostalgic feeling, but it also has kind of new twists and turns, and so it kinda brings in the younger. It kinda brings everyone in together to watch it. So I hope that families like it, and that they watch it every year.
So you have a big birthday coming up in a couple of weeks. Do you have any special plans?
I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ll just hang out with my family, and maybe even go to Disneyland because I love going to Disneyland. Yeah, it’s always fun, so I might do that. Or I might go to a bookstore with my friend because we both love books.
Did you get to do any improvising or- add what you thought should be changed?
It’s kind of hard- sometimes we would, but sometimes we wouldn’t; it just depended on the context of the scene. Can I change it up a little bit? But it varies on what you’re doing in the scene and how much improvisation you can do.
Do you have any holiday traditions?
Making cookies with my family on Christmas Eve.
What advice do you have for young girls that look up to you and wanna follow in your footsteps?
And as for young girls, I hope they see this film, and I hope they see that Clara is unapologetically herself- that even though she’s this young inventor in her time period, it wasn’t really you know, socially acceptable, but she still- this is who I am. This is what I love to do, and I’m gonna do it, and I hope they see that and know you can do that. You can be interested in science, you can be in interested in mechanics, and you can still wear dresses and like those kinds of things.
Is there a role you’ve played over the years that has helped you grow the most as an actress?
Um, well, with the films that I’ve done, and the characters that I’ve played, they’ve all been different genres and all have been different characters. So every one I have learned something new, so I’d say all of the parts and all the films that I have worked on have helped me grow and learn new things.
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She was such a lovely young lady and it was truly a pleasure to meet her. She was sweet to take a group photo with us.
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS is Now Playing in theaters!
Watch the trailer…
For even more Nutcracker…
Free Printable Nutcracker Activity and Coloring Sheets.
Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms Movie Review.
My magical experience at the Nutcracker World Premiere.
“All Clara (Mackenzie Foy) wants is a key – a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box that holds a priceless gift. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather Drosselmeyer’s (Morgan Freeman) annual holiday party, leads her to the coveted key—which promptly disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. It’s there that Clara encounters a soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), a gang of mice and the regents who preside over three Realms: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets. Clara and Phillip must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren), to retrieve Clara’s key and hopefully return harmony to the unstable world. Starring Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Disney’s new holiday feature film “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston, and inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s classic tale.”
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