I was invited for an expenses paid trip to LA by Disney to cover the #VeryBadDayEvent and #DisneyInHomeEvent in exchange for my posts of the trip experiences. All opinions are my own.
We sat down with Ed Oxenbould (Alexander), Kerris Dorsey (Emily) & Dylan Minnette (Anthony) for an interview.
I felt so lucky to get to meet these three great actors. They were the sweetest and very fun to talk to. I love how down to earth they all seemed as we chatted with them. The best part of the interview was seeing their bond. You can tell that they genuinely care for each other and that they are really close now because of filming this movie together. They even finished each other’s sentences. I also loved how they seemed to have a really great time while filming this movie.
What was it like to act with Steve? Was he funny everyday and off camera?
Ed: He was– no, he wasn’t fun– no, I’m kidding. He was like the funniest person. He– he could make anything sound fun, anything.
Dylan: It’s effortless. It’s effortless.
Ed: Yeah, it’s like just completely–
Dylan: He can say what he’s having for lunch and you’re just like in tears on the floor.
Ed: Yeah, you could just look at him. And he’ll give you one look. And you will just be in uncontrollable laughter.
Kerris: Yeah, and he’s so smart. He’s such a smart person. I think you have to be that intelligent in order to be that funny because it’s–
Ed: His humor is just so–
Kerris: It’s so witty and so like impeccable. So that was really cool. You can just tell by looking at him, like talking to him that’s he’s just so smart. And the wheels are always turning.
What was everybody’s favorite scene to film?
Ed: I think the party scene.
Dylan: I’ve been saying the party scene.
Kerris: Party scene.
Ed: Yeah, it was really cool.
Kerris: Party scene was so fun.
Dylan: Yeah, 200 people and animals and swimming and music and food.
Kerris: It was so cool. We were there for a long time. So it sort of became like a home to us, you know? So that was so fun. We actually ate the food at one point.
Dylan: I was stealing candy all the time.
Ed: It was poisoned.
Kerris: We were eating. We were dancing.
Dylan: It was poisoned too.
Ed: It was fake.
Dylan: It was plastic candy.
Kerris: It wasn’t real. But it was so good.
How many takes did it require to film the party scenes?
Ed: It took a lot of dancing, a lot of barbequing.
Dylan: Didn’t the party take three days?
Kerris: Yeah, we were at a set out in Newhall for two weeks, and then we did the party like three consecutive nights.
Ed: There was dancing, barbecuing, DJ’ing.
Kerris: But it was actually fun. Like it sounds like it would be–
Ed: It didn’t even feel like we were working.
Kerris: Yeah, we had a party. We were all just dancing, and there’s one shot that we laughed over every time because it’s like– it’s on Jen and Steve. And you can see past us. I don’t know what we’re doing. We’re just like dancing the whole time. It’s like so awkward. But I mean hopefully no one notices it.
Dylan: Now they will. And then it goes directly on us.
Kerris: It focuses on us. And we’re just like, ok, cool, this is happening (laughing).
photo courtesy of Disney
Kerris, in your role in the film, you were sick. I just wondered if you had any good tips for us in case we wanted to take a sick day?
Kerris: I feel like if I ever get sick and sound sick, my parents are gonna be like, no, mm-mm, we know your tricks. It’s all about the voice I’ve found. You really have to sort of like– it’s more like nasally. So it’s like back in your throat and then in your nose. (She switched over to her sick voice, which is excellent btw) So anything like– M’s have to be B-sounding. It’s all about the voice. And then really heavily lidded eyes and then maybe like eyeliner or something underneath your eye.
Dylan: Can you believe her sick voice, though? Every day on set I was like, “how are you doing this?”
Ed: It never faltered.
Ed, what about you? How was it learning an American accent?
Ed: It was pretty hard. But also kind of easy at the same time ’cause I was brought up on American film. Because there’s a lot of American TV, a lot of American film in Australia. So it’s not like it’s a completely different accent. I knew what it was. But it was a little rough around the edges. Actually, it was really bad (he laughs) so I had training. I learned all the little tips and tricks on just to sound authentic.
Kerris: Sometimes I would forget that you (Ed) were Australian. I knew, but I would forget that you have an Australian accent ’cause it (American accent) was so good. It was so impeccable.
What was the hardest scene for each of you to keep your composure in?
Kerris: The car scene.
Ed: Yeah, there was one scene during the car that was completely improvised. Because I would walk around set going brr-brr-brr, just making the stupid noises. And Miguel the director said, “I just want all of you to do it”. And then so we all did it. And Steve started doing it. And you can see in the background everyone’s laughing. It’s so hard to keep a straight face.
Kerris: It was amazing.
Dylan: I’m the only one that didn’t have to do anything in that scene. So–
Kerris: Yeah, but you had to keep a straight face though kind of. So that was all the car scenes ’cause we were in such close quarters. I think we got kind of loopy at one point.
Dylan: Also the scene outside the– the van at the DMV when we were all yelling at each other.
Kerris: Oh my God, yes.
Ed: We spent a whole day filming there.
Kerris: We had to isolate it so that you could hear the sound of everyone so we didn’t have to like go back in post and do it. So Dylan would do his part. And we would all have to mime talking. Then when Steve did his part, literally, I could not– you had to be normal and like yelling at him.
Dylan: He was like yelling at me like about crashing the van, improvising. And I’m off camera. And I feel so bad ’cause I’m near tears on the ground laughing. And he’s still yelling at me on camera not breaking character. It was just so difficult.
Kerris: Oh my God. I just wanted them to like never call cut so we could just keep going. It would’ve been funny for like two more hours, at the least.
photo courtesy of Disney
My question’s for Kerris. How was it filming the scene where you performed as Peter Pan while having too much cough syrup?
Kerris: It was really fun. When I was doing the audition process and I read the script. I was like I can’t wait for this day. And I kept asking everybody like, “When am I filming it?” And they’re like it’ll be the last day. So my last day on set I got to do the flying scene. And it was so much fun ’cause it was a life goal to play Peter Pan. I’ve always wanted to play Peter Pan. I grew up with the Cathy Rigby DVD of Peter Pan. It was so fun. And like to do a twist on Peter Pan, which was that I’m just intoxicated with cough syrup. It’s Peter Pan like you’ve never seen her before. But it was so much fun. I really loved being the harness, and I really like how it turned out.
photo courtesy of Disney
Ed: I was there watching it. I wasn’t even called for set and it was hilarious.
Kerris: (Laughing) probably.
Ed: Everyone was laughing. Yeah.
Kerris: It was really fun. It was a good day.
I liked when you were like throwing the pixie dust.
Kerris: Oh, yeah. There was actually pixie dust in my pocket one time. And I didn’t know it. No one told me.
Ed: That was real pixie dust, by the way.
Kerris: I didn’t know that there was pixie dust in my pocket. And I was like talking to you or something. I was talking to somebody. And I was laughing hysterically.
Ed: And she just pulled it out like it was glitter.
Kerris: All of a sudden like glitter was littering everywhere until he was like, “Kerris, what are you?” I was like oh my God!
Ed: You’re leaking glitter.
Kerris: Just like spewing glitter. It’s like a gift for everyone.
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They also told us the Kerris wrote and performed the song “Best Worst Day” from the soundtrack of the movie. We also learned that Dylan has a band called the Narwhals and they have a song on the soundtrack as well. This is truly a very talented group of kids.
Afterwards we snapped a group photo with them.
Be sure to take your family to see Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day! It opens in theaters everywhere this Friday (10/10)!
Check out this sneak peek at a clip from the movie…
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