Raffey Cassidy stars in Disney’s Tomorrowland and she just blew me away. She’s been acting for just 6 years and only 12 while filming Tomorrowland, Raffey is a young lady that is taking her talent very seriously and could very well be Hollywood’s next big actress. With memorizing blue eyes that draw you into her and acting skills that I haven’t seen on a child actress since Dakota Fanning, Raffey is truly a breath of fresh air and I feel steals every scene from her co-stars, George Clooney and Britt Robertson.
Even being obviously very smart and poised for such a young girl. I think one of the things I enjoyed most about her interview was how unassuming she seemed to be. She is obviously loving every minute of her well deserved spotlight, and with critics talking about how amazing she is in this film, I have to say, I totally agree. She, George and Britt are what makes this movie so fun to watch. Their onscreen chemistry is fantastic. Take a look at all she had to share about working on Tomorrowland. And while you read it, do your best to hear her sweet little English accent when you do. It makes her that much more adorable.
Raffey Cassidy of Tomorrowland: Hollywood’s Next Big Thing
You’re adorable and a fantastic actress, what got you into acting at such a young age?
Um, well my brother went for an audition, and then they kind of asked me if I wanted to have a go at that. So I had to go and then in kind of started from there.
So how did you get involved in this movie?
I just went up for like an audition, but it was a self-tape at home and then I went to London to do another screen test. And then I went to America to do another screen test. And then I found out that I got the part.
Do you remember the first scene you shot?
It was in the world’s fair when, um, I was watching young Frank get, I think it was getting on the bus.
Which was your favorite scene to shoot?
My favorite scene to shoot was probably the blast from the past sequence. I really liked that ’cause, I mean, it was a lot of action in it.
What was your take away from the movie?
That everybody should be very optimistic and feel that there’s a way around situations if they’re in a bad situation. There’s always a bright side.
Tell us about playing the character Athena.
I love how wise she is, like she’s like an old soul inside of a young body. I kind of had to create a background for Athena, because she didn’t really have one, which was fun because that was something that I created for Athena. She has so many different qualities. She’s optimistic. She’s intelligent. She’s wise, and I just kind of put all of those together, and I always had an image in my head for a scene, so it was never just go in cold into it and trying to create one in my head. I always had an image that would just help me and I’d always be able to think of to get me through this.
Tell us about that blue dress.
I loved it! If you look closely, that was actually algorithms in, in algebra.
You had a lot of action scenes where you had to do martial arts. Did you have to do some training?
Yeah, I trained for two months in gymnastics and martial arts, and then I went to Canada and did another month of martial arts and a bit of gymnastics. And then I did throughout filming, I did another couple of days every week or so.
George was talking about your scene about you driving the truck. So what were your feelings on driving the truck and learning to do all that?
Well I really enjoyed it. It was so fun ’cause they actually taught me how to drive and there was a scene where I had to like go down a ramp and then stop. I think really I started to get a little too confident, and I got too close and Britt just went stop (in a tiny voice), because it got so close. (laughing)
How was it working with George? Did you know of him before?
Well I’d seen the Descendants and I really, really liked it. And George is just so down to earth and normal and I learned so much from him. And he’s so professional but really fun at the same time.
Did you get to spend a lot of time with young George, or young Frank?
Um, yes I did. It was kind of more towards the start of filming but his scenes were separated out. So he was there during the whole filming process, so I got to see quite a lot of him, because most of my scenes were with young Frank, or Frank.
So you have a big role in this movie. What was it like for you the first time it all put together?
I was just so shocked. It was like wow, and they put it so well together, ’cause there was never a scene when I was thinking wow, this was dragging on a bit. By the end of the film, it was like oh, my God. It can’t be over yet. (laughing)
What traits of Athena do you see in yourself? I mean, I know she’s a robot, but…
Well, if I had to choose something, it would probably be optimism, because I think that I feel that I’m quite optimistic and always look on the bright side of a bad situation.
Because of your age, you are the future. So when you were filming this film, did you look at it and say okay, this may be how the future’s gonna be, whether its certain aspects that you thought no, not too much? I mean, did it seem like it flowed for you for what may happen?
Yeah, I mean, there was so much technology in the actual Tomorrowland and I think that that’s how it’s going to be in, I don’t know, 60 years’ time or something. So, I think that will be what the future.
If there was something from Tomorrowland that you could use now, what would it be?
The jet packs.
What was your hardest scene to film in the movie?
My hardest scene would probably be my end scene, I mean, that was a lot of lines, but once I’ve learned them, it just flowed, and George had a lot of eye contact with me, so it’s so easy to perform and it would have been hard if George wasn’t so good. But yeah, it was easy ’cause he was just so professional and kept eye contact the whole time.
It’s amazing that you’re so young and have such insight. Do you feel like the movie changed how you view the world now and the future? Did it make you more optimistic?
Oh, yeah, so much more optimistic and it now makes me think about like even talking about it now makes me think about the future now and how optimistic we can all be and how we can make it what we want.
Do you feel like it gave you personally more of a voice to want do stand up and try and make a change?
Yeah, yeah, definitely. It makes you think oh, well, maybe I can make a difference in the world.
So, do you consider yourself part of the group of dreamers that you’re seeking out to find?
Well, I hope I’m a dreamer, yeah. I mean, yeah, I hope so.
So, have you been to Disneyland’s Tomorrowland?
Yes, I loved Space Mountain. It was my first time there ’cause we were filming, so I got to go then.
Did you find it challenging at all to portray emotions but also remain kind of stoic a little bit with your character, since she’s a robot?
Well, Athena that didn’t really want to show any emotion ’cause she seemed, always alert and she always just wants to attack people. So, I found that she would never want to show emotion, but maybe sometime she wanted to show that she did care and did and was doing something to protect them.
And so off camera, were there moments where you also had to play your mom role?
Definitely. (laughing)
George seems like a big kid, you know. Was he like that a lot off set?
Yeah, he played some funny jokes and yeah. There was this one time kind of towards the start of the shoot when we pulled upon a black monorail and the doors would open, and the camera would be there watching us. So George thought I would be funny if we all ran to the side of the monorail and the doors would open and nobody would be there. So we did it, and everybody went wait, where they all gone? (laughing)
Do you see yourself staying with acting, or do you want to pursue something else?
At the moment, I mean, I’m so grateful for what I am doing. I’m definitely so grateful for what I’ve had the chance to do and everything, and maybe I’ll carry on doing this. Yeah. At the moment, I want to go into it. I might change my mind.
So how long were your work days?
I’d probably get picked up at maybe 6 or 6:30, and then I’d finish it around about 5, yeah. I never wanted to go home.
So who were your role models, like the people that you look up to and maybe inspired like your acting career?
I think that Britt Robertson, I think, she’s, she’s somebody to look up to and admire because she’s just, she’s like an old person and she’s so young but she’s done so much and, she’s just so kind and I really, really like her.
You can read interviews with George as well as Britt, Director Brad Bird and more by visiting my Disney tabs.
TOMORROWLAND is in theaters now!
https://www.facebook.com/DisneyTomorrowland
https://twitter.com/DisneyPictures (#Tomorrowland)
http://disneystudios.tumblr.com/
www.Disney.com/Tomorrowland
*I was invited by Disney to cover the Tomorrowland Event. All opinions are my own.
Read more
- You Have to Remember – 9/11, 20 Years Later - September 11, 2021
- Creating the Perfect Look with a Maxi Dress - October 20, 2020
- Brand Better Giveaway - October 6, 2020
I know Curtis personnally I have worked with him for years and he is a hard working responsible MAN. This woman should be sued for deformation of his good name. Is women like these who does make good men look bad why she aint say what she did no you will never hear her side. Curtis bro you have my support. I’m not saying there are no dead beat dads acutually I know one right now who does not maintain his kids because I’m their step father this is the man who should be here not Curtis.