As Paul King’s latest adaptation of Willy Wonka, ‘Wonka‘, releases in UAE cinemas today (December 14th), we spoke to one of the youngest talents in the movie – Calah Lane. Her role alongside Timothée Chalamet’s Willy Wonka involves being his assistant throughout his eccentric chocolatier journey, and although we won’t give too many spoilers on what to expect in the movie, the pair make a ~sweet~ duo. Pun intended.
Calah Lane began her acting journey at the age of four in a stage production in Broadway Dallas and has gradually been building her portfolio with some *seriously* impressive roles. From featuring in ‘The Last of Us‘ to ‘The Day Shall Come‘, it’s no wonder that this now-fourteen-year-old has landed a party in the major motion picture film ‘Wonka‘.
Via @calahlane on Instagram
She’s even recently been nominated for Best Young Actress for the Critics Choice Awards (!!) We had the chance to chat with the rising star on all things ‘Wonka‘, as well as her experience on set with some of these huge actors. Scroll down below to find out more.
Read our interview with ‘Wonka’s’ Calah Lane below…
Cosmo ME: So to start, what did you think when you read the script?
Calah Lane: I loved the script. When I first read my audition piece, I had no idea that it was for Wonka. I think I was at the screen test, and my mom read it and she was like, “Oh, there’s ‘chocolate’ in here.” And then it said something about ‘Willy’ and it was like, “Oh, this has to be Willy Wonka.” That’s how we figured it out.
Cosmo ME: Tell us about your character. Who is Noodle? What’s going on, and why does she agree to help this wacky guy?
Calah Lane: In the story, she’s an orphan, and when Willy comes along, she just needs a friend basically. When he asks her to help him, she’s just like, “Okay, well, maybe if I have a friend now, I can finally do something and be happy.” That’s how she kind of gets into all of it.
Cosmo ME: We can’t think of any better job in the world than working with Timothée Chalamet. Can you tell us what it’s like to work with him?
Calah Lane: He’s really fun on set. We had jokes and played around a lot, not unprofessionally, but we had such a fun time on set. He would help me with different things and we would give each other high-fives all the time. We did the thriller dance once, and that was cool.
Cosmo ME: He was a young actor, too. So, did he pass anything on to you? Did he help you go through some of this?
Calah Lane: Yeah, he did help me. And because I was supposed to cry in one of the scenes, he stood on the side just helping me and lifting my spirits. I wasn’t really scared, but more nervous to cry for the first time, and he helped with that.
Cosmo ME: That’s wonderful. And then Paul King has made some wonderful movies—he’s such a creative, magic storyteller. He’s kind of like Wonka. What is it like to work with him?
Calah Lane: He’s just such a great director. I love the fact that he likes to make heartfelt movies—I’ve seen his “Paddington” movies and I love them. I love the fact that he likes to make movies to make people smile…. Just something that can make somebody smile and have a good day. And I feel like he’s doing the same thing with this movie.
Cosmo ME: He is doing the same thing with this movie. What is it like to work with Olivia Colman?
Calah Lane: She’s just so sweet. I can’t even explain. Between takes one day, we were actually sitting down on set and she was showing me pictures and videos of her kids. We were just talking and having so much fun. It was a little confusing, because then when they said, “Action,” her character was really mean (Lol!) But after, she was like, “Oh, are you okay, everything good?” And I was like, “Yeah.”
Cosmo ME: Not only do you sing and dance in this movie, but you also hover in the air. So, what kind of preparation did you have for the singing, the dancing, and the wire work?
Calah Lane: I did a bunch of singing training. I’m not a singer, but I have a natural ability to sing. So it was good to be able to already know a little bit of the fundamentals of singing. And then dancing, I didn’t do a lot of dancing in the film, but I did fly—so I did wire training. I did a lot of wire training. I flew like 30 feet in the air and I thought I was going to be super scared about doing that, but I wasn’t. It was easier than I thought it would be.
Cosmo ME: Of all the chocolates in this film, the Hover Choc, Silver Lining, Big Night Out, Broadway Chocolate, and Mamma’s Chocolate, which one do you wish existed in the real world and why?
Calah Lane: Probably the Hover Choc, because who wouldn’t want a chocolate that makes you fly? That’s just top line. I think we all need that in our lives.