Tom Holland on Going from the West End’s ‘Billy Elliot’ to Working with Naomi Watts in ‘The Impossible’

Although Tom Holland is only 16 years old, he will not be letting his new found fame go to his head.  After starring in the critically acclaimed film, The Impossible, Holland knew he might be getting some additional attention.

“My agents and I had a sit-down chat that the next couple of months could be a whirlwind,” the British actor told The Wall Street Journal.  “They said, ‘Make sure you stay grounded.  It’s very easy to go down the wrong route.’”

This is sound advice for someone who has already won the Breakthrough Performance Award by the National Board of Review and the Spotlight Award by the Hollywood Film Festival.  But Holland is not a complete rookie in the world of show business, having started his career playing the lead role in Billy Elliot in the West End.  Despite his experience, the actor struggled while making the transition from stage to screen. Read more

Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts on ‘The Impossible’, Filming a Tsunami and the Acting Exercises They Did During Rehearsal (video)

The Impossible, which comes out December 21st, is the true story of a family caught in the tragedy of the 2004 Thailand tsunami and stars, Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor and Tom Holland. Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, the film shows how devasting the disaster was to the country, it’s people and in particular, this family.

The Hollywood Reporter brought the cast and director together to talk about the film andit’s got some pretty interesting moments. McGregor and Watts’ chat about working with the young actors who play their children (who are great, btw), the challenges of the water and how they did acting exercises during rehearsal to make their on-screen family seem absolutely real.

Check it out below!  Read more

Naomi Watts to Receive the Desert Palm Achievement Award for Acting

The 24^th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival will present Naomi Watts with the Desert Palm Achievement Actress Award at its Awards Gala, which will be held on Saturday, January 5 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. 

The Festival runs January 3-14, 2013.

“We’re delighted to pay tribute to Naomi Watts, one of the most gifted and versatile performers to grace the screen,” said Palm Springs International Film Festival chairman Harold Matzner.  “The Impossible, the true story of the tsunami that stunned the world with its fury, is the vehicle for Ms. Watts to display the talent and sensitivity that cinema lovers have come to expect and appreciate from her.  It is our honor to present the 2013 Desert Palm Achievement Actress Award to Naomi Watts, for a performance worthy of an Oscar nomination.” Read more

Trailer and 2 Clips for ‘The Impossible’ starring Naomi Watts & Ewan McGregor:

Director: Juan Antonio Bayona

Starring: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor

Synopsis: Maria, Henry and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand, looking forward to a few days in tropical paradise. But on the morning of December 26th, as the family relaxes around the pool after their Christmas festivities the night before, a terrifying roar rises up from the center of the earth. As Maria freezes in fear, a huge wall of black water races across the hotel grounds toward her. The family finds themselves caught, with tens of thousands of strangers, in the mayhem of one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time. But the true-life terror is tempered by the unexpected displays of compassion, courage and simple kindness that Maria and her family encounter during the darkest hours of their lives.

In Theaters: December 21st  Read more

Naomi Watts on Getting Her Start, How She Had Thoughts of Quitting Acting and Her New Film, ‘The Impossible’ (video)

Naomi Watts has the film The Impossible – about a family caught, with tens of thousands of strangers, in the mayhem of a tsunami – coming out soon and The Hollywood Reporter‘s Scott Feinberg caught up with her at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) to chat with her about the film and her career.

In the video she talks about first wanting to be an actor and how she got started acting in Australia. She says at one point that she was initially going to give herself a 5-year-plan and even had thoughts of quitting acting but then she got David Lynch‘s Mulholland Drive and everything changed.

She also talks about The Impossible and much more. It’s a great interview you should definitely check out!  Read more

Naomi Watts on Filming Tsunami Scenes in ‘The Impossible’: “It was intense work. For anyone, but at my age, boy, it was a workout”

One would think that after being manhandled (apehandled?) by a giant gorilla in King Kong an actress could pretty much pull off any physical role.  But Naomi Watts, who stars in The Impossible, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, had to fend with far more than a digital gorilla since much of the film takes place during a tsunami in Thailand. 

On one hand, Watts admits that the role didn’t require her to memorize much dialogue: she says it amounts to about two pages, and “The rest is about physical stuff or groans or calling each other’s names.” Read more