This Friday, Disney Pictures’ Tomorrowland will kick off the summer blockbuster season starring George Clooney and the adorable Britt Robertson. I had the opportunity to sit down with Robertson to discuss her experience filming Tomorrowland, playing a heroine and what it was really like working with George Clooney.
Photo Credit: Louise Bishop of MomStart.com
Up until this year, Robertson has made a pretty nice career starring on several television shows (CW’s Life Unexpected and CBS’s Under the Dome). This April, she was in Nicholas Sparks’ The Longest Ride, costarring with Scott Eastwood (Clint’s son). And while she stars with another heavy hitter in Tomorrowland (ahem, George Clooney), Robertson stands on her own in this film, taking the audience on a wild ride!
Robertson, being only 25 herself, was dynamic and poised during our 20 minutes with her. She was very articulate and had so many great things to say about her costars and filming Tomorrowland.
Photo Credit: Louise Bishop of MomStart.com
Britt Robertson on Tomorrowland
Casting for the role of Casey was not easy, with Robertson having to go through a lengthly audition process that started in November 2012. She describes the moment of finding out that she won the role as ‘overwhelming’:
It’s something that I still remember in my mind as being the most euphoric feeling that I’ve ever had. I was happy and I was elated and I was crying and I was just so excited. It was such a cool movie to be a part of. I loved the story so much and the people attached to it. I just knew that it was going to be a changing point for me in my career.
Disney’s TOMORROWLAND
Photo Credit: Disney 2015
Beyond earning the role to star opposite big names like George Clooney and Tim McGraw or be directed by Brad Bird (Incredibles, Iron Giant), Robertson recognized that the Tomorrowland story was powerful.
The story itself is an original idea. It covers how we look at our future and how we can actually influence it. (We can) make it the world that we want to live in. I thought that that was a really powerful message and especially for a young woman to be the lead in a movie like this was really cool for me.
And while Robertson may have found the thought of playing the heroine of Tomorrowland intimidating at first, she credits director Bird for giving her the encouragement to play this role, telling her to ‘be brave and take it one day at a time.’
Photo Credit: Louise Bishop of MomStart.com
Robertson thought of Casey as a “cool chick” and she admits to changing her outlook on the future after playing her:
I’ve adopted a lot of her traits and characteristics because I like her and I think she’s a cool chick. Prior to this movie, I always looked at the future as being this ominous thing, it was kind of daunting in this day and age to be so young in this world knowing what it could bring.
Robertson has a ton of action in Tomorrowland, shooting scenes wielding a baseball bat (and a very unlucky stuntman), chugging coca-colas, and wading through swamp waters in Florida, on the “hunt for alligators”. But which was harder – these scenes or the ones with her co-stars??
Britt Robertson on her Costars
Robertson stars with 3 amazing actors in Tomorrowland, George Clooney, Tim McGraw, and Hugh Laurie. And while she could have been intimated with star power like this, the experience was the exact opposite for her:
Disney’s TOMORROWLAND. Photo Credit: Disney 2015
Working with George, you have a lot of expectations of working with a person like that. What was so surprising to me is that being around him you see how he’s just completely himself. He hasn’t been lost in the process of becoming George Clooney. He’s still the person that he wants to be. Working with him, it made me realize you can still be who you want to be in this industry. You don’t have to be tainted by the process or the people. He’s so professional and I learned a lot from him.
Disney’s TOMORROWLAND. Photo Credit: Disney 2015
Being a “big fan” of Tim McGraw, Robertson was a little more star-stuck meeting him:
I love Tim McGraw like nobody’s business. I’m a huge country fan. In fact, when I first met him, I attacked him. I was like “you have no idea how much I love you. I love your music, I love your wife, I think you’re the coolest……” He was such a sweet, family man. Just hearing his stories about his daughters was really sweet and it was nice to get to pretend I was his daughter for a second.
Disney’s TOMORROWLAND
Photo Credit: Film Frame
Robertson spoke fondly of Hugh Laurie and really enjoyed working with him as well. She describes him as a ‘book of knowledge’, always giving her facts of life. Apparently, Laurie is very gifted musically as well and though Robertson regretted not being able to see him perform while they were filming, she is determined to make one of his shows.
Disney’s TOMORROWLAND Photo Credit: Disney 2015
One of the sweetest moments we had with Robertson came when she described working with Raffey Cassidy, who plays Athena in Tomorrowland. She was touched to learn that Cassidy considered her a role model when she had learned so much from this dynamic 12 year old.
Her professionalism and her spirit throughout the entire film, no matter how long the day was, no matter what they were asking of her, physically and emotionally, she just did it. She did it to the best of her ability and I think that’s a huge lesson for me.
Robertson is fantastic in the role of Casey, inspiring us all to question “can we fix it?“. Her performance is incredible in Tomorrowland, but I was more impressed by her ability to make us all walk away thinking, possibly motivated to make that change in our own future.
Photo Credit: Louise Bishop of MomStart.com
Tomorrowland is out in theaters nationwide this Friday, May 22, 2015.
Want to hear more about Tomorrowland??
Here’s why I think you should take the whole family to see the movie! Find out what prop George Clooney may or may not have taken from the set of Tomorrowland in my exclusive interview with him. And find out what inspired Director/Producer Brad Bird and Screenwriter/Producer Damon Lindelof to create Tomorrowland in my exclusive interview with them.
We visited the Walt Disney Archives to learn how Tomorrowland producers used items from the archives to recreate key scenes in the movie. Then we headed over to Disneyland’s Tomorrowland- here’s 13 Fun Facts You Don’t Know about Tomorrowland. Visitors to Disneyland can get a special sneak peek at Tomorrowland and see props from the movie. And check out all the fun that Disneyland has planned for it’s 60th Anniversary, starting May 22, 2015.
Like TOMORROWLAND on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyTomorrowland
Follow Disney Pictures on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DisneyPictures
Visit the official TOMORROWLAND website: www.Disney.com/Tomorrowland
Disclosure: I was an invited guest at an all expenses paid trips to Los Angeles for the Tomorrowland Press Junket by Disney Pictures. I was not compensated for any of these articles. All opinions are my own.
Britt was such a great interview. What an amazing event!