In her first film, the young actress navigates the movie set of The Golden Compass
Dakota Blue Richards, 13, from Brighton, England, plays the clever and courageous Lyra in The Golden Compass. Lyra embarks on a journey and makes decisions that could either save the world, or put an end to it. Dakota talked to TFK about filming her first movie.TFK:
What was it like auditioning for the part of Lyra against 10,000 other girls?
DAKOTA BLUE RICHARDS:
It didn't really feel like such a big deal at the time. I only went for the fun of it. I had read the books and seen the play, so I really loved Lyra. I like the character a lot and I thought, why not try?
TFK:
How did you react when you found out that you landed the role?
DAKOTA:
I screamed a lot and danced about. It was such a shock because I really was not expecting it. And I had had a bad day at school; so, finding out that I got that part of Lyra was the best news!
TFK:
What drew you to the character?
DAKOTA:
I like the way she goes so far for the things she believes are right. I love her courage and how when she sets her mind to something, no one can stop her.
TFK:
How was it acting alongside virtual characters like Pantalaimon and Iorek?
DAKOTA:
That was quite hard. When you film in front of a green screen (without other actors to play off of), you have to think twice as hard. First, you have to imagine how the virtual characters fit in your surroundings (which are also virtual). Then you have to understand what they're doing and how you're going to react to them. Normally you'd just react to other actors and your set. Everything is there for you.
TFK:
What is it like on a movie set?
DAKOTA:
The first couple of weeks are scary because you don't know anybody and there are so many people. When I first time got onto set and saw all the people, I wondered how I was going to remember all of their names. It's quite daunting the first time you see how many people work on a movie. After a few weeks, you think, "What's the point of being so nervous?"
TFK:
What was your favorite part of filming the movie?
DAKOTA:
There were so many bits that I liked about it. I think the people. I got to meet so many lovely people so that was the best part.