Actors love talking about their “craft,” but when it comes right down to it, they often aren’t really invested in giving themselves over to the role. In getting inside the character. Like they’re always letting stunt doubles and body doubles do the really hard stuff, and insisting on adding these clauses to their contracts that stipulate they won’t do nudity unless it is “vitally important to the character.” Not Chace Crawford. When the actor best known as Nate Archibald shows up at an audition, he is focused and present and willing to do whatever it takes, according to Kenny Ortega, the director of upcoming Crawford vehicle Footloose, who described to a British website how Chace nailed the role of a lifetime. “I didn’t know what Chace was going to bring into the room,” he said.
“All I can say is that he flew in early in the morning from the East Coast. Arrived just so in the zone, so ready and dedicated to do it.”
And then did he ever do it.
“It was the most colorful and dynamic and fun audition I think I’ve ever had … I mean he was just jumping into everything.”
Seriously, Meryl Streep in Silkwood had nothing on this kid. And then!
When I said, ‘OK, let’s dance,’ you know the normal would be you’d see a little bit of a head bop, right?” he said. “And he just said, ‘OK, where?’ ‘Face the mirror, man.’ And he was there. He took off his shirt, he was in his T-shirt and jeans, and hit it. And that’s the kind of man I wanted for this role.”
Yes. Yes it was.
Kenny Ortega Interview - Footloose and Chace Crawford [About.com via MTV News]
