2008 Woodie Awards
Professor recieves speaking role in film
Mackenzie Kelly
Issue date: 5/9/08 Section: Features
Professor Bethany Larson was recently cast in a small speaking role as a woman lost in a small town in the film Peacock currently being shot in Iowa. The film is being produced by Mandate Pictures and also stars Cillian Murphy and Ellen Page.
On Tuesday, May 6, Larson spent the day filming her scene with Murphy.
"My call time was at seven in the morning and I left the location at 1:15, but shooting on my scene didn't actually start until about 10:30," Larson said.
Larson's scene involves her speaking with Murphy from her car window in order to ask directions. The scene was shot three different times. It was first shot facing Murphy, next facing Larson and finally as a close up on Larson in the vehicle.
The cast and crew spent about an hour-and-a-half on the first two shoots, broke for lunch and then finished Larson's close up shoot afterwards. One memory Larson has of shooting the scene involves nothing but Mother Nature. She remembers times of having to stop the shooting for a few minutes here and there because of the clouds passing overhead.
In order to get the role Larson went through a local casting audition process. She became aware of the role through her agent in Des Moines and was asked to audition by an acquaintance and local casting director Ann Wilkinson.
"They look at a variety of videotapes and they then select the ones they think would be most fitting," Larson said.
Upon finding out the part was hers, Larson was filled with what she describes as sheer happiness.
"As an actor you are rejected 99 times out of 100 and you learn to just let that go and to not let that affect you, but when you are selected it's like 'Oh really, I get to work, ok, great, fabulous!'" Larson said. "There is just so much eagerness and anticipation of wanting to be in that environment again so there was a lot of excitement."
One thing is for sure, being able to have the acting experience gives Larson another element to be able to bring to the classroom.
On Tuesday, May 6, Larson spent the day filming her scene with Murphy.
"My call time was at seven in the morning and I left the location at 1:15, but shooting on my scene didn't actually start until about 10:30," Larson said.
Larson's scene involves her speaking with Murphy from her car window in order to ask directions. The scene was shot three different times. It was first shot facing Murphy, next facing Larson and finally as a close up on Larson in the vehicle.
The cast and crew spent about an hour-and-a-half on the first two shoots, broke for lunch and then finished Larson's close up shoot afterwards. One memory Larson has of shooting the scene involves nothing but Mother Nature. She remembers times of having to stop the shooting for a few minutes here and there because of the clouds passing overhead.
In order to get the role Larson went through a local casting audition process. She became aware of the role through her agent in Des Moines and was asked to audition by an acquaintance and local casting director Ann Wilkinson.
"They look at a variety of videotapes and they then select the ones they think would be most fitting," Larson said.
Upon finding out the part was hers, Larson was filled with what she describes as sheer happiness.
"As an actor you are rejected 99 times out of 100 and you learn to just let that go and to not let that affect you, but when you are selected it's like 'Oh really, I get to work, ok, great, fabulous!'" Larson said. "There is just so much eagerness and anticipation of wanting to be in that environment again so there was a lot of excitement."
One thing is for sure, being able to have the acting experience gives Larson another element to be able to bring to the classroom.
Be the first to comment on this story