channing tatum - the vow production notes
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  Chapters Cast Infos Other MoviesThe Vow 2012
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 In addition to attracting some of the hottest young actors to the production, the script also drew remarkable talent to fill the key parts of the family who surround Paige and Leo. On the supporting cast, Jonathan Glickman explains, "One of the great things about putting this picture together was that there are such fine roles outside of the leads, and that helps balance out the movie so that adults can say, 'Okay, there's something in this movie for us as well. It's not just a young love story, but that there are adult themes that are going to be explored in it'."
The producers had faith from the beginning that director Michael Sucsy would be able to attract the best talent because he is known as such a good actor's director. Furthermore, Sucsy's pre-existing relationship from Grey Gardens with Jessica Lange helped entice her to play Paige's mother, Rita.
"The thing I really appreciate about working with actresses like Jessica is that they don't just come in, say their lines, collect their check and go," says Sucsy. "They want to make it an experience. So we took the few scenes that Jessica plays and we really fleshed them out and made them deeper. There's a scene where Rachel's character is confronting her mother about something in their family, and what Jessica brought to that scene as an actress, it kind of makes me emotional just thinking about that day. Then you look over, and the grips and the electrics and the sound guys, everyone's just not paying attention to what they're doing because her performance is so riveting. I mean, she's just a gem."
From the beginning, Sam Neill was always the top choice for Bill. Jonathan Glickman explains why: "Sam's a fine actor who can play empathy and can play tough equally well, and we just felt that he was a great match for Rachel and we also were always excited about the scenes between him and Leo. We needed a formidable father figure who would be intimidating to Channing, and let's face it, there are not a lot of people who would be intimidating to Channing. Sam Neill has that force. He's done everything in his career from being chased by dinosaurs to being with Meryl Streep when the dingo ate the baby, so he has such a breadth of experience."
Sucsy applauds Neill's ability to take a potentially off-putting and arch character and get you to see things from his perspective: "The point was to make him coming from a good place, even if it didn't feel that way to Paige, even if it felt controlling. He made it feel real, made it feel grounded."
Glickman adds, "Having Jessica and Sam, we have two of the finest actors out there who make you believe that this story actually happened."
Rachel can't say enough about Jessica Lange and Sam Neill as her parents: "They're so great. They're just amazing. I was so happy when they signed on to do the movie and they both brought so much humanity to their roles. It was so lovely to watch and they're both exceptional and you see why they have the reputations they have."
McAdams talks about being in a scene with Lange: "Paige's mother could have come off as a real villain, but Jessica played her with such empathy. Even for me as the actor in the scene with Jessica, when she's explaining why she stayed with Paige's father, I'm sitting there in awe, feeling for this woman as she talks about her commitment to her family. At the beginning of that scene, Paige doesn't get where her mother's coming from at all, and the way Jessica did it there's just no way you couldn't empathize with her character. She's incredible."
Similarly, McAdams says that the role of Paige's father Bill "could have been very one-note: the villain, the father that doesn't embrace his children and does everything wrong, but Sam Neill brought a certain vulnerability to the character that makes him human. And Sam is such a lovely guy." McAdams continues, "He's so funny in a way you would not expect. He has a sense of humor that kind of creeps up on you out of nowhere and I think that was great that he brought a little bit of that to this character."
As for the role of Jeremy, it was important to cast an actor who had the charisma to be a formidable foe for Leo and someone that the audience would believe Paige had loved, and may still love. Jeremy shows the other path that Paige could have taken and could choose again. Scott Speedman was cast in this role and did not disappoint.
"The great thing about Scott is that he plays a leading man," explains Sucsy. "A lot of times with Hollywood casting, you've got the big movie star in one role, and then some supporting guy in the other role. Well, guess who she's going to end up with? It telegraphs it. So the great thing about casting Scott is that it really puts into question who she's going to end up with. He has to be a contender, and I love that about Scott and his performance."
An added bonus was that Scott and Rachel had worked together previously and therefore evoked a natural chemistry on set. ""Scott really nailed the role. We're lucky to have had him," adds McAdams.
Australian actress and Rachel McAdams lookalike Jessica McNamee was cast as Paige's sister Gwen. "Her audition blew me away," says Sucsy. "And when she showed up on set, she said not only has she always gotten that she looks like Rachel McAdams, but her father apparently looks like Sam Neill, who's playing her dad in the film. So that was kind of fun!"
McAdams adds, "Jessica McNamee is an exceptional actress, and I think she's going to have an amazing career. And it's really scary how much we actually look alike!"
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