Ansel Elgort stars at the “Baby Driver” in the film of the same name, from writer/director Edgar Wright.
I caught up with Ansel and, his co-star/love interest in the film, former Downton Abbey star, Lily James to chat about the film, working with big stars and Ansel finding his groove.
“Baby Driver” is such a fresh, fabulous, fun film so how did Lily and Ansel feel when they found out they were going to be a part of it?
“I was very very excited, because I already knew that Ansel, Jamie Foxx, Kevin Spacey and Jon Hamm, it was pretty much all cast and also, it’s Edgar Wright and I’m a huge fan of his movies, so I was thrilled.” Lily said.
Ansel felt the same as his co-star, “I was pretty thrilled too. It took me a while to get it. I first read it in 2014 and I don’t think I got it until 2015 – about a year later. And I had met with Edgar a lot, and had auditioned with him a lot. And I loved this film from the first time that I had read it. When I first read it, the script had the music in the script too. So it was an application on an ipad. So instead of reading a paper script, you read it digitally and you could listen to all of the music because the soundtrack was written in initially because the music is such an intricate part of the story telling”.
Edgar Wright has said that he has had the idea for this film twenty years ago, when he heard a Bell Bottoms track. Lily said that Edgar told her that “really the reason it’s taken 20 years is because he has been waiting for Ansel to become a leading man, to play the part.”
Starring in a film written and directed by Edgar Wright and working alongside big names like Kevin Spacy, Jamie Foxx and Jon Hamm is no doubt thrilling, but it is also, no doubt, a little nerve wracking. How did Lily and Ansel feel the night before their first day? Were they able to get any sleep?
Lily “felt excited and nervous but I think it’s really comforting to know that you are around these incredible, phenomenal actors because you know that they are going to support you and make you better”
Ansel reckons that he slept well. “Usually I don’t sleep well the night before my first day but I was so excited and I had so much confidence that this movie would be so great. Apparently if it is going well on set, then apparently it’s not going to be good. Even though this was difficult because it was long hours and an ambitious shoot, it was pretty clear that we were doing something great.”
Like his character, “Baby”, Ansel is very passionate about music. He recently tweeted “Expect at least one single every month for the next year. This time I mean it.” Given how busy he is with his acting, how is he planning to make this happen?
“ I have so much music. I am making so many songs right now. I am just pumping them out and it feels so good, and it feels like I found my sound, I found my groove. I know who I am.”
He has so far kept to his word, releasing his latest single … on …
It’s a busy few days for Ansel, he has kept to his word, releasing “All I think About is You” on 22nd June, and as of today, as well as listening to his new music, you can also see him (and co-star Lily James) on the big screen, as Baby Driver is in cinemas now.
