Photo from @MsJaneMcLean on Twitter.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
On being \u2018Charisse\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n
About 6 years after the book\u2019s launch, the movie adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger\u2019s \u201cThe Time Traveler\u2019s Wife\u201d was released in 2009. In the movie, Jane played the supporting role of Charisse\u2014Clare\u2019s (Rachel McAdams) best friend.<\/p>\n
As if the stars aligned specially for Jane, the movie director was in Toronto at that time to check locations for the shoot. Her manager\u2014who was equally excited\u2014urged her to go for the role and set up the audition.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was so serendipitous that we were both in Toronto, and they set up a special session to cast my character. I read the script but I hadn’t read the book at that time. I bought the book two years before, but I didn’t read it. I started to get really excited about it because the script is just phenomenal. I remember thinking to myself, \u2018Okay, you are not reading the book until the deal is done,\u2019 because I didn’t want to jinx myself!\u201d she laughed.<\/p>\n
Five-year-old spoiler alert: Jane got the role.<\/p>\n
Some say that playing the supporting role is just as important as playing the lead. You have to be convincing, acting with conviction, without outdoing the main character. Your job as the supporting character should be to let the lead shine\u2014a task that Jane did not take lightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of thought was put towards prior experiences of my own,\u201d she shared when asked about her preparations for the role of Charisse. \u201cSpecifically those of my relationship with my sisters, you know, like the relationship that Charisse has with Claire. They’ve got a very strong sisterhood bond.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jane recalled shopping with Ron Livingston for Charisse\u2019s wardrobe to get a better idea of her character. It was an activity suggested by the director himself.<\/p>\n
Working with Hollywood star Eric Bana and fellow Canadian Rachel McAdams was a breeze, according to Jane.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe’s wonderful. She’s a good Torontonian gal and super down-to-earth. She’s very, very approachable, very easy to work with and very, very generous. As an actor, you sort of dream of working with people like that because they really pull you in,\u201d Jane explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt first I was a little intimidated. I thought he might be a little bit intense,\u201d she said about Bana. \u201cBut those were my perceptions because I watched him in Munich and Troy. But he’s a funny guy! And he’s wonderful to work with and very easy on the eyes!\u201d<\/p>\n
Aside from working alongside two Hollywood stars, Jane also met one of the producers of the movie\u2014Hollywood heartthrob Brad Pitt.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was not as eventful as I thought it would be. It didn’t dawn on me that it was him,\u201d she recalled. \u201cWe were already two weeks in and Eric and I were finishing up a last shot, and this guy comes up to me and he’s wearing a hat, and comes over and says \u2018Hi Jane, I’m Brad, very nice to meet you.\u2019 So I said \u2018Oh, it’s very nice to meet you, Brad.\u2019 So we finish our shot\u2026 and then it hit [me]: \u2018Oh my God, I just met Brad Pitt. Holy sh–!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Jane is no stranger to the public\u2019s not-too-pleasant perception of book-to-movie adaptations, so she put a lot of thought about playing such an important character from an international best-seller.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody views it differently because you base it on your own experiences. But I trusted a lot in the script. And the script is absolutely beautiful. It’s not exactly the same as a book, there’s a lot of stuff you have to be really crafty with how you develop it as a movie, because again you’re trying to condense what was 500 pages into two hours. And that can be very, very hard to do,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
Jane continues to live the life that she dreamed but she never forgot her Filipino roots. In fact, her Tagalog is still flawless. And when Ippolito asked her if she could time-travel anywhere, Jane answered without skipping a beat.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would love to go back to the Philippines,\u201d Jane piped. \u201cI was born there. I came to Canada when I wasn\u2019t even a year old, so how fun would it be to go back to that time when you were a baby and you didn\u2019t have a worry in the world? So, I think it would be great to go back and see through the eyes of a child, and open my eyes to new surroundings.\u201d<\/p>\n
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