BEYOND THE BARRICADE: LES MIS Film Cast Talks Laughter & Bonding on Set

AH:  Sorry, not to answer twice but I also think it cannot be understated--we’re all massive Les Miz freaks.  I mean like from before, we’re all slightly worried that this is not really happening, that we’re all on some kind of strange odd mutual trip, and we’re hallucinating.  [laughter]  But, we’re all such fans of it and we all showed up on the first day with such enormous gratitude as you say, that the responsibility of telling the story was entrusted to us.  It was great to share stories--when was the first time you saw it?  Who did you want to be at first?  Eddie--I think he’s still envious of Dan, the kid who got to play Gavroche.

ER:  Genuinely envious.  I wasted the entire film thinking Oh God.  [laughter]  I watched the film and he was so brilliant, as was Isabelle who was so effortless and wonderful.  My inner seven-year-old started hopping.

AS: Izzy actually gets to go back on stage.

AH:  I’m her mother and I didn’t even know that!

HJ:  I remember one of the first days I was filming, I was singing the ‘soliloquy’  that first number in the church and I remember we were down in the church, the most beautiful place, a real old church in London. I came up the steps, those winding stone steps and Annie was at the top there and she just came over and she had tears in her eyes and she was hugging me and she goes “I’m not going to miss this for the world!”  We were all feeling that.  I’ve never known that on a film before.  We were all there for each other.  It had the feeling of the closest stage show that I’ve ever been involved in but it was a film, which is unusual.  Yeah, we’ll be bonded for life.

Photo Credit: Universal Pictures