Mamma Mia! The Movie: Dominic Cooper, Super 'Trouper'

Theater audiences will recognize Dominic Cooper from his role as Dakin in the acclaimed 2006 Tony winning Best Play, The History Boys by Alan Bennett, a role he created from the drama's very first reading and brought to the screen in the 2006 film adaptation (with stops in the UK, Sydney and Hong Kong along the way). His performance of the role on Broadway drew raves and the admiration of critics and fans alike, and he's continued to surprise with the varied and inspired roles he's done since on both the stage and screen. He's also a celebrated graduate of LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art). This Friday the ever evolving 30 year old actor takes on the music of ABBA and the young romantic leading role of Sky in the big screen version of the mega musical, Mamma Mia!

 

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In the film, Sky is engaged to Sophie (Amanda Seyfried of "Mean Girls" and the HBO series "Big Love"), who is trying to find out which of three very different men (Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard and Colin Firth) is really her long lost father. Sophie sends out invitations for her wedding to the three men, pretending they are being sent by her mother, Donna (Meryl Streep).

Mamma Mia! The Movie is directed by the woman who also did the same duty for the stage production, Phyllida Lloyd. Lloyd is best known for her work in the worlds of theater and opera. Because of her fierce dedication to the musical's rock and roll roots the music in integrated into the story line and all the leading characters sing those classic ABBA songs with dramatic gusto. That very fact is one of the reasons that Cooper tried very hard to NOT audition for it, he likes to say he can't sing a note, but seeing him in the film proves he's wrong about that. He handles his songs with rakish charm and skill. The talented young actor called us here at BroadwayWorld.com to share the excitement and challenges of surrendering to the music and the pure joy of being a part of Mamma Mia!

Eddie Varley: Thanks for taking the time to call, I saw the movie and thought it was a fantastic translation of the stage production, the audience was having as much fun as the cast seemed to be having on screen.

Dominic Cooper: That's great to hear, I think that's what everyone was hoping for with it. When I first refused to audition for it when the call came in, and that's totally a reflection on my complete lack of singing and dancing skills you know…

 

EV: Hah, c'mon now!

 

DC: Well when I eventually went in, I realized that you had to give in to the fun of the music, to that energy. You've got to really, really, really enjoy, to just serve that piece. That was the certainly the way I got through the audition, I just, you know, you go to it. It was great fun once I just let loose, but I must say I was surprised when I got the offer.

 

EV: Two years ago did you ever think you'd be singing and dancing as Sky in the big screen version of Mamma Mia?

 

DC: It's the last thing I would ever have thought, the last thing in the world I ever thought that I'd be doing! I would have thought they'd have a professional performer who had that specific singing and dancing ability, that kind of casting, I would of never seen this happening!

EV: But not only do you sing and dance quite well, it's the very aspect of having such talented actors embracing these characters and the very theatrical music that helps it come off so natural. It's not easy to learn to sing on screen in a natural manner, the way the mouth opens, the way you are using those facial muscles, must be different than when you are playing to the upper balcony on a stage.

 

DC: Once I think we got over making fools of ourselves, Colin, myself, all of us in rehearsals, it became something special, you know when you have that moment of letting go. You try and keep it as real as possible.

EV: What was the rehearsal process like, how wonderful to have had Phyllida Lloyd guide you all as she did the many actors who've played the roles in the stage productions. It doesn't usually happen that way when it comes to stage to film adaptations.

DC: She's just brilliant isn't she? We had about six weeks, a good period of time to rehearse it, but its difficult isn't, that transition, that moment when a character is speaking and then suddenly they launch into song, its sometimes that awful moment, that bridge between the dialogue and the song. Watching someone like Meryl Streep, who commits to that moment, you see where that bridge is something you have to build up to, you take everything leading up to it and then carry it over. But, it is very, very difficult as you want it to be real, but watching Meryl just reach that moment, you learn you must believe it too. And sometimes the music isn't necessarily connected to some big dramatic moment, but you still find some truth in those actions.

EV: Plus you've also got the dancing to integrate with Mamma Mia!

DC: Watching all the dancers, many who had done a stage production of Mamma Mia! in London, or somewhere, I became terrified, I mean they were standing around in these tights, with these dancers' bodies, making these amazing moves, and here I was in a t-shirt and wrinkled pants, and Colin was in like black jeans next to me. I knew I had to work hard, there was instant pressure! Plus I didn't know at first at how naked I was going to have to be in the film.

EV: Haha, the road to the Greek Isles' was full of epic obstacles!

 

DC: Haha! You know, I was just looking at these dancers and seeing how fit they were, and I'm like a mashed potato and they were looking at me with such sadness as they stretched these perfect bodies you know doing endless push ups, so I knew I had to do something, but gyms are incredibly boring. So I went to someone who hooked me to this machine that vibrated at 53 million miles an hour, and I'm not sure what it did, but it helped me, the results worked out.

 

EV: It did, you got yourself into amazing shape, and people are going to be seeking that machine out once they see the movie! And that transformation into Sky, you know the very fact that you did accept the role, and embraced it so intensely, it was a bold choice after some of your earlier roles, and certainly a huge change from Dakin from The History Boys. It's also interesting that this is your second stage to screen adaptation of a very successful show, but the roles couldn't be any different on every level.

DC: I think it's important to take things that challenge you, to push yourself and expand, which is something I think you always want to keep doing. I love experiencing different things, and taking on different types of roles, that's what you hope you'll always be doing as an actor. Always being able to learn and grow.

 

EV: Well, with all these new dancing and singing muscles all warmed up, it's time to push yourself and bring it to a stage!

DC: Yeah, maybe I should be Sky for a little bit on stage, do it on Broadway, I would love to just see if I could, you know…

EV: They'd love to have you I bet! Broadway loves to challenge and reward, c'mon back! Thanks for taking the time to chat, all the best on the film and congratulations on everything going forward Dominic.

DC: Thank you, nice talking to you, bye Eddie.

Meryl Streep leads the all-star cast in this feature-film adaptation of the beloved musical that has been seen by more than 30 million people in 160 cities and 8 languages around the world! Mamma Mia! brings the timeless lyrics and melodies of iconic super group ABBA to movie audiences this Friday July 18^th!

The three women who created the worldwide smash stage hit—global producer Judy Craymer, writer Catherine Johnson and director Phyllida Lloyd—repeat their roles in bringing this joyful, musical story to the big screen. The Mamma Mia! film is produced by Judy Craymer and Gary Goetzman.

Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper join Streep in this celebration of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads.

"An independent, single mother who owns a small hotel on an idyllic Greek island, Donna (Streep) is about to let go of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), the spirited daughter she's raised alone. For Sophie's wedding, Donna has invited her two lifelong best girlfriends—practical and no-nonsense Rosie (Julie Walters) and wealthy, multi-divorcee Tanya (Christine Baranski)—from her one-time backing band, Donna and the Dynamos. But Sophie has secretly invited three guests of her own," explain press notes.

 

Photo of Dominic Cooper by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.

Photos from the film courtesy of Universal Studios.