It sits on top of the contact paper. It’s dealing with an iconic character. They’ve been plastered on billboards in Hollywood. Did we mention she’s only 11 years old?
Alice Halsey takes on the mantle of Laura Ingalls in the Netflix remake Little house on the meadowwhich premiered on July 9. “There’s never been my own billboard before, so this is crazy,” says the 11-year-old. Hollywood Reporter. “It’s amazing.”
Halsey had it The little house Books in her house growing up, but she didn’t read them until she got the audition for Laura. “They’re so good,” she says. “I feel like Laura has this ability to draw people in with all the details and descriptions and everything. She definitely has a lot of power with her words.”
The actress took preparing for Laura very seriously. I have read the script a lot, listened to podcasts, and read books related to the late 19th century period in which the series is set. “I just wanted to know who the character was and how I was going to play her,” Halsey says. It’s admirably serious and focused for such a young star.
Being on set and in costume helped immerse me in the world. Halsey says she was happy all day being Laura. “The prairies can be really wild,” she says, recalling her time photographing. “It’s like everything is alive when the breeze passes and everything moves. It’s really magical. But also really unpredictable.”
Halsey experienced unpredictability while filming the show, including the series’ opening scene, in which the audience sees her character for the first time, holding a slingshot in her hand.
“These warm winds came — they’re called Chinook winds, and they come every year,” Halsey says. “It hit us and the tents were flying and the rows were blowing away and everyone was panicking. I was just cracking up because it was all chaos. I found it very funny.”
Halsey felt some pressure while working The little housebecause it is located at the top of the call sheet. “It’s definitely a big responsibility,” she says. She also couldn’t stop raving about what a good environment the group was. She says everyone was putting their hearts and souls into the project, making them like one big family.
“It definitely helped take some weight off my shoulders,” she says. “It’s very easy to act with all the people I act with. They are all great actors and very good at their work.”
Halsey is aware of the legacy Little house on the meadow. “It’s a story that has been loved by so many people for generations and generations. Part of it is because of Laura’s words and Laura’s story, but it’s also relatable all the time,” she says. “No matter what year we’re in, no matter what’s going on at the time, there’s always something going on The little house This is comfortable and relevant to what you are experiencing.
Halsey already has a few years of acting experience. It was her first gig Chemistry lessons With Brie Larson, but where I got the most experience was in TV series Days of our lives. The 11-year-old credits her time on the show with helping her become the actress she is today.
“There are so many amazing actors and actresses on this show that I’ve had the privilege of working with, and they’re all really experienced,” she says. The older actors helped her learn how to find her light and work within the show’s impressively busy schedule. “There’s one take per scene. That’s all you get,” she says. “In a regular show or movie, it would be like you have multiple takes, and you have to be really good at each of them because you don’t know what the editor is going to choose.”
She adds from her work on days“It was a great learning experience. Having a very fast schedule—where you can shoot two episodes in one day—was very new for me. It kind of helped me improve my fitness.”
Next, she is set to star alongside Viola Davis in Amazon MGM Ally Clark. “Acting with Viola is like entering another dimension. When you look into her eyes, there’s another world in them. It’s almost surreal,” she says. “She’s also very funny and kind, and I love working with her.”
