New Face Friday interview with Casey LaBow!

Summit Entertainment is starting New Face Fridays today, where every Friday an interview with a new cast member from Breaking Dawn Part 2 will be released. 

This weeks interview is courtesy of BellaAndEdward.com, who spoke with Casey LaBow - AKA Kate of the Denali coven!

Enjoy!

Q: Can you tell us about your audition process for the role of Kate?

A: I believe it was five [auditions], if I remember correctly, it was four or five. Initially, they didn’t tell us which part was for, it was for a “Russian sister.” We weren’t given the exact specifications and we were given these fake scenes that were sort of relevant to the story but weren’t actually from the script. They were sort of this rewrite to make it ambiguous so we wouldn’t know who it was, because if you didn’t get the part they didn’t want you walking away with any plot details. I went back in several different times, they wanted me to do different things like straighten my hair because they thought it looked too much like somebody else, then they gave me some new material. There were a lot of people who had to make the decision and everyone had to come in line. It was my part they had some trouble with because according to Maggie [Grace] and MyAnna [Buring] they just sent tapes in and several weeks later found out they got the role. I didn’t have as easy of a time getting the job. 

Q: At what point did you first meet Lee Pace and what was it like working with him?

A: I absolutely adore that man, he is just a delight! You have to get really close to a person when they’re playing your lover, and we just got along right away. I met him on set the first day and the first scene we shot together we had already progressed quickly through the love story so we had to pull it all together right away. 

Q: How did you prepare yourself for the role of Kate?

A: Obviously a lot was given in the books, but I also did a lot of online research because the fan following online is so prevalent and there’s a lot of discussion of stuff even outside of the book. So when I read the book, I obviously read all of the parts where Kate and her sisters and her family were present. Then I did some research on where we came from and where we were living, Denali, etc. Kate’s been alive for such a long time, so I did a brief overview of the centuries that she lived in. I familiarized myself with the events she got to witness and the places she got to be which was really fun because I could have been in Versailles with Marie Antoinette or anywhere at anytime. I got to make those decisions and have those backstories in my head. 

Q: A lot of the characters are going to have CGI powers, do you think yours will?

A: Yes 

Q: Can you go into detail at all? Will you shock Edward?

A: I definitely shock some creatures. Short of them actually giving me a taser to use while we were filming, they have to do some special effects on it. There was a rig and there were some special movie magic moments that happened. We had a really great special effects team on the movie on set and obviously people are doing post-effects in the editing room afterwards. I haven’t seen it yet, but I wish I could tell you more. 

Q: You said you did some investigating online. Was is somewhat intimidating to come into this franchise that was so huge and had such a big fan base? What worried you the most and/or what comforted you the most?

A: At first I was really nervous. I discovered while doing press for Breaking Dawn – Part 1, and now for part 2, that there is something about the love for this series and for these characters that I really enjoy discussing with the fans. A lot of actors don’t like doing interviews and talking to fans, but I really enjoy it. You see their eyes light up because there’s this world that they identify with and attach to and enjoy immensely. It’s such an honor to be apart of that because there were a lot of other girls out there who were in the running for this part but for some magical reason I got it. 

Q: You were saying that the fans are super passionate about Twilight. What is something that you are passionate about right now?

A: I always say this, I’ve never had anything that I’d be willing to camp out for but I will tell you that I really love Florence and the Machine, I have a little bit of an obsession with her. Other than that, I love Woody Allen films. But nothing that I would camp out for, I haven’t found that thing yet. 

Q: I read online that you were really into musicals while growing up. Any aspirations?

A: I trained at a theater school for a couple of years. I would love to go back to New York and do some more stage work, it’s been on my mind as of late. With musicals you have to be willing to put in 190,000% because it’s easy to make a fool out of yourself doing them. 

Q: Can you tell us how your experience at Comic-Con was?

A: It was really mellow. The only time I saw anything that really concerned me was at Tent City last year when they had trampled over a girl when Kellan showed up. This year, there was a very tragic incident that happened at Comic Con before we got there, but other than that I’ve been really lucky. I haven’t seen anybody totally freak out or have anything frightening happen. 

Q: Speaking of Kellan, can you tell us a little about the Bernard Project that you and him worked on in Baton Rouge?

A: It’s this really lovely charity that Kellan got involved with when he was down there shooting another movie. He brought us down there and it’s a really great charity because you can just show up and they will put you to work. A of time charities want to you train or do this and do that, but we showed up and they gave us hammers and said “do this.” We helped to rebuild a home of a woman that had been flooded during Hurricane Katrina. St. Bernard Parish is right next to the Lower 9th Ward, but it didn’t get the same amount of attention that the Lower 9th Ward got, even though it was just as badly destroyed. It was really moving, we got there and a lady spoke to us about what had happened and I got a little misty-eyed. It was really lovely to go and do that on our day off. Kellan is a very avid in his charity work and really committed to it. 

Q: What was the different between filming the wedding scene and the final battle scene in Breaking Dawn – Part 2?

A: When we were shooting the wedding, it was like panic at the disco because it was outdoors and there were helicopters flying over our heads, and paparazzi, and we were trying to keep the dress hidden. It was this anxious, panicky thing happening on set. With the “final confrontation,” as we like to call it, we were on a sound stage. While it was much more grueling and it took much longer to shoot, it was a lot calmer because we had this privacy, this shield from the world, if you will. But at the same time, we shot it for six weeks. When you shoot any kind of action-based thing, it’s so technical and it takes a really long time. I don’t want to give way too much of it because it’s really special and I want everyone to be able to enjoy it.

Q: You spent time with Kellan outside of filming, are there any other cast members you’ve maintained friendships with now that filming is done?

A: Yeah, Julia Jones, Maggie Grace, Mia Maestro, MyAnna Buring, Christian Camargo, Lee Pace, Rami Malek, Bill Tangradi, Guri Weinburg, a lot of people. Some people I see more often than others but everybody really does keep in touch. 

Q: We heard about how great it was to work with Bill Condon. Was there any specific moment for you as an actress that particularly stood out? Did he do anything to bring the cast together or take charge of a situation?

A: My favorite thing about Bill was that regardless if there were 80 people or 6 people on set he took the time to come up to each actor and have a private moment and discuss what was happening in that scene. That’s really important because I’ve been on other sets where the directors are yelling on bullhorns and not having intimate communication with the actors to make sure that every moment is taken care of and dealt with. Bill made me feel safe as an actor. 

Q: Did Stephenie Meyer tell you anything about Kate’s backstory that you found helpful or interesting?

A: I didn’t ask her much about Kate’s backstory because I had done so much of my own research. But there were some technical things about her special power that I did discuss with her, but I don’t want to tell you what it is right now because I don’t want to ruin anything. 

Q: Looking back, is there a favorite day or moment on set that you can talk about?

A: There was a day where I shot a scene with Lee Pace, Kellan, Rob, and Kristen. There were a couple of other people there, but the scene took place between myself, Rob, Kristen, Lee, and Kellan. I really enjoyed that day, we had a lot of fun. You’ll see the scene. 

Q: Has being in the Twilight Saga opened any career doors for you?

A: Yes and no. It has and hasn’t. I think that because there was a little tiny teaser of us in [Breaking Dawn] part 1, I think we may see more of that when part 2 comes out. Because of the secrecy we need to keep in order to protect the film and the integrity of the story, I haven’t seen as much of it as I’m sure I’ll see in November when the movie comes out. 

Q: Do you have any other upcoming projects?

A: I had one that was meant to shoot in April but the lead actor who also wrote it got another job so we had to put it on hold. It’s this really lovely indie romantic comedy that Abigail Spencer wrote called Wrong Number. Hopefully we’ll shoot it in the fall. She actually wrote the part for me so I’m really excited for it. It’s about a couple that meets on a wrong number phone call.