What did Ryan Lee enjoy the most about filming Super 8?
“The best part of making this movie was to basically wake up in the morning and film with my friends — but I don’t want to give you that bland of an answer,” the 14-year-old star of the Steven Spielberg produced, J.J. Abrams directed sci-fi film (out Friday) joked to The Hollywood Reporter at the premiere this week. Read THR’s review of ‘Super 8’
“The times we were with Steven or J.J. and all the kids were together… they were such a great presence in the room that it was — it sounds cheesy — but it was really magical and cool,” Lee said. ‘Super 8’: J.J. Abrams Says Movie Was Inspired by Personal Experiences
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Spielberg and Abrams gave him plenty of career advice. “Always stay grounded, always know where you came from, always know who your friends are, keep a good friend base so that they can keep you grounded at the same time. I mean, know who your real friends are, basically,” said Lee.
“I mean, both my parents have said the same thing, but to hear it from J.J. and Steven…it’s just dented in your head forever, you know?” he joked. J.J. Abrams: Working With Steven Spielberg on ‘Super 8’ Was ‘Crazy Good’
Filming was so fun, the cast pleaded to do extra takes, he said.
VIDEO: Super 8′: Sneak Peek at J.J. Abrams’ New Movie
“We were like to J.J., ‘We’re not doing that again?’ In one of my favorite scenes, we’re driving the car, running from the train crash, we go, like, 50 mph in reverse and then 100 to 120 mph forward, and we were yelling at the top of our lungs. It wasn’t because we were scared, it was because we were having so much fun. And then J.J. was like, ‘Alright, we got it,’ and it was like, ‘What? No, you didn’t!”
Co-star Elle Fanning also loved shooting the action scenes.
“There was definitely lot of running in this film, a lot of explosions and fire,” she said. “One of my favorite scenes is when I got to be a zombie and wear all the blood and make up. It was so much fun, so cool.”
Fanning also got a little advice from Spielberg.
“He said that we should have a normal life away from movies and go to regular school and have a home life too,” she said. It’s not too too far off from how she and her older sister, Twilight actress Dakota Fanning, live.
“We go to regular school. My sister just graduated. We have a very normal life and at home and then we do movies, which is really cool,” said Elle. “I think it’s exciting every time. And then we just have a normal life as well.”
Lindsay.Powers@thr.com
Twitter: LKPE
