::FILM NEWS::   
LE Newsletter - August 7, 2008

 
  Madeline Carroll Talks About Her Role In The Movie Swing Vote
Source: www.thestar.com - Linda Barnard, Movies Editor

 (August 01, 2008) The key, says 12-year-old actor Madeline Carroll, is to drink lots of water. And think about your dearly departed doggie.

At least that's how she prepared for her crying scenes in Swing Vote, which opens today.

Madeline shares the screen with some Hollywood heavy hitters, including Oscar winner Kevin Costner, Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Hopper, Mare Winningham, Stanley Tucci and Nathan Lane.

She plays Molly, a civics-minded girl whose layabout pop ends up holding the key to the presidential election in his hands. Costner is her single dad, Bud.

"It was kind of easy," Madeline says with a shrug and a smile of her crying scenes, admitting it feels "funny" afterwards, "because it really didn't happen, but I like it."

Can this self-assured young actor give the same kind of convincing performance at home when a few tears could grease the wheels?

Her mom, Donna, who is sitting on a couch in the Yorkville hotel room to supervise her daughter's interview, nods and laughs.

Dressed in a long black sweater-coat over a Rolling Stones T-shirt (mom is a fan, she explains), Los Angeles-born Madeline is finding Toronto temperatures on the chilly side. It's her first time in Canada and she loves it.

"Are you from here?" she asks. She's told yes.

"Really? That's cool. I'm from Los Angeles," she says cheerfully, adding Canada doesn't seem all that different from home to her.

"I can't believe this is Canada," she says. "It's more ... city. It kind of reminds me of New York and Los Angeles a little bit. I thought Canada would be more plain. But when I got here I was shocked because there were so many buildings and there was that big pointy one."

Ah yes, the CN Tower. She hoped to go up and was especially excited at the prospect of riding the elevator with the glass floor.

Madeline is a fearless one. Her favourite movie is The Shining ("I have three brothers," which explains why she watches scary flicks). And forget teen heartthrobs – Jack Nicholson is the Hollywood actor she most wants to meet.

Already a model, Madeline came to acting in a way that's a page from the Hollywood folklore handbook: She was discovered in a nail salon when she was 4 years old.

"I was with my aunt. We were in a nail salon and I wanted to get my nails painted. So this lady comes up and says, `Oh, you're so cute! Here's my card!'"

A quick audition later, and Madeline started landing TV commercials, which became small parts in movies like The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause and Resident Evil: Extinction.

"We just got blessed from there," she chirps.

Members of the non-denominational In His Presence Church, Madeline and her family credit the power of prayer with motivating her success.

"We just thank God every day because we know that I wouldn't be in this seat right now if it wasn't for Him."

Her tiny stature makes her look younger than her years, but serious words come out of this youngster's mouth. She talks about progressing with a character and how she admires actor Will Smith.

"I like him a lot. He's done various things in his life, he hasn't just stayed to one thing," she says. "He's played all different cards and he went from singing and rapping to comedy to going to action movies, to going up to nominations and sad roles with his kids, and I just think that he's a very good role model, and I hear he's so nice and he makes the set so energetic. I really admire him for that."

She also has praise for co-star Costner for staying "so humble" despite his success.

Did she know who he was before making the movie? Oh yes, says Madeline. Her favourite Costner movie is Waterworld.

"I didn't know that Nathan Lane and Kelsey Grammer and all those guys were going to be in it ... so I was so excited. Paula Patton, she played Kate in the movie, she is also someone I would like to be like, because she's very nice."

Madeline goes to regular school in Simi Valley, Calif., taking time off and doing homework on the set when she's working.

Although she wants to continue acting, she'd also settle for a life as a missionary, working with children in Thailand.

Asked if she's ever compared to 12-year-old Little Miss Sunshine star Abigail Breslin, Madeline replies like a pro: "Yeah, some people think I am (like her). But you know what, she's doing her own thing, I'm doing my own thing."