According to the Norwegian pop star, Three Wishes for Cinderella is one of the best things she has ever done.
Astrid S’s much anticipated acting debut is finally available to watch for North American audiences. In a recent interview with ComingSoon, the Norwegian singer explained the biggest challenges she had to overcome on the Three Wishes for Cinderella set. Additionally, she was highly praised by her much-more experienced colleague, Ellen Dorrit Petersen. The film is available on the digital market and retails in the U.S. and Canada starting today.
“Since her father’s death, the kind-hearted but also courageous Cinderella lives with her cruel stepmother and spoiled stepsister, Dora, who treat her like a servant in her own house. During one of her escapes to the forest, Cinderella prevents a couple of men from hunting, among them, the handsome prince of the kingdom. They immediately feel attracted to each other, but he is expected to find a suitable bride at the next royal ball, which Cinderella is now allowed to attend. Equipped with a great deal of courage and empowered by her three magical acorns, she decides to stand up for herself and determine her own fate. Is she able to break free from her stepmother’s tyranny and find true love?”
Tudor Leonte: Astrid, this is your first experience or experience on a movie set. Did you do anything in particular to prepare for the role?
Astrid S: Mostly, I was just talking a lot to the directors then to the Prince, Cengiz. I would just ask them a thousand questions. I didn’t know anything, like, do you bring your own lunch? What is it like being on a movie set? So yeah, a bunch of questions basically. You’re never really ready until like the first day is over and you have an impression of what it’s like. It was wild.
How would you compare it to your experience on TV series? I know that you made an appearance on Scam in 2016, right?
Yeah. With the champagne bottle in the background. [Laughs].
So that was quite different, right?
Yeah. That was very different. Since I’m a singer, I have done TV performances, but it’s all different because you’re asked to look into the camera always and kind of like really tell the story of the song to the viewers. With film, you’re supposed to be in the moment, and the last thing you should do is look into the camera. I guess it’s similar in a way where you’re trying to tell a story and translate something to an audience.
Ellen, obviously you feature a lot of more experience due to your filmography in your acting career. Did you take inspiration from anything or anyone in particular in preparing for the role of the cruel stepmother?
Ellen Dorrit Petersen: I was cast quite late, so I was a bit like diving in with my head first. The thing with this director is that I feel so trusted when I’m with her, so she makes me feel like a competent person. She talked a little bit about the background of this character as she imagined it like this is a broken woman, she’s suffered a lot of loss, and she’s not handling it. I was just thinking, I mean, there is so many people that when they face defeat, they kind of lose it. They lose themselves and they lose their dignity and they’re willing to step on others to get what they want. Regina, the stepmom wants to become queen mom. She’s working hard for it. In that, she is ruthless and cruel and mean and everything. We all know these people exist. I was trying to kind of think about the person I met and just morph them into this character.
I’m guessing you two spent a lot of time together on the set. Ellen, are there any tips you gave Astrid, or did you have any particular talks about acting in general?
Petersen: Absolutely no tips to Astrid. She’s so great. As I said, I was cast quite late and I came up to Lillehammer, where we are gonna shoot it, and I came into the hotel and they said, ‘Have you met Astrid?,’ and I said, ‘Astrid, Astrid what?’ Astrid S who’s playing Cinderella?,’ and it just struck me. At first, I was a bit starstruck because I love her. I thought, ‘It’s best cast I’ve ever heard. It’s genius,’ I thought. I met her and well, everyone was right that made that decision. She’s just perfect. She is Cinderella, She is like water from the glacier. She’s got eyes like the universe, and she is so genuine and hardworking and kind and gentle and funny and giggling. She is the real-life Cinderella.
Astrid S: Wow. Thank you so much.
Astrid, Cinderella seems to pay much attention to the animals’ well-being in the story. Is there an animal rights message in the movie?
Astrid S: I remember in one of the scenes, she’s like, ‘Don’t shoot animals you’re not gonna eat,’ so definitively, I think there’s some message there of taking care of the animals and having respect for their territory. I feel like myself, even with how we are basically taking over so much land and several animal species are dying. I think there’s definitely some message you could take from the movie to take care of our animals.
This one is for both of you. Is there a particular moment from the movie you remember?
Petersen: I remember watching Cengiz and Astrid dancing the last dance. We’re all standing around in this beautiful castle, and it’s just magical. This movie is gonna be really beautiful because of those two.
Astrid S: I remember very well when we were shooting the bridge scene. Not to do any spoilers of the action scene, but Ellen’s character is just peaking. There’s so much emotion and so much going on. It’s scary and hysterical. It was really fun to watch that scene.
You both picked my favorite moments from the movie, so yeah, I totally agree. Astrid, are you considering doing more movies after this experience?
Astrid S: I would love to, but I also know that it feels like this was one of a kind experience when it comes to the cast and working with Cecilie and the story. There’s a part of me that kind of just wants to leave it and then have this experience and then do music. I guess if the right project comes along with the right people, then I would love to do it again.
I’m guessing it’s not very easy to handle both your musical career and your acting career. So currently you are going back to music, if I understand correctly, right? Unless there is the right project.
Astrid S: Yes.
What was the hardest moment or scene to shoot?
Astrid S: I think the very intimate scenes with the Prince because there’s like a hundred people and cameras and equipment everywhere. That was a bit hard to get it, like trying to block everything out. Yeah, that was probably the most difficult one for me.
And what about you, Ellen? What was the most challenging part?
Petersen: Challenging is maybe the right word. I don’t think there was any difficult scenes because everything was so much fun that even though we were cold, we were still having fun. I was racing this horse in this scene where me and my daughter were leaving in a rush and I’m this close to the wall, like the horse just ran. I was just thinking about it because I was so scared afterwards because these houses are protected. They’re so old and I just can’t get over it really that I almost destroyed a house. [Laughs]. That’s haunting me.
You mentioned that it was cold, so I’m guessing you were shooting outside, right?
Astrid S: I think everything outdoors is in Norway. Then we also shot some castle scenes in Lithuania. I feel like it looks so good that I think a lot of people don’t think it’s real. I just have to say it is the real nature of Norway that you see in this movie.
It was very beautiful. The Northern Lights, too. It looked amazing. My final question for both of you, is there anything in particular you would like to add about this project and about this movie to invite fans to watch it?
Astrid S: I would hope that people wanna watch it. We had so much fun making it. I hope and think that comes across through the screen. It’s probably been the top three, one of the most amazing and fun things I’ve done in my whole life. I think people are missing out if they don’t see the movie.
