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Richard Madden on Prepping for 'Cinderella' Dance Scenes

Richard Madden on Prepping for 'Cinderella' Dance Scenes

4:48·By Gemma G
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From the Red Wedding to The Royal Ball, Richard Madden's luck is improving! The Scottish actor stops by the YH Studio to tell us all about his turn as Prince Charming in Disney's live-action 'Cinderella', including the grueling dance lessons and his first reaction when he saw the finished product! He also talks about recording commentary with his "Game of Thrones" mom Michelle Fairley, plus he reveals what other hit TV series he's currently binge-watching!

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Young Hollywood

So excited to have Richard Madden here. Thank you for coming in.

Richard Madden

Thanks for having me.

Young Hollywood

I'm going to fan out a little bit. Blown away by this movie on so many levels. First of all, the acting.

Richard Madden

Thanks very much.

Young Hollywood

Um, but this is done so well. It's just done so well. I think of all the Disney remakes, not to choose favorites, but this is my favorite. Yeah. It's beautifully done. It's beautifully done. And you just said it more beautifully than I said it. Um, your first reaction when you saw it?

Richard Madden

I just like smiled the whole way.

Young Hollywood

So a guy does? It's not just a girl? Okay.

Richard Madden

No, my friends made fun of me when I first got the part, and they continued to make fun of me.

Young Hollywood

Oh, I bet.

Richard Madden

And then I got the Mercedes Berlin, and they watched the film, and they all had like puffy eyes from crying. Yeah. They did. So if you can make a man cry, this is this is a good This is a good thing.

Young Hollywood

So with the teasing you got, was it because of the dance and the ball or something?

Richard Madden

Oh, it's because I'm playing I'm playing the prince, and they I think they don't really view me as that.

Young Hollywood

Really? How do they see you?

Richard Madden

I wouldn't like to say. I don't know. They call me Prince Charming behind my back.

Young Hollywood

Do they really? Oh, that's so cute. Oh, I love it. I love it. But they're proud, and they cried.

Richard Madden

Yeah, they're proud and they cried, and they smiled, and they loved it, and they're totally not the demographic. So I was pleased with that.

Young Hollywood

Okay, so if we're talking about guy's things versus girl's things, because obviously, everybody knows the story of Cinderella. She goes to the ball, she gets the I want to set it up for you. Instead of a pumpkin, what's your what's your chariot of choice? The ultimate guy night.

Richard Madden

I don't know. I'd probably just be in like a really loud club with loads of music.

Young Hollywood

Nice. How are you getting there? What's the chariot?

Richard Madden

An Aston Martin would be all right.

Young Hollywood

There you go. What what are you wearing? Not a blue gown, I'm assuming.

Richard Madden

God no. Not a blue gown. Maybe something like this. Just all in black. Just Yeah.

Young Hollywood

Have people called you out on the one eyebrow? You voluntarily.

Richard Madden

I I can't control it. Really? It's it's uncontrollable, yeah. I'm not aware of it.

Young Hollywood

Thanks. Now I've made you Now I've made you completely aware of it. I read that in the ballroom scene when she makes her entrance, there was actually a real moment for all of you guys.

Richard Madden

For God, yeah. Yeah. I mean, it was such a huge set. Like we didn't CGI it. So you had this great set. And there's like 2,000 lit candles in the studio that day. And when Lily kind of appears at the top of the stairs in her Cinderella dress, you just like it dawned and took the breath away.

Young Hollywood

Yeah. You had to have exceptional strength, I read, for the dancing scene. Exceptional strength.

Richard Madden

Yes. I wish I had exceptional strength. I just had to train a lot um because I'm not a very good dancer, really. I had to train a lot to kind of make sure I knew what I was doing, and I wouldn't like destroy Lily's dress. And did destroy two of them.

Young Hollywood

Did you? I was going to bring that up.

Richard Madden

Before they let me wear the real one, and then the real one by then I'd kind of got it down.

Young Hollywood

I know. I know you've been acting for a long time, but I feel like it's been a kind of a whirlwind.

Richard Madden

Yeah, totally. I think that Game of Thrones has thing for that, you know, I kind of I thought it would be like a little niche show, and it turned into something really big.

Young Hollywood

So you guys had no idea.

Richard Madden

No. And that's really great because it means I get to kind of do things like Cinderella now that I would've never had a chance to.

Young Hollywood

I think I read that recent Did you have to record audio when you were sobbing?

Richard Madden

There's only kind of lots male sobbing going on. Recording the audio over the Yeah. It was like we were doing it down the line, so it was me in London, and Michelle, who's my mother, was in L. A. , and we're all kind of got these ear pieces in, watching it and doing the audio commentary for a whole episode, and and Michelle, who's my mother, hadn't seen the episode yet.

Young Hollywood

Had she not watched it?

Richard Madden

She had not watched it. So first time watching it was kind of with us, and then like she's getting upset, and I'm kind of getting upset by it because it's such a kind of trauma It was a big traumatic thing to do, but also it was the end of us kind of being a family. I got to see you like my on-screen mother more than my real mother. So like when it was the last day of that, it's like a big emotional thing. It's five years of my life, you know.

Young Hollywood

Do you still watch?

Richard Madden

Of course I do. Yeah. But you kind of know something's in season five. You've spoiled something.

Young Hollywood

Yeah, I've not spoiled anything yet. And I only know one little thing. But you know. You have information.

Richard Madden

I know, but I try and like I try and tell my friends I'm like, please don't tell me what's going to happen. And then we're having a beer, and they'll be like, oh right, in episode four when this I'm like, stop it, stop it, stop it.

Young Hollywood

Because he's cute.

Richard Madden

Yeah, he's like it, isn't it? He's like it.

Young Hollywood

He's been in here, I know. He's a little bit He's a troublemaker.

Richard Madden

He has indeed.

Young Hollywood

Um, actually, you also have Bastille. Uh Bastille is coming out, yeah? Idris Elba. Yes. Phenomenal actor.

Richard Madden

Yeah. It's funny because we're quite an odd pairing, I think, as a couple of actors.

Young Hollywood

Odd couple? Um How so?

Richard Madden

Well, I don't know, it's very different people. I think we're kind of chalk and cheese, but I think that's what makes it work. We really got on and actually kind of hopefully got some good comic elements out of what this kind of should be like a thriller, like an action film. I don't really know what it's going to be yet because I've not seen anything. But we had a great time shooting it. It's modern day. I get to wear jeans and T-shirt for a change, and uh it's kind of bombs and guns. It was roomie. It was nice. A nice change.

Young Hollywood

Yeah. A lot of actors that sit where you're sitting, they say to me, you know, if I say one show that they're obsessed with, they name, is there something that you binge-watch? Because they all say Game of Thrones. Is there something that you

Richard Madden

I'm binge-watching American Horror Story at the moment. I love that show.

Young Hollywood

Yeah. You've caught up?

Richard Madden

Yeah. I'm like halfway through season four, the freak show one. I've got like four episodes to go.

Young Hollywood

You could show up on that show.

Richard Madden

I'd love to be on that show. It's great.

Young Hollywood

There you go. Put it out there. Anyway, thank you for coming in.

Richard Madden

Thank you very much. This is a pleasure. Thank you.

Young Hollywood

Absolutely phenomenal movie.

Richard Madden

Thanks.

Timestamps are approximate — click one to jump the player.

PEOPLE MENTIONED

  • Richard Madden

    The interviewee, discussing his roles and projects

  • Lily James

    His co-star as Cinderella

  • Michelle Fairley

    His on-screen mother in 'Game of Thrones'

  • Idris Elba

    His co-star in the film 'Bastille'

FAQ

What role does Richard Madden play in Disney's live-action 'Cinderella'?+
Richard Madden plays Prince Charming in Disney's live-action 'Cinderella'.
Did Richard Madden have to take dance lessons for 'Cinderella'?+
Yes, Richard Madden had to train a lot for the dance scenes in 'Cinderella' because he is not a very good dancer.
Who did Richard Madden record 'Game of Thrones' commentary with?+
Richard Madden recorded 'Game of Thrones' commentary with Michelle Fairley, who played his mother in the series.
What TV show is Richard Madden currently binge-watching?+
Richard Madden is currently binge-watching 'American Horror Story'.
What is Richard Madden's next film project mentioned?+
Richard Madden mentions his next film project is 'Bastille', where he co-stars with Idris Elba.
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