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Super 8 Cast Shares Super Secrets?

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Find out what Elle Fanning and the Super 8 boys could and could not give away.

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Key Moments (5)

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Key Topics (7)

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Young Hollywood

I'm Oliver Trivino here at the Young Hollywood Studio with this young and talented actress with this bunch of five mental acts that completely throw me off my whole job. Elle Fanning, how are you?

Elle Fanning

I'm great.

Young Hollywood

Zach, Joel, Riley, Gabriel, and Ryan.

Elle Fanning

Ryan, yes. Yes. Boom.

Young Hollywood

And Super 8. I saw it. No one believes me.

Elle Fanning

I believe you.

Young Hollywood

How did you keep it a secret? Or did you? Did you tell anyone?

Elle Fanning

I didn't tell anyone. It was very hard, though. I mean, I didn't really know the secret either. I sort of found out the secret last night. So, there really wasn't anything to tell.

Young Hollywood

I can't help but find it difficult that you lot would be able to keep a secret.

Elle Fanning

Yeah. I wasn't even allowed to tell my grandma for like two months.

Young Hollywood

You must have literally just have to be gagged.

Elle Fanning

For a while, all I could say was Super 8, J. J. Abrams and that was about it. They were making us sign confidentiality agreements from the first time we got called back. So from the audition, they were like, you can't tell anyone. But it's kind of cool though. I think I've died on camera now. It's kind of cool to be part of that huge secret thing.

Young Hollywood

If you're a girl in a group of boys.

Elle Fanning

Yes.

Young Hollywood

How was that?

Elle Fanning

It was really fun. Yeah.

Young Hollywood

I can't help but feel really sorry for L. She must have just been overwhelmed.

Elle Fanning

And I was just like one of the guys. I fit in perfectly. They told me how to throw a football and I made a touchdown as well.

Young Hollywood

They hadn't appeared in pretty much anything before, right? They're all new. What a way to go in. You're talking about head shots. She's in a Spielberg movie. Not too bad. Oh, yeah. What's up? Darling. Yeah. What have you been up to? I don't know you. You will. Did they ask you for tips?

Elle Fanning

Um, well, I was the youngest one. I was 12 and they were all older than me and Riley and Joel were the ones that had never been in anything before. J. J. really wanted us to like, he wanted to see the chemistry, so a lot of it was us just hanging out and being friends. They were sort of nervous and I was I'm always nervous the first day of shooting anyway because you always feel like, oh my God, It's like starting a new school. Right. Yeah, so you're meeting all these different people and they sort of felt the same way I did. Even more so because it was their first time ever.

Young Hollywood

Production value. Terry, put film in the camera, right? I didn't put it in. What? Put it in. Terry, Joe, get the mic ready. Go, go, go. Oh my God. Joe, Joe, Martin, Martin. Terry, Martin, Get that tripod set up. Start filming. The extra loud when the train passes by. Here we go. And Action. The film did have that kind of ET Goonies twist on it.

Elle Fanning

Yes, it definitely had a lot of that feeling, but I mean it was a lot more fresh. Yes. So that you have something to look forward to.

Young Hollywood

Yeah, it was like the truffle shuffle with her. You can't teach an old dog new tricks. Can anyone do the truffle shuffle now?

Elle Fanning

I can. I'm not taking my shirt up.

Young Hollywood

We can see it through his shirt. Oh my God. All right, well, you've just landed the Goonies sequel. If there is one. I want to know, obviously you and your sister, what did your parents feed you when you were little to give you these talents?

Elle Fanning

Yeah, it's funny cuz I'm not from an acting family at all. My parents, they're all athletes. My dad played professional baseball and my mom played tennis. And so when they saw when they found out that this is what they were doing, they were like, she's supposed to be in tennis, you know, that's what they always thought. Right. You're supposed to be like the tennis sisters, you know.

Young Hollywood

How am I supposed to be a zombie?

Elle Fanning

Oh, um pretty much just be a lifeless ghoul with no soul, dead eyes.

Young Hollywood

You're keeping busy and it's amazing that you stopped in. So you really are a little family now.

Elle Fanning

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah.

Young Hollywood

So, thanks for coming in. Enjoy the rest of your day. Pleasure meeting you all and good luck for your amazing future that's going to be huge. You're in danger. I don't know your choice. You do have a choice. I love you so much.

Elle Fanning

I love you, too.

Young Hollywood

Guys, watch out. Joe, what the hell are you on? Oh my God. Run. Oh my God.

Timestamps are approximate — click one to jump the player.

PEOPLE MENTIONED

  • Elle Fanning

    Main interviewee, actress in "Super 8"

  • Zach

    Cast member of "Super 8"

  • Joel

    Cast member of "Super 8"

  • Riley

    Cast member of "Super 8"

  • Gabriel

    Cast member of "Super 8"

  • Ryan

    Cast member of "Super 8"

  • J. J. Abrams

    Director of "Super 8"

  • Steven Spielberg

    Referenced regarding film influence

FAQ

How did the cast of Super 8 keep the film's plot a secret?+
The cast had to sign confidentiality agreements from the audition stage, and for a while, they could only reveal the film's title and J. J. Abrams as the director.
What was Elle Fanning's experience like as the only girl among the Super 8 boy cast members?+
Elle Fanning stated it was really fun, and she fit in perfectly, even learning how to throw a football from the boys.
Were the Super 8 cast members experienced actors?+
Many of the young male cast members, specifically Riley and Joel, had never been in a film before, making Super 8 their first acting experience.
What was Elle Fanning's family background regarding acting?+
Elle Fanning comes from an athletic family; her dad played professional baseball and her mom played tennis, and they initially expected her to pursue tennis.
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