4.3.2.1.
With his new movie 4.3.2.1. writer, director and actor Noel Calrke has concentrated on female characters and brought together a young and talented cast.
With the four main characters each so distinct and defined, it would require a quartet of equally talented actresses to bring them alive. Fortunately for Clarke, with the financing already secured on the strength of his name alone, he was given free range to cast the film.
"Essentially it didn’t really matter who we had in the film. We could’ve had all unknowns, and it wouldn’t have mattered because it was financed off of me.
"Such freedom meant he could bring on board old friends like Adam Deacon, who played Jay in Adulthood and Kidulthood, for the role of Dillon, one of the members of the gang involved in handling the stolen diamonds.
When it came to the girls, the first of the four cast was Tamsin Egerton. The willowy beauty who made her name in comedies such as Driving Lessons, Keeping Mum and the St. Trinians films, she was cast as Cassandra, the most well-to-do of the gang.
"When I was given this script, about a year-and-a-half ago, no cast was attached," recalls Egerton. "But they said, ‘Look at all the roles.’ And I was specifically drawn to Cassandra, and I know she’s the middle class one, but I liked the fact that she’s so different to Chelsea in St. Trinians. I’ve turned down so much after St. Trinians, that was along the same lines."
Unlike the other three girls, Cassandra’s story takes place primarily in New York, as she heads across the Atlantic for an audition to enter music college, all the while hoping to hook up with Brett, a guy she’s met in the Internet.
"She’s a really good girl," says Egerton of her character. "She’s really strait-laced. She’s very innocent. And she’s a dreamer. She’s romantic. I think I have this incredible romance and I’m going to lose my virginity on a bed of rose petals with champagne in New York.
"But it doesn’t go to plan. And so my story really is facing the difficulties that come my way, especially with men. I grow a bit of balls, I suppose, in a figurative sense!"
In next was rising star Emma Roberts, who had previously starred in Universal’s Wild Child. Looking for an American girl to play the part of Joanne, who now lives in London after her mother married an Englishman, Clarke first came across her when he caught an episode of Unfabulous, the Nickelodeon show that first launched her.
"I thought it was pretty good," says Clarke, "and I saw the name ‘Emma Roberts’ and I didn’t think anything of it. And I said to the guys, ‘We should go for this American girl’. Because the character was always going to be American, to add a bit of spice." It was only later that Clarke checked up and realised Roberts had a rather famous Aunt.
Roberts immediately responded to the script when she received it. "I read it, and I really thought it was a very original and clever idea. I heard nothing but great things about Noel Clarke, so I was excited to have the opportunity to work with him."
Not unlike Egerton, she saw it as a chance to expand her repertoire. "It’s a very edgy role. The people that saw Wild Child and loved it, two years ago, are now at the age where they’ll love this. It’s very different from anything I’ve done. Period. It’s much more mature, this is how 18 year-old girls act. It’s really honest, I think."
As for the role of Shannon, the most troubled of the four, Damon Bryant can take some credit. "I went to a good friend of mine, Sam Taylor Wood," he remembers. "I asked her ‘You’ve just done [John Lennon story] Nowhere Boy. What girls did you see?’ And she said, ‘An amazing girl, Ophelia Lovibond.’ And as soon as she did her audition, me, Noel and Mark were just in tears.
"Very rarely can you get that emotion sitting in a boardroom. She’s amazing." Clarke concurs: "She’s probably one of the best, if not the best, actress that I’ve worked with, even at her young age. And I’ve worked with a lot."
Lovibond, who was cast as Lennon’s friend Marie Kennedy in Nowhere Boy, admits she sympathised with the plight of her character, whose parents are splitting up. "Obviously all of them have family troubles, or chasing a ridiculous love in New York, like Cassandra’s character.
"But my character is certainly the most emotionally unstable. She’s always had to be quite self-sufficient. Her mum has had her very young, so her mum has certainly had her own life. And Shannon has never wanted to feel too much of a burden to her mum.
"She wanted to get as much emotional contact from her as possible - to piss her off basically! So she keeps herself to herself."
For his fourth girl, the rebellious and streetwise Kerrys, Clarke turned to another old friend and collaborator, Shanika Warren-Markland, who played Kayla in Adulthood. Admitting that she immediately 'loved' the character when Clarke sent her the script, the actress believes that Kerrys is very different from her Adulthood role.
"Kerrys knows her own mind. And she likes her trainers. She likes her little short skirts and sports tops. This is what she likes to wear. I don’t think Kayla would’ve been like that - she was a bit more serious."
The bulk of Kerrys’ story revolves around her clashes with her half-brother Manuel (played by Gregg Chillin). "She has a lot of issues with her family that I think at first she’s not admitting to herself. That leads to a lot of things that she does, because of the family issues that she’s got going on.
"And they’re confronted throughout the few days of the film, I think that does change her. You do see a difference. Not a resolution exactly but a new beginning, with the family situation.
"It’s discussed, the issues with her family, and then she comes to an agreement with herself, so you see that journey as well."
Clarke and Davis took great pains to ensure that some strong supporting players surrounded their four stars. Sean Pertwee was cast as Shannon’s father and Helen McCrory was brought in to play Joanne’s mother.
Bionic Woman star Michelle Ryan was later cast as Kelly, the ruthless dealer who will stop at nothing to get the diamonds, while recording sensation Eve was hired to play Latisha, a tough New Yorker that helps Cassandra out of a tight spot.
Perhaps the most unusual coup was the securing filmmaker Kevin Smith to play Big Larry, a foul-mouthed courier Cassandra meets on her way to New York.
An avowed Smith fan, right back to his debut film Clerks, Clarke eventually met his hero at ComiCon, the San Diego-based annual convention from fans of sci-fi and fantasy films, comics and television shows. After expressing his admiration for the director, they kept in touch.
"When this came up, I realised he was coming to London around the time we were filming to do his book tour. So I said, ‘Since you’re here anyway, do you want to appear in the film?’
"I sent him an e-mail. He said, ‘Let me read it.’ And he read it and said ‘Yeah. Providing I’m not topless or bottomless, I’ll do it.’"
No stranger to acting, having appeared as Silent Bob in a number of his own films, Smith didn’t need much direction, according to Davis. "He actually asked, ‘Do you mind if I add a few lines?’ And this was Kevin Smith! What the hell is he talking about? Of course he can!
"He was so good to work with. He really wasn’t an ego or anything. He was just really open and himself, and had this energy and a way of doing stuff, which felt semi-improvised. He just gave that extra thing which is what you hope from any good actor."
So was there any chance of Davis getting a cameo in the next Kevin Smith movie? "I plan on staying entirely behind the camera," he smiles. "But I’m certain Noel should."
Finally, Clarke cast himself as Tee, the aggressive middle-man in the diamond robbery who is working undercover at the 24 Hour mini-mart where Joanne has been forced to cover for her father.
"He’s kind of a manipulative little trouble-maker really," Clarke says, with a grin. He points out he doesn’t mind playing in a supporting role. "The film was really about the girls, so that wasn’t a problem. My main thing is that people don’t think I write my films to benefit me.
I just like writing scripts. It’s not about me starring as the hero on the hill with the wind blowing through my hair."
4.3.2.1. is released 4th June
With his new movie 4.3.2.1. writer, director and actor Noel Calrke has concentrated on female characters and brought together a young and talented cast.
With the four main characters each so distinct and defined, it would require a quartet of equally talented actresses to bring them alive. Fortunately for Clarke, with the financing already secured on the strength of his name alone, he was given free range to cast the film.
"Essentially it didn’t really matter who we had in the film. We could’ve had all unknowns, and it wouldn’t have mattered because it was financed off of me.
"Such freedom meant he could bring on board old friends like Adam Deacon, who played Jay in Adulthood and Kidulthood, for the role of Dillon, one of the members of the gang involved in handling the stolen diamonds.
When it came to the girls, the first of the four cast was Tamsin Egerton. The willowy beauty who made her name in comedies such as Driving Lessons, Keeping Mum and the St. Trinians films, she was cast as Cassandra, the most well-to-do of the gang.
"When I was given this script, about a year-and-a-half ago, no cast was attached," recalls Egerton. "But they said, ‘Look at all the roles.’ And I was specifically drawn to Cassandra, and I know she’s the middle class one, but I liked the fact that she’s so different to Chelsea in St. Trinians. I’ve turned down so much after St. Trinians, that was along the same lines."
Unlike the other three girls, Cassandra’s story takes place primarily in New York, as she heads across the Atlantic for an audition to enter music college, all the while hoping to hook up with Brett, a guy she’s met in the Internet.
"She’s a really good girl," says Egerton of her character. "She’s really strait-laced. She’s very innocent. And she’s a dreamer. She’s romantic. I think I have this incredible romance and I’m going to lose my virginity on a bed of rose petals with champagne in New York.
"But it doesn’t go to plan. And so my story really is facing the difficulties that come my way, especially with men. I grow a bit of balls, I suppose, in a figurative sense!"
In next was rising star Emma Roberts, who had previously starred in Universal’s Wild Child. Looking for an American girl to play the part of Joanne, who now lives in London after her mother married an Englishman, Clarke first came across her when he caught an episode of Unfabulous, the Nickelodeon show that first launched her.
"I thought it was pretty good," says Clarke, "and I saw the name ‘Emma Roberts’ and I didn’t think anything of it. And I said to the guys, ‘We should go for this American girl’. Because the character was always going to be American, to add a bit of spice." It was only later that Clarke checked up and realised Roberts had a rather famous Aunt.
Roberts immediately responded to the script when she received it. "I read it, and I really thought it was a very original and clever idea. I heard nothing but great things about Noel Clarke, so I was excited to have the opportunity to work with him."
Not unlike Egerton, she saw it as a chance to expand her repertoire. "It’s a very edgy role. The people that saw Wild Child and loved it, two years ago, are now at the age where they’ll love this. It’s very different from anything I’ve done. Period. It’s much more mature, this is how 18 year-old girls act. It’s really honest, I think."
As for the role of Shannon, the most troubled of the four, Damon Bryant can take some credit. "I went to a good friend of mine, Sam Taylor Wood," he remembers. "I asked her ‘You’ve just done [John Lennon story] Nowhere Boy. What girls did you see?’ And she said, ‘An amazing girl, Ophelia Lovibond.’ And as soon as she did her audition, me, Noel and Mark were just in tears.
"Very rarely can you get that emotion sitting in a boardroom. She’s amazing." Clarke concurs: "She’s probably one of the best, if not the best, actress that I’ve worked with, even at her young age. And I’ve worked with a lot."
Lovibond, who was cast as Lennon’s friend Marie Kennedy in Nowhere Boy, admits she sympathised with the plight of her character, whose parents are splitting up. "Obviously all of them have family troubles, or chasing a ridiculous love in New York, like Cassandra’s character.
Tagged in Noel Clarke