A Brilliant Star: Emma Fuhrmann Talks Working With Major Hollywood Stars and Her Upcoming Film, ‘Blended’
GALO: Adam Sandler is known to be very funny in his films. Was he cracking jokes all the time when he was on set?
EF: Yeah, he did actually crack some jokes on set. He was very funny, but I feel like even though his movies are very funny and I love them, this one might have a little bit more heart than some of his others. My character, like I just said, is still grieving over her mom. So, I feel like that part of my parents brings the heart to the movie, and I’m so happy to be able to have that special moment at the end of the movie with Adam, which I guarantee will make you cry.
GALO: How were you able to snag big roles next to such amazing Hollywood stars?
EF: That’s a good question. I wish I knew. I just feel like I go in the room and I give it my best ’cause I believe in myself, and I know my lines and I’ve analyzed the character. I’ve completely given 110 percent of myself in the audition room, hoping that I wowed the people and get the role. It’s a complete blessing the entire time. It’s amazing.
GALO: What has been your most challenging role yet?
EF: I feel like all characters have one spot that’s particularly challenging. In The Magic of Belle Isle, it was when she’s walking on the street with him and he’s trying to tell her she’s got to see what’s not there, but she can’t see what’s not there. That was the hard part for me in that movie. I had to try and see what’s not there and there was just something about it. It was the first or second week, so I was still getting used to the feeling of working with Rob, Morgan and Virginia, and I wanted it to be perfect, because it’s very important for my character that first lesson of figuring out how to write and be imaginative.
In Blended, it was the same with Adam. I really wanted it to be perfect. So I worked really hard on that scene. It was the one where I was crying — that scene that will probably make you cry. I just wanted to give my all in it so it’s perfect in the movie, and I think I did a pretty good [job].
[Crying was] the easy part for me. It was just making sure people could understand how I feel. Because when you’re crying and you’re in the moment, you’ve got to just realize what the audience is going to think during this [time] and should you say your line like this instead of that, so that they feel more sorry for you, or something like that.
GALO: Conversely, which movie was the most fun?
EM: For The Magic of Belle Isle, I went to New York; Blended, I went to South Africa and Atlanta. I think I have to say Blended, because it was in South Africa. That was a crazy, awesome experience. Where, literally, you have to lock your doors or the monkeys will come in and steal all your stuff. They would come over to the craft table and steal all of our food. They’d be sitting there on the bench and we’d all get as close as we could and get pictures. It was really fun having monkeys all over the set, really neat. I’ve never had a monkey on set with me before, so I think that was pretty cool. And literally, driving to set there were baboons on one side of the road and monkeys on the trees, little warthogs with their mommy warthogs, it was crazy.
GALO: Do you have a dream role you would like to play or an actor you’ve always wanted to work with?
EF: For sure. I’ve always wanted to work with Steven Spielberg. He is such an amazing, amazing director. I’ve seen most of his movies and I’m just like, “wow, he’s so good.” I mean, from how he tells people to say this line, little movements, to the way he sets up the shot. It’s completely incredible. He always picks movies with really great character storylines, so I feel like it would definitely bring out a character I’ve never played before and a piece of me that I’ve never really seen.
But dream role, I’ve always wanted to be in a period piece. I don’t know why. I’ve read The Little House on the Prairie and was like, “I want to be able to do something like that.” I’m into fashion, so it’s even cooler when you’ve got the corset, the dress. I want to be in a period piece, it sounds so fun and a new way to explore how you can be different characters.
GALO: Are you interested in the history aspect of a period piece, too?
EF: Yeah, the history on top of the outfits, for sure. I feel like you’re teaching people how people lived in that time period and how they dressed, and how they ate, and how they spoke. It’s just like an educational process.
GALO: When you aren’t acting, what do you do in your spare time?
EF: I go to school and I’m a big bookworm, so I read and I love to do fashion design. I love fashion and I want to have my own fashion line when I’m older. I’d call it Cate Couture, because my middle name is Cate. I also like to swim. I used to be on the swim team, so we have a pool. I’m always swimming, no matter what the temperature.
GALO: How do you manage school around your filming schedule?
EF: My school is really great with that. They literally just give me the lesson plans and the books and I’m ready to go film; it’s as simple as that. And I’m really thankful for the opportunity to have such a good school that works around my schedule.
GALO: Have you filmed any other movies with big stars?
EF: I just filmed a movie with Josh Duhamel called Lost in the Sun, and we filmed it in Austin, Texas and I had a lot of fun on the set. I got to work with Josh, Lynn Collins and I got to meet Fergie, who is such an amazing person. I also got to meet Josh and Fergie’s son, Axl Jack, who is the most adorable little boy you’ve seen in your life. He has these most gorgeous blue eyes. And I got to work with up-and-comer Josh Wiggins. So it was a really good experience for me. I’m so thankful for every set I’ve been on that I’ve had a fellow child actor with me. I always get their phone number and we’ll always meet up when I’m in town. So I love those kinds of relationships, whether you work with them for a day, a week, or 14 weeks, you still have a really good relationship that might even last forever.
Video Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
Catch Emma Fuhrmann in the much-anticipated PG-13 comedy “Blended,” which hits theaters on May 23.