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Right Royal Part For Julie Andrews
submitted by: Lisa D.
source: The Edmonton Sun
Date: August 3, 2001
By LOUIS B. HOBSON, CALGARY SUN
HOLLYWOOD -- When he agreed to direct The Princess Diaries, Garry Marshall knew he needed a pretty remarkable woman.
This Disney family comedy, opening today, is the story of the stern queen of a small European country who must teach her gawky American granddaughter how to be regal.
Marshall felt Julie Andrews was the perfect choice to play the grandmother.
"A homeless lady in the Australian Outback living with kangaroos is not something she can do, but playing a queen - that's no stretch for Julie Andrews," says Marshall, whose films include Pretty Woman, Beaches and Runaway Bride. "People buy that without a second thought. A respectful hush greets her when she enters a room and people literally sit up straighter when she joins them at a table."
It was Whitney Houston who brought the project to Disney, and the singer is one of the producers for The Princess Diaries.
"I think Whitney originally had the project developed for her to play a role, but she felt it was a bit too close to her TV musical version of Cinderella," said Marshall.
Houston visited the set of The Princess Diaries a few times, notably the day Marshall celebrated his 67th birthday.
Anne Hathaway, who plays the film's reluctant princess, recalls that special visit.
"Whitney brought the biggest cake, blazing with 67 candles, and began singing Happy Birthday. We all joined in until we realized we had one of the greatest voices in the world leading us. We all stopped and just let her finish."
For Hathaway, Houston's visit was not nearly as nerve-racking as her initial meeting with Andrews at the first reading of the script.
"There were an extra 75 people at the reading who'd just come to meet Julie. There was absolute silence when she entered the room."
Hathaway admits she was "shaking like a leaf. I was convinced I wouldn't be able to read because my hands were shaking too much to turn the pages of my script.
"Julie noticed and came over to me and gave me the biggest bear hug. She rendered me speechless and calmed me completely."
Hathaway, who starred in Fox's series Get Real, says Andrews "is a marvel. She had the crew in stitches all the time with her stories and jokes, yet she can become completely serious the moment the cameras start rolling.
"She simply becomes the character with what appears to be no effort at all."
Pop singer Mandy Moore makes her acting debut in The Princess Diaries.
"I don't have plans for world domination," Moore said. "I just want people to hear my music, but I also wanted to see if I could act."
Moore gets to sing a version of the Connie Francis classic Stupid Cupid in The Princess Diaries.
"I'd never heard the original version and I didn't want to listen to it. I still don't know who Connie Francis is.
"The way I sing Stupid Cupid is the way I feel my character would do it to show off to all her friends."
Moore's favorite singer is Faith Hill, who Moore, 16, says is "the coolest person I've ever met."
There's one other celebrity Moore is dying to meet.
"My favourite film of all time is Beaches. I desperately want to meet Bette Midler. I'd love to star in a movie with her."
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