MEDIA > ARTICLES > EMILIA MCCARTHY INTERVIEW

Emilia McCarthy was Elle's photo double on Babel. She was kind enough to answer these questions for us, and give us a peek into what the movie set was really like - so I hope you enjoy reading her words! Special thank you to Emilia and her mom, Margarita.

Can you explain what kind of work you did on the set?
I was the photo double for Elle Fanning, which is pretty much doing all the scenes that Elle did, but only distance, and night scenes are used. .

How many hours did you usually work each day?
About 9 hours a day.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
An actress.

What did you learn from working with the actors on Babel?
That take their work seriously but they still have fun.

Do you have any funny or sweet stories about working on the movie you could share?
I felt a little homesick at first, but when I started filming all of that went away.
One of the strongest memories are the snakes and scorpions that had to be cleared off the set while we filming in the desert.

How did the actors prepare for their scenes?
We got make up, sunscreen and most important clothes. We did all of that in our individual trailors.

Did you have the chance to meet Elle’s family?
Yes her grandma only.

What were they like?
Really, really nice and very generous.

Did you enjoy working with Elle?
Yes, I did it was really delightful to work with her. She is very friendly and playful just like me. We played a lot together, like modeling in the pool.

What did you do on the set when you were not working?
At night I would sleep, or in the morning I would play with my friends from the movie cast, like Blake Dow who was the photo double for Nathan Gamble and Elle and Nathan when they had time.

Did you miss any school to work on Babel?
Yes, about 6 weeks, but I had a tutor while filming.

Did you share a tutor with Elle, or did all the kids have their own?
The photo doubles shared a tutor. Elle had her own.

Did your family stay with you for the whole shoot?
My Mom did and grandma and Dad.

Did you have the chance to visit any parts of Mexico for fun?
Yes, Puerto Penasco in Sonora Mexico, Tijuana, we then on our way home we stopped at my Mom’s cousins in Mexico City and Cuernavaca.

What nationality was the crew, and what language did they speak on the set?
They were mostly Mexican and some Americans. The main languages were Spanish and English.

Have you stayed in touch with any of the cast or crew from Babel?
Yes, with Blake Dow the boy photo double, and Ann Ruark, Babel Producer.

Were there many kids to play with on set?
Sometimes!

Do you have any plans to catch up with Elle in the future?
It would be nice to get together again, like in another movie or something.

Did you bring home any souvenirs from your time on Babel?
Yes, a lot, mostly for my friends here in London, Ontario.

What do your friends think about you working on such a big movie?
They were jealous but at the same time they were really happy for me.

What was the premiere in Toronto like?
Exciting and lots of fun.

Has this experience changed your dreams of the future?
No not much but I not only want to be an actress but a model too.

What memory will you always have of making Babel?
Having fun filiming and playing with my new friends from the cast.

Thank you Emilia!

Interview for Totally Elle (October 2006).

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