The Nutcracker And The Four Realms: Mackenzie Foy Exclusive Interview

Thanks to Disney I was able to attend the red-carpet premiere of The Nutcracker and The Four Realms and interview Mackenzie Foy, the lead actress playing “Clara” in the film.

In the Nutcracker and The Four Realms, young Clara needs a magical, one-of-a-kind key to unlock a box that contains a priceless gift. A golden thread leads her to the coveted key, but it soon disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. In that world, she meets a soldier named Phillip, a group of mice and the regents who preside over three realms. Clara and Phillip must now enter a fourth realm to retrieve the key and restore harmony to the unstable land.

I was so impressed with Mackenzie, as she started talking she reminded me so much of my niece Chole. Just so smart, funny, and mature to be nearly 18 years old. She said her favorite Disney movie was Cinderella, I could totally see that. Well was Cinderella, now I imagine it’s The Nutcracker and The Four Realms. LOL!!! So, what was it like for Mackenzie starring in this holiday classic? Here’s what she shared.

Mackenzie-at-nutcracker-interview — Photo Credit: Coralie Hughes Seright / LovebugsAndPostcards.com

QUESTION: Can you tell us about the interview process?

“The audition process was actually quite long. It was about two months, which, isn’t really long, but it is more than usual. It was really fun. I did self-tapes because the casting was in London. And once I did a screentest; they flew me to London to do it in full costume, hair and makeup with a partial set and a real camera, it was like, oh my goodness!!! I didn’t really have too many details about the story of the character when I first got the audition. I just knew that it was a British character and that immediately, piqued my interest. And as I went further into the actual process, I learned more of what the story was, and what the character was, and I kind of got to go a little deeper into her, and then when I booked in, I was fully immersed in Clara, which was fun.”

Mackenzie-during-nutcracker-interview — Photo Credit: Coralie Hughes Seright/LovebugsAndPostcards.com

QUESTION: What was it like to get the call that you were going to be Clara in the movie?

“It was really exciting. So, I was actually in the shower doing my hair when my mom ran in and said, “the directors on the phone”. I was like, oh my gosh, okay. So, I put a towel on, and I answered, and the director said, would you be our Clara? I was like, oh my goodness, yes! Thank you so much. And he’s like, all right, see you in a couple weeks.”

behind-the-scenes-of-the-nutcracker — Joe Johnston with Mackenzie Foy and Jayden Fowora-Knight on the set of Disney’s THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS.

QUESTION: How does it feel to be a classical character now?

“It’s really fun. What’s beautiful about the Nutcracker is it’s such a beloved story throughout many, many years. So it’s really fun to be able to play a character that so many people all over the world can relate to and have kind of like this childhood connection from seeing the ballet when they were young. I think that’s really important to be able to do.”

clara-and-sugar-plum-fairy-in-nutcracker — Mackenzie Foy is Clara, Keira Knightley is Sugar Plum Fairy, Jaden Fowara-Knight is Phillip, Eugenio Derbez is Hawthorne and Richard E. Grant is Shiver in Disney’s THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS.

QUESTION: Could you tell us what was your favorite costume to wear?

“My favorite costume, hum. I wear quite a few costumes in the film which was really fun. They were all handmade- all very, very intricate, which is really amazing. But I really love the purple party dress because that one has a bustle- and it’s really fun. It was very beautiful, there’s a lot of detail that went into the costume design, from the tights, to the shoes, to the many skirt layers, the bodices, and the corset. So, I have a very high respect for all of the costumes. They have kind of a different character to them, and they go with Clara’s evolution, which I really like.”

Mackenzie Foy is Clara and Jayden Fowara Knight is Phillip in Disney’s THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS.

QUESTION: Every holiday, our family have those must-see movies that we watch. Do you see this film as being one of those traditional holiday movies that families will continue to watch together every year, and why?

“Well, I definitely hope it is something that people want to see every year. I think the film really captures the spirit of the holiday season. When it starts to be cold, you just have that joyous feeling. I think it really captures that. It also has elements of the book and the ballet to where if you are older, and you have seen it many times, you have that nostalgic feeling, but it also has kind of a new twists and turns that brings in the younger you and all ages. It kind of brings everyone in together to watch it. So, I hope that families like it, and that they go and see it every year.”

nutcracker-and-clara — Mackenzie Foy is Clara and Jayden Fowara-Knight is Phillip the Nutcracker in Disney’s THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS.

I think I can speak for the team, we truly enjoyed interviewing Mackenzie, so was a true joy. Her excitement for the movie was infectious. We had not seen the movie prior to our interview and talking to her made my desire to see it heighten.

This is a great holiday family movie. There are so many great lessons for adults and children, like the significance of a mother’s gift to her child. Maybe you didn’t grow up watching holiday movies and you want to start this fun tradition with your family, start with The Nutcracker and The Four Realms in theaters everywhere now!

[latoyia]

P.S. I will be sharing more of the amazing interviews, tours and behind the scene activities that I experienced while in Los Angeles for the #DisneysNutcrackerEvent.

You can also stay informed about THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS by visiting the website, following on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also follow along using the #DisneysNutcrackerEvent hashtag.