GURINDER Chadha talks about directing Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging and the challenge of finding the perfect young girl to play Georgia Nicolson…

Q. Tell us about the casting of Georgia Groome in the pivotal role of Georgia Nicolson…
Gurinder Chadha: Georgia was a complete and utter professional. You can see on the screen that she is such a mature actress for someone so young. She was 14 when I auditioned her, 15 when we were shooting, but her poise and the maturity that she brought to her role was mind-boggling for someone so young.

Q. But you met her when she was younger and didn’t initially cast her?
Gurinder Chadha: Yes, when I signed on to do the film I’d seen London To Brighton, in which she was superb, and I thought: “Well, now she’s 14, she’s the right age…” So, I thought casting would be fine, we’d bring her into the room, see her first and she’d be great. We had our Georgia. But when she came in I was just really surprised that she acted very young and not the 14 I was expecting. So, I just thought it would look really wrong to have her kissing a 17-year-old boy. So, she went off and then it was really hard casting because there are a lot of 14-year-olds who either look like they’re 10 or 26. They could be flat, or they could be very developed. And for the film I needed an actress who looked really innocent and unknowing about all that, yet at the same time was ready to go in that direction and have a sort of awareness about boys so that it didn’t look yucky when all the snogging started.

So, it was very tough and I saw about 1,000 girls and in the end I said: “This is ridiculous, let’s call Georgia back in.” But in those months in between something had changed and in walked this young lady with lovely flicking hair, a lovely little figure who was much more buoyant and confident and read the scene beautifully. She was only supposed to come in for about 20 minutes but I kept her there for about five hours, getting her to do scene after scene to really make sure she was the one. But from the moment she walked back in I knew she was who I really wanted.

Q. Was Aaron Johnson easier to cast as Robbie?
Gurinder Chadha: Well, Aaron was interesting because he came in on a day when there was another guy who was really good looking – not that Aaron isn’t! But in my opinion the other guy wasn’t nearly as good an actor as Aaron, so that was tough because some of my colleagues in the States thought the other guy was really good-looking and wanted to go with him. But I wanted to go with the actor who I thought was much more talented, do a better job and who would ultimately steal our hearts for this movie because he had more depth. So, again I did the same thing with Aaron – he came in to do one thing but I kept him there and made him go through the paces and put him on tape. I guess I was getting ready to go in and really fight for him because I thought he would turn out a great performance, which he did.

I think for Aaron, initially there was a lot of bravado and he came on board and he was like: “Great, he got the part, he was the lead guy and everything.” But as the film progressed, and now as it’s finished, I think it’s been harder for him because he gets people talking to him like he’s a sex god and stuff. And yet he’s only a young boy and so I think it’s a hard thing to live up to. The name sex god comes from the book, and that’s why we kept it, but in my mind the reason girls like him in the film is because he plays that character with such charm and sensitivity. And we’re also invested in Georgia, who we know is really innocent, and he’s a bit more knowing and a bit more knowledgeable. You can see, for instance, in the swimming pool scene that he’s definitely flirting, whereas she doesn’t quite know what she’s doing. He’s got age on his side. But I think it’s those kind of nuances that he brought to the role that make him ultimately what girls like as opposed to the sex god thing.

Q. You seem to have a special affection for girls who are normal finding their way in life in your movies?
Gurinder Chadha: Yeah, I like girls who are ordinary and grappling with things that other girls are around the world. I think I like the girl next door because everybody can look gorgeous when they’re dressed up, and everyone can look like a movie star – and I think Georgia [Groome] does many times in the film – but there are also times in the film when I think she looks really plain, and really like she’s just woken up. But I think that’s important to show that different side. There are also times when she looks like a really stroppy, mean child, when she’s being rude to her mum and dad.

The thing I like about the swimming pool scene with the kiss, after Robbie swims away I think she looks like a little girl, a child again. She’s just kissed someone… and I think that’s the beauty of Georgia’s performance because at that age, when you’re a child, a girl and then a woman, it’s such a complex period. There’s so many people telling you what you should look like, what you shouldn’t look like, what clothes you should be wearing, whether you’re too fat or too thin, you’re hair should be this shape…. you’re bombarded. So, I like films that show girls going through that quagmire and coming out the other side really confident in themselves and strong in themselves. Somehow, I feel that also helps girls watching the movie give them a sense of confidence. And that’s why I think girls watch Bend It Like Beckham over and over again because it kind of gives you that sense of girl power.

Q. Did you seek much advice from the author of the novels, Louise Rennison?
Gurinder Chadha: We had to kind of get on with it ourselves. The books are great and we really did mine them for a lot of great characters and dialogue. But once we’d adapted it we then basically made our script. But there were certain times when I involved Louise in conversations and asked her opinion about things. Even when I was editing the film at one point, I had her come into the edit room and look over it. But I think that this has been her world for many years and this character is based on her, so it is her baby. We’ve made the film, which is kind of the adopted sibling of the book. But I did have to separate some things. This is my interpretation and adaptation of the novels. So, the novels are their own thing, and the film is its own thing. You don’t have to know the novels to enjoy the film. It stands on its own.

Q. Does that mean there will be a sequel?
Gurinder Chadha: There could be….

Read our review of Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging

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