Emilia Clarke who portrays Louisa Clark in "Me Before You" is said to have fit the role so well. Released on June 3, it is a romantic drama about a paralyzed man (Sam Claflin) and his caregiver (Clarke). The story is based on the bestselling novel by Jojo Moyes.
The actress, who has very expressive eyebrows reveals another side of her when interviewed, she is very different from her character Daenerys Targaryen of HBO's hit "Game of Thrones."
Warner Bros provided an interview transcript of "Me Before You" director Thea Sharrock who knew that Clarke was right for Clark's role the moment the actress walked into the room. While filming, she saw many similarities in Clarke and her character, not just the similar-sounding surname, Star2.comreported.
When Clarke saw the film with her dad, mom, brother and a best friend, the best friend said she found the real Clarke in the film's Clark, the director said in the interview. It seemed that the thin line between Emilia Clarke and Lou Clark merged.
The 29-year-old actress who lives in London admitted she was drawn to the role because she got the chance to play a part of her being a "clumsy idiot" and it was nice to be in a British movie filming in London and sleeping on her own bed. Furthermore, she can relate to her character, like being romantic and in a tight-knit family. Clarke loves romantic movies and grew up watching Disney, believing in magic.
The Lou Clark actress realized that the essence of Disney movies is that they folk stories. As young people grow up into adults, they switch to green juice, meditation and yoga to find magical aspects and up the daily mundane life.
Stories like the one in Moyes' book and in her new film have sprinkling rom-coms that makes the viewers' feel safe, and believe that there is hope and optimism. While Clarke loves history-themed films, she does favor romantic comedies.
Meanwhile, the film received negative feedbacks, such as from disabled activists who are quadriplegic. Its spoilers gave a seeming depiction of disability as something to die rather than endure.
Francesco Clark, who wrote an autobiographical account, "Walking Papers," described his life following an accident which caused his paralysis from the neck down. His book was referred to in the movie without his knowledge.
"I was never asked if my book could be included in the movie, nor was I ever told that it would be included," the author told Page Six. "While I understand that this movie is based on a work of fiction, my book - and my life - is not."
In the movie, the disabled man decided to die rather than live with disability. His caregiver who comes from a poor family fell in love with him. It ended with the caregiver inheriting his wealth after his suicide.
The "Walking Papers" author who is likewise an ambassador for "Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation" wants to disassociate his work from the film. He had tirelessly worked to show people that being quadriplegic is not the end of life, but a start of a new one.
The video below plays an extended trailer of "Me Before You."