Exclusive Interview: Emma Furhmann From “The Magic of Belle Isle”
The movie “The Magic of Belle Isle” directed by Rob Reiner and starring Morgan Freeman, Virginia Madsen opens in theater today July 6th. Film Equals had the chance to chat with one of the stars of the movies, the talented and poised Emma Furhmann who plays Finnegan, one of the daughters of Mrs. O’Neil (Madsen).
Check out what she had to say below and don’t miss her in “The Magic of Belle Isle” which is in theaters everywhere. (Check out our review)
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‘The Magic of Belle Isle’ looks really sweet. Can you tell me about the movie, what it’s about and also about your character?
Emma Furhmann: The movie is mainly about Morgan’s [Freeman] character who moves in next door to my family and our lives are brought together in various ways, and my character is very intrigued by him. In the end our lives are changed by the events that take place over the summer.
What made you want to play the character of Finnegan?
Emma Furhmann: I think I really liked this character. She was cool and I thought that I would take a try at it. She was a cool character that I got to play and great experience and I wanted to try it.
Where did you guys shoot the movie?
Emma Furhmann: We shot the movie in Greenwood Lake, New York, about an hour or so from New York City.
What was it like during the shooting of the production?
Emma Furhmann: It was great. The view was beautiful and it was nice and it was such a great experience, and all the crew were beautiful. The lake was huge. The sunsets, and everyone was so nice, too.
What was it like getting to act with such great actors, Morgan Freeman and Virginia Madsen?
Emma Furhmann: It was fun. Virginia was like a second mom to me. She was really nice and when we weren’t working she was doing something fun with us. She would do beads for jewelry and bring paint so that we could paint. She would play music for us. With the crew, too, we had Mustache Monday, White Castle Wednesday, ’80’s day and all kinds of fun things like that.
Rob Reiner has done a lot of great movies. What was it like working with him?
Emma Furhmann: I am so, so thankful for him casting me as Finnegan. I can’t still believe he gave me such a tremendous opportunity. He was so easy to work with and it was really quick to get his takes for every scene. We had a lot of fun on that set, and he’s such a family guy. His whole family was with him on the filming.
What made you want to get into acting?
Emma Furhmann: I was modeling since eighteen months old, and since I could read at five years old, my agency just said, ‘How about you go on this audition on try it?’ So, I went to the audition and I tried it out and I really liked it and I ended up getting the role. I just fell in love with it and I wanted to keep doing it forever and ever.
Are you thinking about going to college, or maybe doing both?
Emma Furhmann: Yes. I think I want to college and get my education because education is very, very important.
What are some of your favorite movies?
Emma Furhmann: I really like ‘The Muse’ and speaking of ‘The Muse,’ Rob Reiner was in ‘The Muse.’ I was like, ‘Hey, Rob, guess what, I saw you in “The Muse.”‘ I like all kinds of movies. I like ‘Soul Surfer.’ I’m a special FX person. I like how they do all kinds of special FX. So, I like ‘War of the Worlds.’ I think that’s a cool movie with all the cool special FX in there. I really like all the movies that I see because they’re all different and are done in all different kinds of ways. So, I just like hearing the stories, but my mom took me to see ‘The Hunger Games’ and I liked that, too. I’d love to be a part of ‘The Hunger Games.’
If you could work with any actor that you wanted who would you pick?
Emma Furhmann: I would have to say Claire Danes.
Why Claire?
Emma Furhmann: I don’t know. I think she’s a good role model. She went to school. She’s a great actor. She’s amazing. She got nominated for some stuff. She’s just a great role model.
And what about any director, who would you want to work with?
Emma Furhmann: Steven Spielberg or Ron Howard. Definitely those two.
Do you think this movie will appeal more to adults or kids?
Emma Furhmann: It’s a wholesome family movie, so it’s great for anybody. A family movie, family film. You can bring your whole entire family. It’s a great film for anyone to see and I’m proud to be a part of it.
Are you working on something right now?
Emma Furhmann: No, I’m not, but I’ve been in some rooms and I’ve met some great people and you never know if the door will open or close and I know that God has a plan for my life.
