What would you do if you were a young up and coming actor and had the chance to work alongside some pretty impressive acting veterans? You’d pack your bags and say, when do I start?
That’s pretty much what happened to Anson Boon and Bex Taylor-Krause two of the stars in the new drama, Blackbird.
Blackbird (which premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival) will most definitely stir up a discussion after the final credits roll.
The film follows Lily (Susan Sarandon) and Paul (Sam Neill) who summon their loved ones to their beach house for one final gathering after Lily decides to end her long battle with ALS on her own terms.
The couple is planning a loving weekend complete with holiday traditions, but the mood becomes strained when unresolved issues surface between Lily and her daughters Jennifer (Kate Winslet) and Anna (Mia Wasikowska). Joining the collective farewell are Lily’s son in law (Rainn Wilson), her lifelong friend (Lindsay Duncan), daughter’s partner (Bex Taylor-Klaus) and grandson (Anson Boon).
Her story is ultimately one of hope, love and a celebration of life but raises the question, do we have the right to end our own life?
Blackbird is directed sensitively by Roger Michell, from a screenplay by Christian Torpe. It is a remake of the Danish film Silent Heart which many of the cast members chose not to watch before they started shooting.
For younger cast members Anson Boon (1917) and Bex Taylor- Klaus (Arrow) it was a dream come true to work with their veteran co-stars. Both Bex and Anson, who became good friends during the shoot were in awe of Susan Sarandon and Kate Winslet but quickly learned that they were not only humble and down to earth but were more than encouraging with their praise of the younger actors.
The cast was so close knit that after the shoot they all got matching tattoos to commemorate their time together – as did director Roger Michell.
Bonnie Laufer spoke with both Anson Booth and Bex Taylor- Klaus (separately) about their experience working on Blackbird and what it meant to them to have the support from their co-stars.
