Interview with Mackenzie Foy – Clara in Disney’s Nutcracker

During my trip to LA for Disney’s Nutcracker World Premiere with Disney Studios, I was given the opportunity to sit down with Mackenzie Foy to discuss her role as Clara in the film. She was the sweetest young lady to talk with and it has been a pleasure to watch her grow over the years on the big screen.

Audition for Mackenzie Foy to Play Clara in Disney’s Nutcracker

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, and I actually did self-tapes because the casting was with me in London. And once I did a screentest, they flew me to London to do it in full costume – hair and makeup, a partial set, and 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.

As I went further into the actual process, I learned more of what the story is, and what the character was, and I kind of got to go a little deeper into her, and then when I booked, I was fully immersed in Clara, which was fun.

~ Mackenzie Foy

Mackenzie Foy’s Casting Call to Play Clara

I was actually in the shower doing my hair when my mom ran in, and she was like, the director’s on the phone! Oh my gosh, I put a towel on, and I answered and the director was like, would you be our Clara?

I was like, oh my goodness, yes! Thank you so much. And he said, “all right, see you in a couple weeks”.

~ Mackenzie Foy

How much time did you spend getting your hair and makeup done?

Fun Fact: While most of the characters in “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” don period wigs in the film, Mackenzie Foy uses her own locks throughout the movie. 

I don’t really wear a lot of makeup in the film, just a little bit of concealer if I have a pimple or something. Hair wise, it would vary. There’s a couple of looks that took wrapping my hair around wires. In one look, they twist my braids around wires and that one took a little while.

The hair and makeup team was really amazing and I loved talking to them every morning. I really enjoyed going in there because that’s kinda like a time you get to just sit and talk, and see how everybody’s doing. The actors were coming in and out, and you talk to the hair and makeup people, and it was just really fun every morning.

~ Mackenzie Foy

Mackenzie Foy’s Favorite Clara Costume in Disney’s Nutcracker

I wear quite a few costumes in the film which was really fun. They were all handmade and very intricate, which is really amazing. I really love the purple party dress because that one has a bustle. Actually, I have a couple of bustles in the film. I have a proper cage and then I have kinda just like a bum pad. 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, and the bodices, and the corset. So I have a very high respect for all of the costumes, and also they have kind of a different character to them, and they go with Clara’s evolution, which I really like.

~ Mackenzie Foy

Do you have any funny stories about working with the cast to share?

I feel like there’s probably a lot of really funny stories. With Jayden and I, we always got into mischief. We were always hoarding chocolates and stuff on the set. And what was really fun, since we filmed in the winter during Christmas, because we were doing a Christmas film we were gonna do it properly, we had a little competition within the departments to see who could decorate their trailer. We went all out.

Even Jayden and I, and our teachers, because we shared a schoolroom, we would try to decorate and outdo each other, and it was really fun. If you ask him, he will say that he won it, but I had a little Christmas tree – I’m just saying.

~ Mackenzie Foy

Mackenzie Foy on Stunts in Disney’s Nutcracker

I actually did a lot of stunts, which was really fun. I did horse training, which was awesome. I went to this place – it’s called The Devil’s Horseman; they’re film horses and so they’re proper stunt people. It was really, really cool being with these horses. It’s what you think of, like the English countryside, that’s what it looked like there. And so it was actually amazing training outside on these beautiful horses. It was crazy.

~ Mackenzie Foy

How was playing the main character different from your roles in the past?

Well, every character, no matter how big or small has its own challenges because they’re all unique, and you have to do the research in order to properly create them. But I would say with Clara, and her being a main role, there was definitely- this is the story- it follows my character, so I have to make sure that everything is in line. I have to make sure the past is in my head, and I have to make sure I know where she’s going – the character’s emotional complexity; all of those things. So with the bigger part, you have to go more in detail to all those things, especially how they relate to every single character in the film.

~ Mackenzie Foy

What’s next for Mackenzie Foy? From action, drama, horror, animation, and fantasy – there really isn’t a genre she hasn’t played in. Vampire and werewolves technically fall under fantasy so maybe we will see her in a sci-fi role next.

DISNEY’S THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS

Now playing in theaters, plan your family outing for this weekend to kick off the holiday season right. After you see Disney’s Nutcracker, tell me what you think!