MANILA, Philippines - For J.J. Abrams, the heart of Super 8 is always in the characters. Even as the most bizarre and unexplained events begin to unravel their once-quiet Ohio town, the characters are moving through very real relationships and experiences of loss and love. He knew that finding just the right mix of actors was going to be essential, so Abrams and his team began with a search.
The mission was to uncover fresh-faced young actors who would be fun for the audience to discover, but also an ensemble that could pull off that enchanted yet volatile chemistry that true childhood friends and rivals always seem to have.
The final set of teens chosen was diverse. Some were seasoned pros while others had never acted before. They hailed from across the nation: Elle Fanning (Alice Dainard) was originally from Conyers, Georgia; Joel Courtney (Joe Lamb) is from Moscow, Idaho; Gabriel Basso (Martin) from St. Louis, Missouri; Riley Griffiths (Charles) from Cedar City, Utah; Ryan Lee (Cary) from Austin, Texas; and Zach Mills, (Preston) from Lakewood, Ohio.
For the role of Alice, the filmmakers cast one of Hollywood’s fastest rising young actors: Elle, whose recent films include Babel, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Somewhere. Elle could not have been more excited to get the part.
“It was crazy,” recalls Elle. “It was a total surprise to hear back from J.J. himself. He said ‘Hey, Elle, this is J.J. Abrams, and it’s going to be so much fun working with you.’ I sort of burst inside, I wanted to scream, but of course I couldn’t because he was on the phone so I was like doing my little dance silently. Then, when he got off the phone, I just shouted. I was so excited!”
Elle immediately fell in love with the complexity of Alice’s character. “She’s kind of a tough girl, a tomboy, and she’s had a hard life,” she explains. “Her mother is gone and her father is always drinking, so when the boys ask her to be part of their movie, she’s like ‘What the heck? I’ll do it.’ Then it turns into this whole incredible event for all of them.”