How Christina Cole Really Felt About Working With Amanda Bynes On What A Girl Wants
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Now that Amanda Bynes' conservatorship has ended, many fans are wondering what she'll do next. Despite concerns still mounting about her well-being and her relationship, there's still hope out there that she will return to acting.
Without a doubt, Amanda Bynes was one of the biggest young stars in the early 2000s and starred in some of the most beloved films of that decade. While 2003's What A Girl Wants doesn't rank at the top of the list, it certainly has a dedicated fanbase.
This, in part, is due to the supporting cast which included Colin Firth, Jonathan Pryce, Kelly Preston, Oliver James, and Christina Cole who played Clarissa Payne.
The future Suits star ended up being a scene-stealer. She plays the chief antagonist to Amanda Bynes' character who journies from America to England in search of her long-lost father, a candidate for prime minister. The aristocratic Clarissa is his step-daughter-to-be, and, man, was she ever a snotty villain.
During an interview with Vulture, Christina went into detail about how she got the role, the fun she had on set, and her real relationship with Amanda.
How Christina Cole Was Cast In What A Girl Wants
Aside from a TV movie, Clarissa Payne was Christina Cole's very first role. She had graduated early from her drama school in Oxford due to booking the job.
"It was a brilliant role in a brilliant film, and it allowed me to get out of there," Christina Cole said to Vulture.
"I managed to book an agent and the agency quickly started setting me up for auditions. What a Girl Wants was one of the first scripts that I was presented with. Next thing I knew, I was in the audition room with the director, reading my lines and trying my best."
While many drama schools are breeding grounds for jealousy, Christina claimed that most of her classmates were fairly supportive of her booking such a high-profile job so early.
Christina Cole's Relationship With Amanda Bynes
At the time that What A Girl Wants came out, Amanda Bynes was at the height of her career. North Americans were obsessed with her work, including Big Fat Liar, The Amanda Show, and All That.
What A Girl Wants was the first movie she headlined and it sparked a number of projects until her retirement in 2010.
Despite Amanda's success, Christina claimed that she wasn't aware of how beloved Amanda was in America prior to What A Girl Wants.
"I have to admit that I wasn’t aware of her when I auditioned for the part. I was a bit older than her and wasn’t watching those kinds of shows," Christina said to Vulture. "I didn’t have children at the time, either, so that must’ve just missed me. I wasn’t aware of her superpower in England just yet. She probably did have a huge presence, to be fair."
During her interview with Vulture, Christina explained what she thought of Amanda when they met for the first time.
"I can’t believe it’s been so long. I remember her being absolutely lovely. She was very young at the time and definitely was a bit homesick. She was looking for creature comfort and things that England didn’t have at the time. But she acclimated around us quite quickly."
Even though Amanda came to England with a bunch of American sensibilities, Christina thought she was exceptionally down to Earth and couldn't forsee the very public problems she would eventually face.
"I didn’t expect that at all," Christina said of all of Amanda's scandals. "I felt so sad for her when all of that began happening. Maybe she had too much stuff thrust upon her when she was young."
Christina Cole And Amanda Bynes' Relationship After What A Girl Wants
While some stars become exceptionally close after making a show or movie together, Christina and Amanda weren't. Not because they didn't like each other, but because their lives went in different directions. The only cast member that Christina became closer with after What A Girl Wants wrapped was Elieen Atkins, who played Jocelyne Dashwood.
"Eileen Atkins came to visit me a few years later while I was doing a stage play and wrote me a very kind letter after the show, which was a lovely treat."
As for Christina's feelings about the 2003 film, she claimed that she's still remembered for it.
"Young kids would be frightened and a bit scared of me on the street. At that age they just assume you are that person, which is sad, but you can’t exactly change their minds. It was definitely good for me in terms of exposure. I got an American agent from the film, which started the journey for me as an actor on a larger basis. It really has been quite an iconic movie in subsequent years, hasn’t it? It was a gift that landed on my lap and I’m forever grateful."
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