Emilia Jones’ Remarkable Dedication: Going the Extra Mile for ‘Fairyland
Emilia Jones dedicated herself to fitting into the role of Alysia in the film Fairyland, putting in serious effort to bring authenticity to her character.
Known for her commitment to performances, the 21-year-old actress previously spent nine months learning American Sign Language (ASL) for her acclaimed role in the 2021 film CODA. Now, she has immersed herself in the world of 1980s dance culture to portray her latest role in Fairyland.
As the daughter of singer Aled Jones, Emilia takes on the leading character of Alysia in the film. She revealed that she extensively researched and watched “hours and hours” of YouTube videos to learn realistic retro dance moves for a nightclub scene. Director Andrew Durham advised her to avoid modern dance styles, prompting her to focus on studying real nightclub footage from the ’80s.
Speaking with IndieWire Studio at the Sundance Festival, Emilia shared her experience, saying, “I did a lot of research… There’s actually loads of videos on YouTube of real nightclubs in the ’80s, so I just watched hours and hours and hours of that.” She also praised Maggie Whitaker, the costume designer, for capturing the essence of the era and helping her feel completely immersed in the time period.
Fairyland, written and directed by Andrew Durham, tells the story of a widowed gay man raising his daughter in San Francisco, based on the 2013 memoir by Alysia Abbott. Emilia expressed her gratitude for being a part of bringing this “beautiful” story to the screen, stating that she felt honored to portray adult Alysia.
Emilia Jones’ commitment to her roles continues to shine through as she explores diverse characters and brings depth to their stories on the big screen.
