“It’s Like Pride and Prejudice Meets The Revenant” – William Franklyn-Miller, Kelsey Grammer, and Jon Erwin on Young Washington
The stars and director of the film talk about bringing an untold story to life and how missing out on 'Hamilton' led to its creation.
William Franklyn-Miller, who stars in Young Washington as the titular American icon, succinctly explains why audiences should check out the film this Independence Day: “When I read the script for the first time, I was like, ‘Did he really do all this at this age?’ And sure enough, he did.”
George Washington is, of course, known to every American as the nation’s first president, and most may even know some of the legends surrounding him, but few are likely to be familiar with his early life. As its title implies, Young Washington sets out to correct that, focusing on the years he spent as a soldier in the French and Indian War. Franklyn-Miller’s co-stars include Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis, Mary-Louise Parker, and Kelsey Grammer, the latter of whom joined Franklyn-Miller and writer-director Jon Erwin for a Fandango Big Ticket Interview.
“It’s like Pride and Prejudice meets The Revenant,” Erwin said, summing up how Franklyn-Miller managed to balance the brutality of the battle sequences with the more delicate moments of the film. He described how the young star beat hundreds of actors to earn his role. “We wanted that in the lead — some sort of character or grit or determination or presence, or some gravitas, I guess — and that’s what William brought. He crushed it, and he really carries the film.”
Grammer was also enthusiastic about the opportunity to reveal more of George Washington to the world. “He did these remarkable things, agricultural as well as writing down things and designing things. And all the guys from the revolution were this, they were true Renaissance men… It’s extraordinary who they were. I blame television for why we’re not like this any more.”
Check out the full Big Ticket interview above to see William Franklyn-Miller, Kelsey Grammer, and Jon Erwin talk about why the film focuses on this period of Washington’s life, what their favorite places in America are, and how missing out on Hamilton ultimately led to the making of the movie.
Young Washington opens in theatres on July 3. Get your tickets here.
