Georgie Henley Felt “Scared” During Narnia Audition

In an essay for Backstage, Georgie Henley (Lucy) writes about the anxiety she felt during her second audition for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Read the full essay

I wasn’t really aware of what I was auditioning for, that it was a blockbuster film based on one of the most  beloved children’s books of all time.

Mrs. Jackson had told me that there would be lots of other Lucys but I don’t think I’d quite believed her. What scared me the most was what they were all wearing: 1940s dresses with pressed collars, frilly socks, hair teased into perfect plaits. Lucy clothes. Suddenly I hated my favorite pink tie-dye t-shirt and my combat trousers, which were good for climbing trees in.

Georgie Henley

Listen to our exclusive interview with Georgie Henley, reflecting on being cast as Lucy 15 years later.

13 Responses

  1. EJH says:

    I didn’t realize how stressful the auditions were for Narnia. I’m glad Georgie Henley pushed past that – she did such a good job in the Narnia movies. Also, her sharing her experience is great advice for the rest of us.

  2. Cleander says:

    Andrew Adamson had said he was looking for regular kids who weren’t already established Hollywood actors- while that was definitely a good artistic choice that paid off in the kids’ genuine performances, it does seem like that would mean the kids involved would be a bit more intimidated by their roles. I’m glad they were able to get more comfortable as time went by.
    Thanks for sharing this!

  3. Larry W. says:

    I always liked Georgie’s acting. Even if some other parts of the Narnia films could have been better I think they really got the casting right, and Georgie was the best actor to play Lucy Pevensie. Hopefully, she can return and use her talents in some other production of Narnia even if it isn’t in acting. Thanks so much for posting this interesting article! 🙂

  4. I read the whole essay and I didn’t know Georgie could sing! Now I want to hear her sing!

  5. fantasia says:

    Can we just talk for a second about how insanely adorable Georgie is in that picture? Lol

  6. JFG II says:

    Sure! Even though Georgie was ALWAYS adorable. 🙂 ‘Cute as a Button!’ is the phrase. (For the picture that is). 😀

  7. Erika says:

    Hello

  8. Andy Harrelson says:

    Aw, shame to hear an outdoor person ditching the wild life, but Georgie is so cute in this pic! Glad to see things have worked out for her in the end!

  9. Kitti.S says:

    She sings a Scottish ballad in The Spanish Princess (S02 E03) 🙂 Her voice is absolutely beautiful, I hope she gets to sing in future projects of hers too <3