Chloë Grace Moretz was just 8 when she made her movie debut and gradually blossomed into a sensational child actress. While Moretz’s role in Kick-Ass as Hit-Girl raised some eyebrows, no one could deny the fact that her performance was exceptional. Even Roger Ebert, who had panned the movie, couldn’t help but praise Moretz for her “presence and appeal”. However, it was in Hugo that the Let Me In actress brought out the depth of her acting range.
The Carrie actress worked alongside Oscar-winning director, Martin Scorsese, in this adventure drama. Interestingly, Moretz secured the part of Isabelle in the movie after lying to Scorsese about her nationality.
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Chloë Grace Moretz Lied About Being British To Martin Scorsese
Set in Paris, Hugo explores the story of Hugo Cabaret, a boy who lives alone in the Gare Montparnasse railway station and gets involved in a mystery surrounding filmmaker Georges Méliès. Asa Butterfield played the titular role of Hugo and Ben Kingsley played Georges in the film. Both Butterfield and Chloë Grace Moretz auditioned for the movie in New York, where Martin Scorsese was specifically looking for British actors to fill the roles.
Moretz astutely perceived the situation and decided to trick The Departed director into believing that she was British, speaking in the accent the whole time. The Greta actress had previously lived in London for five months while filming Kick-Ass and picked up some rhythms of the British accent. During an interview with The Mirror, the Clouds of Sils Maria actress shared:
“He flew [British co-star Asa Butterfield] and I out to New York to audition in front of him and I spoke in a British accent the whole time. I’d lived in London for five months when I was filming Kick-Ass, so I knew the rhythm of the accent, which is one of the main things you have to pick up. There’s huge difference in the way the British act and speak, and I stayed in character with Marty until the end.”
Moretz was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and naturally spoke with an American accent. However, the way she tricked the legendary director was a testament to her acting abilities. Although Scorsese found out the truth later, she had landed the role by then.
Martin Scorsese Realized That He Was Tricked By A 14-Year-Old Chloë Grace Moretz
Chloë Grace Moretz was just 14 when she auditioned for the role. Martin Scorsese eventually caught Moretz’s ruse when her American accent accidentally slipped out during the production of the movie. But the Diary of a Wimpy Kid actress had managed to impress The Wolf of Wall Street director. Moretz shared with The Mirror:
“When I thanked him and walked out, he said, ‘Hold on, did I hear an American accent?’ I said, ‘Maybe’, and he replied, ‘You tricked me’. But it worked because I got the part. Sometimes you have to do whatever you can to get the role.”
In another interview with WIRED, The Peripheral actress revealed that she made up an entire backstory for her supposed British heritage during the audition. She told Scorsese that she lived in the Cotswolds and that her parents were horse breeders. It appeared that Moretz, much like her Hugo character, Isabelle, had a penchant for storytelling. Moretz told WIRED:
“I had auditioned for a movie called Hugo Cabret and he [Scorsese] was only gonna hire British girl, and I was like, “Yeah, I can do that.” So I went into the audition and I fully pretended to be from England, and that my parents were horse breeders, and that we lived in the Cotswolds. I had a whole, told big lie, a huge lie, and then I booked the part.”
Hugo received eleven Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Director, winning five in the technical departments. However, the movie was a disappointment for its producers, grossing only $185.8 million at the box office after exceeding its planned budget of $100 million by $50-$70 million. Hugo is now available for streaming on Paramount+.
Source: The Mirror, WIRED
