Christopher Robin and The Importance of Play – Interview with Bronte Carmichael

In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain wrote: “Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.” This may make PLAY sound like it’s optional. But that is not the case.

 

In Disney’s Christopher Robin, we reminisce of the young boy who lived a happy, carefree life, going on adventures with his friends Winnie The Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, Tigger, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo, and we see him grow up into a man who is solely focused on what he is obliged to do.

I had the amazing pleasure of interviewing Bronte Carmichael, who plays Madeline Robin, daughter of Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) and Evelyn Robin (Hayley Atwell), and it gave me lots of joy to see that she, like young Chirstopher Robin, and like her character, Madeline Robin, loves to play, laugh, and imagine.

 

Everything randomly fell into place. My parents friend who’s a director, asked me to be in something, and then after that I was with my mum’s agent and then it kind of all started off like that. And then once I’d done my first film I found I really enjoyed it.

I did about three tapes before, and then I went up on a Monday to meet Marc (Director Marc Forster). And then on a Wednesday I met the producers and Marc again, and we did a scene, which they didn’t use in the film.

She put a stuffed version of Eeyore on the bench in the garden. And it had a note tied to its back saying: “looking forward to our adventures in the Hundred Acre Woods.”

Try your hardest, and {be } natural again. They’re just stuffed animals, so you don’t need to overact things.

Bronte Carmichael preferred acting with the stuffed animals because this felt like play, like something that she already does and has done all her life with the people she loves.

I have lots and lots of stuffed animals at home. I don’t really have like a favorite teddy at home, but I like to talk to them and play with them with my sister as well…

It’s easy to act with stuffed animals. It’s fun. And then it’s sort of a different experience acting with actors, ‘cause they can be really nice people, and they’re really friendly.

 

I find interesting that she prepared for the role by playing. And playing is instinctive, it doesn’t have to be taught!

 

Play is essential no matter how old you are, but especially for kids. According to the American Association of Pediatrics, play is necessary for kids’ development and to form a healthy bond with others, including their parents. Play has been recognized by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights as a right of every child.

 

Not only they don’t get the cognitive, social, physical, and emotional benefits of play, they end up overly tired and burned out, which leads to higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.

Besides the fact that Bronte Carmichael was perfect for the role because of her playing experience and her ability to act so well, she found memorizing her lines easier by practicing with her mom.

I love that Christopher Robin is reminding us to keep life simple, and to escape the urgent to focus on what truly matters and to connect with those we love in more meaningful ways.

Disney’s Christopher Robin begins with a scene of House Pooh Corner, so this is perfect!

When asked what Hundred Acre Wood character she likes most, Bronte Carmichael confessed being a bit more like Piglet or Tigger; However, she gave a very insightful answer:

I like them all… You can’t really like one, ‘cause they all have different personalities… They act almost like emotions:  Eeyore can be gloomy, sometimes you can feel like Eeyore, sometimes you can feel like Tigger, like, really bouncy. But you know, I quite like Piglet, and at the end of shooting it, they gave me the Piglet to take home.

I experienced a lot of joy during this interview. It was really energizing.

As we my daughters and I navigate a difficult time in our lives, I am focusing on investing unstructured time together, on allowing them to have time to be creative, and taking time to regularly engage on reflection together. I am also balancing my pain with my playfulness so I can provide a positive and nurturing environment for them.

And speaking of environment, Bronte Carmichael was so happy speaking about her experiences on the set.

For it to be a good film, you have to, the whole crew has to bond, and it’s almost like a family. You have to work really well together.

It sounds like they were all quite playful, even when there were only a few kids filming, which included her doubles:

There was a stunt double and a picture double. And they were called Martha and Anabelle, and we always liked to trick people… they’d always get us confused. We’d also make like, little silent movies, like whilst they were filming in the studio next door, we’d be making our own mini James Bond movies.

It was obvious from our other interviews that Bronte Carmichael left a wonderful impression and that her co-stars adored her. This is what Ewan McGregor said about her during our interview:

She’s a great actor and she’s a lovely little girl. She’s not really spoiled by it in any way, she’s got a great parents, her parents are both actors. But she’s totally a little girl and she’s not like a little starlet. She’s hasn’t got any pretensions at all, she’s lovely.

I agree 100% and I am so grateful that I met Bronte Carmichael and was able to chat about motherhood with her mom outside the Walt Disney Studios Main Theater after we watched the World Premiere of Christopher Robin. Katy Carmichael is a positive mom who knows that it’s not all about obligations and that the time we invest in those we love is what truly matters most.

Did you read my interviews with Ewan McGregor (“Christopher Robin”), Hayley Atwell (“Evelyn Robin”) and Jim Cummings (voice of “Winnie the Pooh” & “Tigger”)? Stay tuned for my interview with CHRISTOPHER ROBIN Director Marc Forster, next!

Make sure to connect with Disney Christopher Robin on Facebook, Disney Studios on Twitter, and Disney Studios on Instagram, and visit the Christopher Robin movie web page for more CHRISTOPHER ROBIN updates! The official hashtag for the film is #ChristopherRobin and our press event hashtag is #ChristopherRobinEvent.

How do you play with your kids? Share your answers in the comments below! CHRISTOPHER ROBIN is NOW playing everywhere, so get tickets to see it this weekend!

Founder of the Positive MOM® and creator of the S.T.O.R.Y. System: a blueprint to craft and share powerful stories that will transform your results and help others do the same. Dr. Elayna Fernández is a single mom of 4, an award-winning Storyteller, Story Strategist, and Student of Pain. She’s a bestselling author, internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, and 5x TEDx speaker. She has spoken at the United Nations, received the President’s Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award, and was selected as one of the Top Impactful Leaders and a Woman of Influence by SUCCESS Magazine. Connect with Elayna at thepositivemom.com/ef and follow @thepositivemom. To receive a gift from Elayna, click HERE.

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