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Camilla Luddington Q&A: Tumblr Questions
Hello all! As you know I had the opportunity to chat with Camilla (and Karl) during SDCC, and ask her community questions posed through our various social media outlets. You’ll be able to hear all her answers via the next podcast later this week, but for now you can find the Tumblr-specific questions transcribed below! Enjoy!
[Twin Pistols] Have you played any of the previous Tomb Raider games to get a feel for the character of Lara Croft? What sort of research did you do before taking on the role?
Camilla Luddington: When I was younger, my older brother had the first game. So when I was allowed to play… [laughs] I would play, probably not very well. But I did play some of the first game. The research I did… Well, I sat down with Crystal and I really talked to them about their… What they wanted to do for the reimagining, where they wanted to go, what journey they wanted to take Lara on. So I definitely did listen to them and that was part of my research. And then… I think I talked about this, I did archery as a kid, so that was kind of fun. I was doing archery again. But I’d never done motion capture before. I don’t think there’s a way to ever prepare for that experience. You sort of learn on the job.
[FYLCTR] “Hey Camilla! I’m loving your work playing Lara at the moment! ☺ My question is: With Lara being such an iconic character in gaming, did you feel a little under pressure thinking about the expectations of both fans of the series and gamesr? If so, how did you handle with the pressure? Did you ever look online and look at fan feedback regarding how they wanted Lara’s voice to sound in the game?”
Camilla Luddington: Well, first off, I think of course you feel some sort of pressure, because there’s such a huge fanbase behind Lara Croft. You don’t want to disappoint anybody. Do I go on fan forums and read stuff…? No, I don’t. I think that wouldn’t necessarily be a good thing for me to do. I read everything on Twitter, and so far I’ve had the most amazing support, so I’ve been really thankful for that. But for the most part, no, I don’t read that stuff.
Meagan Marie: Is that more like, as an actress you just…do your craft, and then separate yourself from the media?
Camilla Luddington: You know what’s funny? This is a fun story. One time, I was in a bar by myself, because my friend worked there, and Will Smith walked in. And he sat down with me for an hour, we chatted, and he said, never read anything online, because it’s poisonous to an actor…
Meagan Marie: That’s what I’ve heard, that’s why I asked, because I hear it’s a pretty common sentiment among actors.
Karl Stewart: And I think it’s right. We hired Camilla to basically perform the role, and the role has to be fresh, it has to be only what she reads on paper and how she brings that performance… I agree in the sense that, once the game is done, you can jump on and listen and talk to people, but really, right now it’s about keeping the character in the bubble. There’s got to be that bubble where you’re not getting anything from the outside and you’re focusing on the role itself.
Camilla Luddington: I think I need to just immerse myself in the game when I’m acting. I don’t think it would be good if, between breaks, I was quickly going on to see how somebody had commented on it. And I think, of course, you know as an actor that you’re not necessarily going to please everybody. There are some people, everyone’s going to have their own opinion, you just really hope that people take a chance, play the game, and embrace you.
[VioletStory] “Did playing the role strike any particular chords with you emotionally?”
Camilla Luddington: Yes. I mean… Have I experienced everything that she experiences in the game? No. She’s going through a really extreme, nightmarish disaster. So have I ever been shipwrecked on an island? Absolutely not. [laughs] But I think that there are… We can all relate to loss, and I think that’s something that she really is feeling throughout the entire game. And of course, as a human being, you understand that feeling of sadness and desperation. So in that way, yes, I definitely can relate.
[Awestruck] “What exactly is it like performing in a motion capture studio, and how difficult is it to make things feel authentic compared to acting on a real set? And also, is it physically demanding?”
Camilla Luddington: Well, first of all, I hadn’t ever done motion capture before, like I said. The first thing I had to get used to was, we wear a helmet that has a camera attached to it, and it’s inches away from your face. That was something that, at first, I thought was going to be distracting. But the amazing thing about it is that you’re not having to… Because the camera’s right there following you, you don’t have to be aware of where you’re stood, where you’re cheating out to a camera, so in that way it felt like being on stage. I felt like I was actually more free doing motion capture, sometimes, than being on set. And what was the last part of the question…?
Meagan Marie: Was it physically demanding? Is it tough running around in the suit?
Camilla Luddington: Oh, yes. Ah… Yeah. There would be sometimes where they’d put ropes around me, I’m not exaggerating, they would drag me across the floor and I would have rope burn and I’d have bruises on me, I’d be falling off stuff. It was definitely physically demanding. But that was also realistic. She’s exhausted, I would end up being exhausted. So I think it helped.
[HunterWolfe] “What’s the most exciting, funny, or memorable thing you’ve done since you joined the Tomb Raider group?”
Camilla Luddington: Well, actually, I would have to say Comic-Con right now…
Meagan Marie: It’s a unique experience.
Camilla Luddington: It really is. The other thing that was great, though, was actually doing the motion capture on my very first day. I didn’t know that I would be synced to her and able to see her on a big flat screen in front of me. That was really strange, once I had been suited up. Being able to see her mimic my movements live, over a live feed. That was really fantastic.
[Gamer’s Area] “If you were offered the role, would you agree to play Lara Croft in the movies?”
Camilla Luddington: Who wouldn’t agree? I want to know!
Meagan Marie: Karl? You probably wouldn’t agree to play Lara…
Karl Stewart: No, if Camilla wants to go with the role, she can go with the role. It’d be awesome.
Camilla Luddington: I would love to, of course.
Karl Stewart: Unfortunately, it’s out of our hands. [laughs]
