New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) British-Indian actor Priya Kansara, who played the computer voice ‘Mary’ to Ryan Gosling’s reluctant astronaut in sci-fi blockbuster “Project Hail Mary”, says she was initially terrified to be working opposite someone she admired but the Hollywood star was incredibly collaborative. Kansara, who grew up in London nurturing acting dreams, said she couldn’t believe when her agent called her to tell her about the Ryan Gosling-starrer space drama, directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
“They (the directors) basically had seen me in other work and thought I was funny, which kind of blows my mind… It was such a quick yes on my part to have the opportunity to work with these people,” Kansara told PTI in an interview.
Also known for her roles in “Bridgerton” as well as indie film “Polite Society”, Kansara said unlike other voice artists, who record their part after the film is shot, she got to be on the sets of “Project Hail Mary” everyday.
“For this film, they actually built me a little sound box on set so that I was reacting to Ryan live, take after take, and we would just improv a lot on set. I used to rehearse with him in shots and we would speak through every scene and go through it all as a team. And then I’d go and sit in my box, and I would have my little screen, so I’d watch him and speak directly into his earpiece.
“Ryan is incredibly funny. He’s also an incredible improviser and actor. He just knows how to play in the moment… I’ve never done voice work before as well and I was terrified to be working opposite somebody who I have admired for so long. But as soon as action is called, you kind of just get into it. And he’s so easy to respond to and to work with and it made for some really funny moments.” “Project Hail Mary”, based on the Andy Weir’s book, revolves around American middle-school science teacher Ryland Grace, who is a former molecular biologist.
Against his wish, Grace is sent to the space to solve the riddle of a mysterious substance causing the sun to die out and save Earth from extinction. He soon encounters Rocky, an alien from another planet facing the same crisis, and the two form an unlikely friendship to crack the mystery together.
Molecular biology is actually something that’s common between the movie’s lead character and Kansara. She graduated from University College London in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology.
Born to Gujarati parents in London, Kansara, 30, said her family always encouraged her passion for acting.
“I feel like an anomaly in my family for being somebody who’s chosen this path. But I’m very lucky to have so much support around me. And they’re all so proud and wonderful… My family has no roots in acting, it is just something that I really enjoyed doing as a kid. I grew up continuing to want to do it. And while I studied molecular science, went to university and did a job, I continued to learn and do evening school for drama and acting. Eventually, I quit my job to pursue it full time. And that’s how I kind of fell into it, but also kind of planned to go into it.” She still remembers watching Bollywood movies with her mother on every Sunday and learning the choreography from her favourite Hindi hits.
“(I have seen) everything from the classics like ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, ‘DDLJ’ to the ‘Jab We Met’. So, I had a lot of exposure to it. My love for dance and performance often stemmed from doing that.
“I did Bharatanatyam when I was little. I did a lot of Bollywood dances as well and I recently saw ‘Homebound’ and that was incredible. Some of my favourite movies recently have been ‘Laapataa Ladies’ and ‘Homebound’. There’s been so much incredible stuff in the Indian cinema space, too.” Kansara said she is now open to all kind of experiences to grow as an actor.
“I know this sounds kind of weird, but I want to put myself in situations that I’m a bit uncomfortable in because it means that I’m truly learning something new. And I’m probably putting myself in a position that might be pushing me in ways or allowing me to reach a higher potential. I want to work with more creatives and just get to tell really cool stories.” PTI BK RB BK BK
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