Lily Collins is unrecognizable as Fantine in exclusive Les Misérables preview
Even in non-musical form, the role of Fantine in Les Misérables comes with plenty of juicy material for an actor to sink her teeth into, and Lily Collins made sure not to squander this opportunity.
Discussing her favorite scene from the miniseries in an exclusive preview above, Collins points to a moment from the upcoming second episode. It’s a confrontation between Fantine, Javert (David Oyelowo), and Jean Valjean (Dominic West) in which the former lashes out at Valjean (in disguise as “Monsieur le Mayor”) for his role in her tragic sink into poverty.
“It’s [a scene] I was most anxious about filming, but felt so deeply proud of once we had finished,” Collins says. Clips from the episode show a nigh-unrecognizable Collins, bruised and bloody, giving an unsettlingly intense performance.
“I just remember thinking, that’s the climax of Fantine’s character for us,” she adds. “It’s this epic scene that you just have to feel empathy for as an audience member.”
Collins also compliments West and Oyelowo for being “so giving as fellow actors in a scene.” “You can only give of yourself to an extent in a scene if the other person is giving you something in return,” she says.
Check out the full preview above. Les Misérables airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on PBS’ Masterpiece through May 19.
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