One memorable sequence in the recently released Downtown Owl sees Vanessa Hudgens and Lily Rabe, who co-directed the movie with partner Hamish Linklater, dancing at a bar. However, that scene was a late addition and was only made possible due to Hudgens’ own initiative and skill set.
Originally the Downtown Owl script just called for a drinking montage, but Rabe had the idea for a dancing scene that Hudgens helped bring to life.
“Then we had this idea for the dance, and she choreographed the dance with a choreographer friend of hers. I was wall to wall. She taught me the dance,” Rabe explained to ComingSoon. “We learned it a little bit on Zoom when I was there before she got there, as she was sort of hashing it out. But we didn’t actually get to try doing the dance together until the lunch break before we shot it. I think she’s like the only person in the world who could do all of that. Dancing with Vanessa Hudgens, lemme tell you, there’s nothing more fun.”
Co-director Hamish Linklater also had high praise for Hudgens’ performance in the film.
“[She] was f—ing incredible. We didn’t know at all. We just knew that she had like all this spirit and force and talent, and it’s like, here’s the keys to this role in our movie,” said Linklater. “She just like floored it. She came in with the dialect, down pat and everything, like choices. It was totally awesome.”
Downtown Owl stars a cast that includes Rabe, Hudgens, Ed Harris, Henry Golding, and more. It is now available to buy or rent digitally.
