Adelaide Clemens Wasted On The Young Interview

Wasted On The Young

Cast: Oliver Ackland, Adelaide Clemens, TJ Power, Alex Russell, Georgina Haig
Director: Ben C. Lucas
Genre: Drama
Running Time: 97 minutes

Synopsis: In the 'always on' but disaffected society of an elite high school, step brothers Zack and Darren occupy opposite ends of the school's social hierarchy. At one of Zack's parties Xandrie, the only person with whom Darren ever connected, is drugged, assaulted and left for dead. After Xandrie doesn't show up at school Darren tries to find out what happened but no-one knows, says or does anything. No-one can or they just don't care.

When Xandrie finally does return to school it sets off a chain reaction with fatal results as Xandrie realises that nothing will be achieved by taking revenge. Darren decides that if he doesn't do something then no-one will. Darren's plan plays out at another one of Zack's parties and soon the brothers have their lives at the mercy of the popular opinion.

Release Date: 3rd March, 2011
Website: www.facebook.com/WastedOnTheYoung

'Wasted on the Young' Interview with Adelaide Clemens

Question: Can you talk about your character, Xandries, in Wasted On The Young?

Adelaide Clemens: I play Xandries, who is an incredibly beautiful girl who is quite intelligent and has a lot of potential. However Xandries doesn't participate in the mob-like mentality that is going on within the school, she has a lot of integrity in that respect and follows what she believes is right to do. Xandries doesn't do drugs or party too hard, she enjoys life. It was a lot of fun to play Xandries, she is a very beautiful character.


Question: Your character Xandries has to make a big personality change from a bubbly and confident person to one who wants revenge- can you explain how you prepared yourself for this change?

Adelaide Clemens: Essentially Xandries becomes a victim to the world around her and to the mob-like mentality that is around her, (spoiler alert) she does get drugged and raped and then commits suicide. It was traumatic to deal with but I had a lot of preparation.


Question: What research went into preparing yourself for the character of Xandries?

Adelaide Clemens: We had three months rehearsal prior to shooting the film and I did a lot of research. I met with girls who had gone through experiences that Xandries goes through. I met with counselors on that mentality and the natural reactions that unfold after a traumatic event, like that. I addressed the character in a really realistic way and tried to understand it and learnt a lot.


Question: Can you relate to your character, in the beginning of Wasted On The Young, in any way?

Adelaide Clemens: Absolutely. Xandries goes to a private school, in an Australian city and I always had ambitions outside of school; I knew that I wanted to be an actor. I think sticking to your dreams, as corny as it sounds it is true, sticking to your dreams is a hard thing to do and you have to keep that integrity and I think Xandries was someone who was very like that. Inherently in any role that I play, and I think it is similar for a lot of actors, I use a lot of my own personality traits and augment them and allow them to be expressed through the character.

Xandries has an artistic background and although it wasn't addressed in the film, that stemmed from myself and Ben Lucas working on my character.


Question: How does the movie, Wasted On The Young, compare to the school life you experienced?

Adelaide Clemens: I was very fortunate, I went to a great school and I was never in a big group, I had a lot of really, really close friends, especially towards the end of school. I loved school I was an absolute nerd (laughing) and I know Xandries was like that too, she really devoured the study and loved school.

When I first read this script, something that really impressed me was the way Ben C. Lucas had addressed the issue of drugs and partying. It is a reality; it is not something that anyone is to blame for, it is all around the world. Teenagers are curious and teenagers go through such emotional turmoil, it is a natural part of growing up. Drugs are so accessible now days, especially for well-off kids who have everything at their feet and they're looking for fun and they become the victims of that. As I said, it is no-ones fault but it is something that needs to be expected and addressed and I think it was really well addressed in the film; there is a message of hope in their. Xandries and Darren (Oliver Ackland) are two characters who don't follow 'the crowd' and they really are the most interesting characters in the film.


Question: Can you talk working with Ben C. Lucas?

Adelaide Clemens: Ben Lucas is a genius, he is one of the smartest men I know, he is incredibly enthusiastic and I trusted him with my life. I think the reason why there are so many brilliant performances in the film is because everyone, from the cast to the crew, knew they were in an environment that was so safe. What I mean by safe is you felt like you could be creative and even if you make a mistake it was going to be okay. Ben Lucas was so supportive and really hard working; it is great to have a leader like him, guiding everyone through and patting them on the back. Literally we would finish a shot, finish a day and everyone is exhausted and Ben Lucas would be jumping around, like a bubble-bee, happy and enthusiastic and wanting to go out for dinner. It was such a wonderful environment and that is what was so ironic about the filming. I now think back and all I can remember is giggling and joking around at lunch time and having heaps of fun as well as bike riding to and from filming and yet, I was going through pretty traumatic things.


Question: What do you hope audiences take away from Wasted On The Young?

Adelaide Clemens: For me, I like to think of the film as a love story; it is two individuals who go against the odds and try to help each other through a horrible event. A lot of people have referred to it as a 'moral tale' which I agree with, it is a revenge/tragedy story in it's own right but there is a lot to it and I hope people enjoy the film and are stimulated to think about the world as it is and not be disheartened by some of the raw exposure of drugs and partying. Audiences need to take it for what it is; essentially it is a movie and I hope everyone is entertained.


Question: You recently starred in Lie To Me, how was that?

Adelaide Clemens: Yes! That was incredible, working with Tim Roth who I have been such a huge fan of since Reservoir Dogs and he is such a gentleman; it was a privilege to work with him. I played a character that is sick, it was another psychological issue that I had to tackle, it was great, I love sinking my teeth into that type of thing and I had a lot of fun.


Question: Who originally inspired you to enter the acting industry?

Adelaide Clemens: I never put pressure on myself to be an actor; I just wanted to enjoy my experiences within the industry. I was very fortunate that I had my first television role when I was 16 and from there I loved it, I love it so much and I enjoy meeting new people and travel is always involved. I enjoy the new characters and I have a passion for psychology and I get to sink my teeth into that.


Question: Are you able to share with us some information about the up coming film, Vampire?

Adelaide Clemens: Vampire is a Japanese film it is very far from the Vampire craze that we are seeing at the moment. Vampire is a film written and directed by Shunji Iwai who is a Japanese director. Vampire places a spin on the whole 'vampire craze' and it is very gory but at the same time it is incredibly beautiful; the film is a piece of art in itself. People who have seen Shunji Iwai's films and know a little bit about Japanese cinema will know that the films are very symbolic and metaphysical representation of a male who diagnoses himself as a vampire. Shunji Iwai is the director and he is an incredibly funny, funny man and he has written this very horrific plot line. I think Shunji Iwai sat around and was thinking about what it would actually mean to be a vampire and to drink blood, these days, and how one would go about it and he came up with the twisted plot line of Vampire. It was really wonderful working with Shunji Iwai and the Japanese film crew. The experience was very, very interesting.


Interview by Brooke Hunter