Sometimes as a mom, I see little girls that are older than my three and I think, “Wow, I hope my daughter’s turn out to be as amazing as she is.”
Sitting down and talking to Joey King who plays ‘China Girl’ in the already blockbuster film, Oz The Great and Powerful, is such a young lady. I could not get over that she is only 13. This young lady is mature beyond her years, intelligent, beautiful and professional. But she still also displays that youth and childhood that you would think would be lost as a childhood starlet.
Her laugh is infectious, her smile bright and endearing and her personality lovable. She talked with great respect and adoration for her mother and shared little pieces of what it is like to be on set with stars and talent like those in Oz The Great and Powerful.
I absolutely LOVED her and think that her work in the movie is amazing. She gave China Girl (Tweet to her on Twitter at @JoeyKingActress and #ChinaGirl) emotion, humor and character. Not the easiest thing, I would not think!
I was so completly honored to sit down with her along with 24 other #DisneyOzEvent bloggers and ask her our most pressing questions. Below are some of my favorite answers.
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How did you get involved with the project?
I auditioned for it and I really loved it. It was so exciting for me, and magical, ‘cause I’m a huge fan of the original movie. When I went to the screen test, I got to meet Sam there. And it was just amazing. I wanted to be a part of it really badly because it seemed like such a fun thing to do, and it was just a breathtaking movie.
Were any of the actresses like your mom on set?
Michelle Williams is more like my mom or more like my sister. Michelle was really funny because she has a daughter Matilda, and she wanted to know things like how old was I was when I got to wear heels. So she was asking me a bunch of things. And one time when she asked me how old I was when I got my phone. ‘Cause I don’t want to give Matilda a phone too early or too late. And I told her I got my phone at 10-years-old and She goes, ten, really? That’s early! I’m just like, no it’s not! So she wanted to ask me a few things and she was more like a mom figure to me.
Do you have a China Girl doll yet?
I’m working on getting it. I really want one because she’s so cute, and I think it’d really fun to show my family.
What did you think of your finished character when you saw the movie for the first time?
When I saw the movie, ‘cause that was, um, at the premier, that was the first time I’d seen it. I had only seen about 20 minutes of it before. But it was really, it was really exciting for me, because I got to play two characters. I played, um, a little girl in a wheel chair in Kansas, and then I played, uh, China Girl in the Land of Oz. So it was really cool to see how everything came together, and how they did China Girl, ‘cause what they did was they used, um, like, CGI technology, and they filmed my face, and attached my expressions onto China Girl. So it was really, it was like I was watching myself, like, kind of, but in an animated character.
What was your favorite part about the movie?
There’s so many great parts about filming that movie, ‘cause it was just really exciting for me and I loved everything about the script. I love the original! One of my favorite parts was just getting to work with everyone, like James, Mila, Zach, Michelle and Sam Raimi is an amazing director and an amazing person. I love the way he works and he catches every little detail. He let us really play around with it. And that made it just feel really more natural. The cast was amazing. Like I said, Michelle’s like more like a mom figure to me. Zach is like a brother to me, and James is always teasing me on set. Mila’s like a sister to me. I love them all.
How do you balance your work with being a teenager?
A lot of people ask me that and they ask ‘how do you balance it’ because it must be hard doing this work and stuff. It’s ’s actually a lot of fun for me to come here and do this. It’s exciting for me. I love going away and filming, ‘cause I usually have to travel. And when I come home, I get to see my friends and I get to hang out with them and do fun things a lot. But this is what I love to do and it’s basically just like being a kid for me, being a teenager. It’s part of who I am and I love it.
Can you tell us about the swear jar?
Uh, yeah! You know, actually I did the swear jar on Oz, the Great and Powerful. You know what? My mom was the one who put the most money in it. Which was funny because she, she swears more than the cast and crew. It’s kind of funny when they swear but in a good way. ‘Because I didn’ keep the money. I donated to Meals on Wheels which is a charity that my grandma volunteers for. I go and deliver with her a lot. It’s where you deliver meals to elderly people who can’t get out of their home. Everyone had to be careful, but you know, it’s fine. So it was more being able to do that for them. And so doing the swear jar was kind of a funny thing, in a way. But also it was a really nice thing.
Joey King currently plays the amazing and lovable China Girl in Oz The Great and Powerful! See her now and fall in love with her immediately, as I did!
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**I will receive an all expense paid trip in exchange for honest reviews and discussions regarding these events. No monetary compensation will be received. Please see my Disclosure Statement for more information.**
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