"So what was it like working so intimately with someone you just met?"
The interviewer asked as she crossed her legs and placed her note cards on top of her lap. I looked over at Mads and thought about the past six months that we had been working together.
I watched as he answered her question so calmly, as if there was nothing to hide. His hands were locked onto the arm rests of the chair. He started to laugh and I looked at the interviewer and she was laughing too. They both looked at me when they noticed I hadn't joined them. Mads knuckles turned white from the grasp they had in the seat.
"I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention." I said as seriously as I could. The interviewer laughed but Mads did not.
"I guess you were a little side tracked. I would be too if I was sitting next to Denmark's sexiest man." Her overly white teeth shined in my eyes and caused me to wince. Her grin made me sick.
"Well you're sitting right across from him."
She just smiled and continued on.
"Yes, I suppose you're right. but what was it like for you to share such intimate scenes with him? You're new to the film industry, correct? Was'nt it a bit intimidating to share the screen with someone who has been in a Bond film, and most recently in the hit NBC show Hannibal?"
"Well this is only my second film so yes I would consider myself pretty new to the industry. And even though 1953 was a bit of a larger scale film I was'nt in a lead role so it was a lot less stressful. But Sawyer, the director, is a old childhood friend so he new most of my limits, and that's what I appreciate the most, the fact that he was able to push me to do my best without scaring me." I smiled and looked over at Mads who was just looking at me. He grinned at me the way he always grinned at me. His nose scrunched up and his canines peaked through the curve of his upper lip.
"Plus, Mads is such a great guy to work with," I broke my gaze and turned back to the lady who was sitting at the edge of her seat, "he is very funny, even though he doesn't like to think so, and he is very easy going.
The interviewer perked up a bit.
"Well it looks like you to got very cozy with each other during shooting," she clasped her hands together and before either Mads and I could object she blurted out in a high pitch voice, "I am so glad that you brought up 1953. I absolutely love that movie. What was it like to be apart of that?"
I glanced over at Mads who had that subtle look of annoyance that I had come to know so well.
"Well...uhh...I mean it was an amazing experience working with all these great actors, especially Abigail, who wrote most of the script and helped direct some of the scenes. She is about my age so we got along wonderfully, and she is so talented. It was also very interesting to have Michael Fassbender play my father considering my own father and brother love him from his time doing X-Men."
"Yeah? That is wonderful. Now tell me, sequel or no sequel? Because the ending was pretty much a set up for a second film, am I right?" The interviewer seemed somewhat genuinely intrigued.
"Umm, well actually the movie is based on the series of short stories that Abigail wrote when she was in high school, so if you want to know the whole story you should read those. When I got the part I read all of them in two days and I just wanted them to keep going."
"How many are there? I actually had no idea! I interviewed her about a year ago when the movie was in post-production and she didn't mention that!"
I could feel my cheeks heat up. I had completely forgotten that that was one detail she liked to keep a secret. It's okay. I will tell her when we have lunch tomorrow.
"Oh. That's right. That is something she doesn't really like to brag about. They are written under a pseudonym, but if you look for them you will find them. They are titled 1953, 1954, 1955, and then 1960."
"Wow that is wonderful," her hands were raised and there was a big smile on her face, "I cannot wait to get my hands on them!"
Mads leaned back into the chair that he was sitting in and ran his hand through his hair. "I actually read them while we were on the set of Daniel & Anna. They are absolutely amazing."
I recalled the day that Mads sat next to me while we were in between scenes and took the book that was in my hand to see what it was.
"All right everybody, it's going to take about an hour to reset the scene, so Mads, Reed, you can take a break." Sawyer said from the director’s chair.
I tried not to make eye contact with Mads between scenes, since I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. I had had a crush on him since I was fifteen, and Sawyer knew that so he waved me down and patted his lap. I felt a little rude not saying anything to Mads but I just walked off.
A lot of people thought Sawyer and I were in a relationship but it took some convincing that we were only friends. Really good friends. Really Good.
I walked over to him and leaned on his lap. His director’s chair seemed a lot more comfy then mine. I faced the screen that was in front of him and watched what he was watching. The scene that Mads and I had just filmed that I ruined because I am a clumsy amateur. Sawyer wrapped his arms around me and I watched the screen as I not only messed up my lines but tripped and ruined the bookshelf that was in the frame.
"Hey don't worry. We're going to fix it. You did fine." He said as he held me closer.
"You're just saying that. I don't think I'm ready for this 'leading role' yet."
He nudged me and I could feel his smile as he pressed his face into my shoulder.
"C'mon, you're a little nervous because you're the main focus of attention, and you're a lot nervous because you have to share scenes with..." he trailed off and laughed, "your 'future husband'." He quoted fifteen year old me which made me laugh. "Besides," he continued, "It's too late to find anyone else."
"Oh shut up."
Our laughter drew attention to us and a couple of people looked suspiciously at Sawyer and I, considering he had his arms around me. I could feel his assistant, Jill, burn a hole from the jealous glare she was giving me. I sighed and let go of him.
"I'm going to go outside." I started walking off.
"You're not going to smoke are you?" He yelled.
I raised my hand in the air and quickly grabbed my bag that I had laid on a random table.
"Whatever." I yelled back.
When I got outside I sat down underneath the canopy that was pitched for lunch. I grabbed the book out of my bag and started reading. I was able to read a page before I saw a couple of prop guys haul in a new bookshelf. I mentally face palmed myself when out of nowhere I caught the whiff of tobacco and smoke. I looked over my shoulder and saw my co-star, my teenage crush, mads Mikkelsen smoking over my shoulder.
"Hi."
He said with the cigarette tipping out of his mouth.
"Hello." My voice cracked and I closed the book.
"What are you reading?" He asked as he walked around the table and sat next to me.
"1954."
"Is'nt that the movie you were in?" He took a long drag of his cigarette and placed it on the ash tray that Sawyer had so strategically placed in every vicinity that he figured Mads would be. My stomach was doing flips and it wasn't just because of the smell.
"No. Well yeah but, I was in 1953. The movie is based off of this series but I'm reading 1954, which is the sequel." I managed to stammer out of myself.
Mads just smiled and reached for the book.
"May I see it? I saw some of the movie. My daughter loved it. She was even excited when she knew I was going to meet you."
I handed him the book as steady as I physically could.
"Me? Really? Wow."
He took the book and laid it on his lap. He then grabbed a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket and popped one into his mouth. Then he reached out the pack and offered me one. I slowly nodded my head back and forth, even though I really wanted one.
"I saw you hiding behind that trailer over there." He said pointing to the the row of at least a dozen trailers were I thought I could smoke in private. "Do you not trust me?" Mads smirked and my heart started to beat so fast I thought I was hyperventilating.
I reached my hand out to grab one from the pack. He then reached into his other pocket and grabbed a yellow lighter. He lit his first, cupping his hand to shield the fire from the breeze. I placed the tip of the cigarette between my lips and dry popped it. He looked surprised. I was able to utter a sorry with it still in my mouth.
Mads then reached over and held his hand near my mouth. With one swift motion he lit the cigarette. I inhaled as much as I could without seeming desperate. He slowly moved his hand away.
"I'm going to read this book now," he said, "are you going to stay here with me?"
"Reed? Reed." The interviewers voice rang in my head.
I could feel Mads rough hands wrap around my forearm . "Solskin?"
I snapped back into reality with a glare from the interviewer and Mads looking at me with concern.
"Sorry." I giggled and tucked a strand of my bangs back behind my ear.
The interviewer seemed frustrated, but she shook through a smile and turned toward the camera that was on the right of Mads.
"Alright folks, that was your exclusive into the lives of Mads Mikkelsen and Reed Morgan, the stars of the hit movie Daniel & Anna. Be sure to check out the movie, it is amazing! I am Terry Shaw and this is the insider's exclusive."
*******
If you have not seen the movie Breath In (It goes along with the song I posted), I 110% recommend it! It's one of my favourites!
One last side note -if you're still reading- ; I will be throwing in some Danish, since Mads Mikkelsen is in fact Danish. I am NOT at all an expert in the language so I am just using babylon to translate. I hope I don't offend anyone who does happen to speak the language and I totally butcher it:)