Laura Anna, a special person we know as a spinal cord injury warrior, has transferred her spirit of life to her fans, even to Amanda Rawles who played the role in the film Laura. In this film, Amanda Rawles admitted that she felt the real Laura’s presence beside her at all times. Not only was it a great challenge to play Laura, but it also provided meaningful life lessons for Amanda Rawles.
Amanda Rawles’ film Laura is one of her movies that emphasizes emotions. This story is based on the life journey of Laura, a rising celebrity on social media who gained fame due to the injustices she faced until she fell ill after an accident with her ex-boyfriend. Since then, Laura Edelenyi’s illness (spinal cord injury) became a turning point.
However, Laura managed to achieve justice for her bleak life thanks to her ex’s behavior. This justice made Laura even more famous. Her struggle for life was highly regarded by the community.
Not long after, Laura Anna passed away at her residence. That’s when everyone’s tears broke out.
From Mourning to Being Touched by Laura’s Struggle, Amanda Rawles Feels Laura’s True Self Always Present Near Her
Therefore, the film “Laura: A True Story of a Fighter“ was made, highlighting Laura’s fighting spirit throughout her life. Played by Amanda Rawles, she initially didn’t believe she would be able to embody the character of Laura, who is loved by everyone. Finally, Amanda felt the real Laura’s presence beside her at all times.
Check out Amanda Rawles’ explanation about her role as Laura in the film Laura!
What was your first impression when you were offered to play Laura?
Amanda Rawles: “My first impression when I was offered the role was shock. Shocked because I didn’t expect it to be made into a film. And I also already knew what Laura’s story was like following her journey. I didn’t expect to be offered that because I feel very different from Laura. Our faces don’t even look similar. Oh no, I’m not confident, really. At first, it seemed like this film wasn’t for me like I couldn’t handle playing Laura. That was my first impression.”
What burden did you feel when you found out you had to play the role of Laura?
Amanda Rawles: “The burden is really heavy, you know. The first thing is how I can meet people’s expectations, which is almost impossible. In the end, I set those expectations myself. So at that time, I wanted my demeanor to be as similar as possible to Laura’s. Only after that, the burden of trying to delve into the character, then per script. That scene was also heavy for me. Everything is a challenge for me.”
After reading Laura’s script, what do you think Laura’s character is like?
Amanda Rawles: “Actually, I don’t know Laura personally, but I am a follower of Laura, so I already know a bit about her character through her YouTube and Instagram. Additionally, I had the chance to meet and chat with Irene, Laura’s sister. I asked about Laura’s character and what things I didn’t know about Laura that she never showed on social media. When I read the script, I felt that Laura’s character was very, very unique. She has very high empathy, always wanting the people around her to be happy, and not wanting to burden anyone. It’s as if she always wants to make the people around her comfortable, laugh, and hide her own feelings. She doesn’t want people to know she’s sad. That’s at least what I know. But her energy is very big, very cheerful, very contagious too.”
What kind of treatment did Hanung Bramantyo give to your character?
Amanda Rawles: “I feel that Mas Hanung here gives me a lot of freedom to explore Laura’s character. He doesn’t burden me with ‘you have to do this, that,’ he probably knows, yeah, I can’t handle too much pressure. So, I explored on my own. On set, Mas Hanung only controlled my emotions. But for the character, he gave me freedom.”
What was the hardest scene for you as Laura?
Amanda Rawles: “The hardest and the one that made me nervous was when I had to imitate one of Laura’s podcasts. It was quite heavy because I was putting pressure on myself, trying to be as similar as possible—from the dialogue, the pauses in her eyes, her body movements. Because I was so nervous and wanted to be exact, suddenly I couldn’t handle it when performing that scene. I suddenly broke down, crying non-stop because I felt very close to Laura’s character while playing that podcast scene.”
What good thing did you get from Laura’s character?
Amanda Rawles: “This is a bit deep, but during the filming, I felt like this is a real person and no longer here with us. So I am always reminded of death. Because I know she was here with us and now she’s no longer here. I feel that life is indeed not eternal, we shouldn’t take it for granted. I started to appreciate every day, even during filming, I was grateful. Maybe I became more aware of the struggles of people with disabilities out there—I started to feel a bit of what it’s like, that it’s indeed very difficult, but not impossible. There is still a way to keep fighting.”
How was your approach to Laura’s family so that you were trusted to play the role of Laura?
Amanda Rawles: “The approach process initially started with me chatting with Irene. Actually, Irene came to the reading session, and we got to know each other. During the casting, I was also with Irene and we chatted there. I want to know Laura’s story from Irene’s perspective. I don’t know why, it just suddenly felt right. Even when we started filming, when I saw Irene, I really felt like she was my real sister. Like there’s a special bond of its own.”
What message do you want to convey to the audience from the film Laura?
Amanda Rawles: “We can learn from Laura’s spirit to keep fighting even amidst the many injustices in her life. But she kept fighting in very, very difficult conditions. And from this, we can learn from her energy to keep fighting against the challenges in our lives—to continue fighting for justice.”
The news of Edelenyi Laura’s passing is indeed very sad, but her life struggle will make everyone feel that life is truly a struggle.
Watch the movie Laura with your loved ones, okay? Also, listen to the original soundtrack of Laura: “Laura” sung by Raissa, and “Sekarang Esok Selamanya” sung by Nuca on all digital streaming platforms!
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