VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Samara Weaving On Working With Kelvin Harrison On ‘Chevalier’

The new historical drama film Chevalier follows Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), a real-life violinist and composer who rose to prominence as a musical prodigy in France. Bologne was the child of a slave and a slave owner. As a free man of color, he attended an all-white arts school where he learned how to play and write music. He was the earliest European musical artist of African descent to receive widespread recognition for his work, receiving the title of Chevalier from Marie Antoinette as one of the court’s respected artists.

Samara Weaving, who spoke with uInterview founder Erik Meers about her role in the film, plays Marie-Josephine de Montalembert, who defies her husband to make an opera with Bologne.

When asked about the story of her character, Weaving said, “[screenwriter] Stefani [Robinson] did all the research… and what she wrote was pretty much what really happened. A lot of them were based on rumors, but where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”

She also talked about working on the set, saying that it was a “magical shoot.”

“We were in Prague, which is stunning. The whole cast was just incredible to work with – so talented and fun and funny. Kelvin’s so charming and so professional and grounded. He had no days off. He’d work Saturdays and Sundays… He broke his collarbone, but he kept going.”

Weaving also revealed how she got into character. “The biggest help was the hair and makeup departments. As soon as that corset comes on, you’re so limited in your movement and you have to rely on so many people in order to get around,” she said. Weaving said that she connected with her character’s feelings of wanting to run away, especially when societal barriers stripped women of their autonomy.

Chevalier premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. It is in theaters now.