A Hollywood icon who shot to fame as a child 63 years ago is making her comeback.
Hayley Mills first became a household name when she starred in the pioneering days of cinema. First cracking the Hollywood scene in the 1950s, she went on to star in the likes of Pollyanna, Tiger Bay and The Parent Trap, which led her to critical acclaim.
However, after her stint at fame in movies, Hayley left the world of cinema behind her as she admitted she would never want to star in another film. But some 63 years after her biggest role, Mills is now coming back to the industry to star in a new film.
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M Night Shyamalan’s new film, Trap, sees Hayley make a glorious return to the set, taking on the role of Dr Grant, an FBI profiler, trying to track down psychotic serial killer Cooper, known as “The Butcher”. When he takes his daughter Riley to a concert, he unwittingly falls into an FBI-orchestrated trap as they do all in their power to bring him down.
(Image: Sabrina Lantos)
Reflecting on her time on set, Hayley said she was ecstatic to get in front of a camera once again: “It was lovely to be on a movie set again,” she said. “There’s more space, you can take deeper breaths… And certainly, on a movie of Night’s, you don’t rush.”
Now aged 78, Mills looks completely different to her younger days as she takes on the gritty story of Dr Grant, who – much like Hayley – was brought onto the case despite being retired from the screen.
“She’s been lecturing and writing books and things about [killers] and I think her age is a relevant factor in the movie for the protagonist,” Mills said in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter. She added that to get the call to work on the film after years away from Hollywood came as a shock to her, as she had found her work in television and theatre.
(Image: Popperfoto via Getty Images)
“The film came completely unexpected, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever make another movie — I wasn’t shedding any tears,” she reflected. “People often look at you and think, ‘This is a Disney actress, isn’t it?'”
But despite being stunned at even being considered for the role, Hayley said she was thrilled to accept the role given to her. She also praised the film’s writing, dubbing it director Shyamalan’s “ultimate vision” and ensuring that fans will be drawn into the story from the get go.
(Image: FilmMagic)
“It’s a movie that’s written, directed and funded by one man – it’s his movie,” she beamed. “The sound, the music, is wonderful – and for somebody who shoulders so much, he’s so relaxed and funny and lovely and warm and encouraging and appreciative on the set.”
Releasing in the UK last month, the film ahs already divided film critics. However, the box office has seen tickets skyrocket, with the film grossing $20million worldwide on its opening weekend.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
