Brave’s Kelly Macdonald on Being Pixar’s First Heroine
**I really enjoyed this film! Enjoy this post by Aimee Scudder.
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When Brave hits theaters, audience met Merida, Disney Pixar’s first heroine. The storied studio has never had a girl star in its 12 animated films, but that changes with Merida, a headstrong princess of the ancient Scottish kingdom of DunBroch, determined to change her destiny. Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald, who has starred in Boardwalk Empire and No Country For Old Men, is the voice of Merida, who comes to life on screen with wild red hair and enviable archery skills.
Unlike Disney princesses of the past, Merida is strictly opposed to landing a prince charming, which causes her to clash with her elegant and duty-minded mother, Queen Elinor. I traveled to Scotland to interview the stars and makers of Brave, and sat down with Kelly Macdonald, a mother herself, to talk about what it was like to play Pixar’s first leading lady, how she relates to the characters as a daughter and a mother, and what it means to be brave. Watch now, and enjoy Kelly’s beautiful Scottish accent!
Beth Barany has been making up fantasy and adventure stories all her life. She writes to empower girls and women with her kick ass heroines who have to save the world against great odds.
Beth likes to read books for kids and adults, mostly fantasy and science fiction, plus science fiction and paranormal romance, and mysteries and thrillers, too.
She’s been writing since she was a little girl, and wanted to be a writer. She also wanted to be a spy, detective, broadcast journalist, model, actress, or adventurer. She also wanted to be magic, go to outer space, travel to every continent and learn lots of languages.
Today she speaks fluent French, and so far has had adventures in three continents: North America, Europe and Africa.
While she hasn’t gone to outer space yet, she’s been working on a story set there; her stories also always have some kind of magic.
She was inspired to write Henrietta the Dragon Slayer because all the fairy tales she read as a kid were always about boys as heroes: Jack the Giant Killer this, Jack and the Seven-Headed Giant that, and of course, Jack and the Beanstalk. What happened to Jill? Where was Jill, the girl hero? That is why I wrote Henrietta the Dragon Slayer. I wanted to have my girl heroine fight the good fight and have adventures.
In her off hours, Beth enjoys cardio kickboxing, stick yoga, reading and watching movies with her husband, author and singer/song writer Ezra Barany.
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Brave’s Kelly Macdonald on Being Pixar’s First Heroine
