showbiz

'Swing Vote' a learning experience for Carroll

Posted on Friday, Aug. 22, 2008
by John Powell - Cineplex Entertainment

Madeline Carroll

From a spooky A.I. computer hologram in Resident Evil to a pint-sized political activist in her latest film 'Swing Vote', Madeline Carroll has run the gamut of characters in her short Hollywood career.

The 12-year-old from Los Angeles, California, was discovered while embarking on a modeling career. She made the switch to acting after an agent spotted her and recognized the potential she had. Swing Vote represents her first lead role in a feature film. For Carroll, it was a dream come true to work with the one and only Kevin Costner.

“It was great and he is a true role model,” Carroll told Cineplex Entertainment. “I was so excited and so happy to start filming because I love him. We clicked just like that.”

As a lively father and daughter team in the film, Costner (Bud Johnson) and Carroll (Molly Johnson) play off each other so well. Through a tech hiccup and Carroll’s shenanigans in trying to get her bumbling but loveable father to live up to his civic duty and vote, Costner becomes the deciding vote in a U.S. national election.

As the attention of the world-wide media is focused on him, Costner is swarmed by both the president (Kelsey Grammer) and the Democratic candidate (Dennis Hopper) as each tries to win him over, by hook or by crook. The humourous political flip-flopping that ensues as both parties alter their longstanding policies based on Johnson’s whims is the real highlight of the film.

Although she keeps up to date on the crucial issues of the day, Carroll admits that being a tween, she has more “important” things on her mind.

“I watch the news and everything. I am interested in politics but really, I like going out and playing,” she said.

Life isn’t all fun and games for Carroll though. She did have to keep up to date with her studies while filming ‘Swing Vote’. At the time, there were some things that she didn’t learn from text books on the set. Acting with Costner taught her more than she ever hoped.

“He just showed me different ways of doing something, like if you are in a situation, there isn’t just one way out,” she recalled.

Going forward with her budding acting career, Carroll finds strength in the support she is given by her friends and family and really wants to keep Hollywood guessing.

“I would like to stay acting and do different genres so people can see different sides of me,” she said. “I don’t want to be ever trapped in one category.”

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