Cats Star Francesca Hayward Overcame Her Fear Of Singing With Help From Taylor Swift

For rising star Francesca Hayward the most surreal moment of her Cats journey wasn't walking onto the U.K. Set for the opening time in a motion capture suit surrounded by giant furniture and the likes of Idris Elba, Taylor Swift, and Dame Judi Dench — or perhaps the initial time she saw herself as Victoria, the naive young feline at the center of Tom Hooper's whimsical, big-screen adaptation, covered in digitally created fur. As a substitute, it's now, amidst the press run for the film. More specifically, it's walking the red carpet, arm in arm with Sir Ian McKellen, in a fabulous fit. "I'm loving all the dresses," Hayward tells MTV News from a London hotel.


She remains unfazed by the spectacle of it all. Right considering that, more than two decades of ballet training has afforded the 27-year-old performer the sort of mental toughness and stamina needed to survive a whirlwind Hollywood press tour. However there's still a special sort of magic in helping to bring Cats — a musical she's loved since childhood — to life. "It's joyous and stimulating and astonishing she says of the story.


Hayward, in white, with the cast of Cats at the world premiere in New York City


The film ultimately gave the principal dancer a chance to put her career at the Royal Ballet on hold for seven months to pursue a life-long dream: acting on screen. Right now, with a major movie on her resume, her future looks limitless. MTV News chats with Hayward about the challenges of acting cat-sized, singing in front of Swift and Andrew Lloyd Webber, and then some of her preference Cats memories.


MTV News: I know you were a big fan of Cats growing up. What was it like walking onto that set for the initial time? It must have been surreal to be able to see everything from a cat's perspective.


Francesca Hayward: It was absolutely astonishing. I never really thought about what a cat sees, I suppose. You don't really give it much thought, up until I was on the set for the initial time and realized that even something like a chair is just absolutely enormous to a cat. We really felt cat-sized, like literally. Some days we required a stunt team to assist us on and off furniture on set because it was impossible even to climb up onto a stool.


MTV News: did you realize that it was going to be cat-sized going into it?


Hayward: Tom Hooper had explained it and described it to us while in rehearsals, nevertheless nothing really prepares you up until you're actually there and you're in the middle of it.


MTV News: What was the most surreal moment on set for you?


Hayward: For me, it was having scenes alone Judi Dench. As well as having scenes with Idris Elba on another day. He's very charming, I have to mention. Each person would ask, "Have you seen them in their latest film? Or their latest TV thing?" And I was deliberately not watching any of those because I didn't wish to freak out about the fact that I had to act with them.


Judi Dench as Old Deuteronomy, the educated, old leader of the cats, in Tom Hooper's Cats


MTV News: What were your thoughts any time as soon as you saw yourself as Victoria for the initial time with all of that digital fur?


Hayward: I spent months and months attempting to imagine what I was going to look like. I actually saw it the opening time once the complete world saw it in the trailer. It took me a number of seconds to get used to myself because it's me nevertheless different — without my ears. Nevertheless then I loved it. I spent months pretending to have a tail, imagining it, and then I finally saw my tail! It was fascinating.


MTV News: The cast has spoke extensively about how you all trained to move like cats. Did you feel like you had an advantage going into it because of your formal dance training? How much of your dance experience helped your feline performance?


Hayward: Each person was coming from a different background. We had dancers and singers and actors, so we all knew that at some point we'd all have to do something that wasn't what we obviously felt confident in. So there were some parts of being a cat that felt much easier for me, like leaping off something and landing to my feet casually. I noticed a way to use my shoulders differently that worked for me as my go-to feline position. Although then things like singing were terrifying to me, and I had to build up my confidence have the ability to do that.


Hayward as Victoria in Cats


MTV News: How did you build up that confidence?


Hayward: I felt so lucky that the people I had to sing in front of — like Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, and Andrew Lloyd Webber — made me feel so comfortable. I never felt judged or pressured. Tom Hooper also didn't want each person to sound brilliant and polished. He wanted the emotion of the song to come through, so that was very cooperative, have the ability concentrate on just that. And of course the lyrics that Taylor Swift has written in the song that sing, I might really give attention to the words and much less on my voice. Yet, my voice did require some work. I created it each day with an extraordinary singing coach. I had to learn about how to use my voice as a musical instrument, like a muscle in my body While I dance. I had no idea how much you can do with your voice and why much you have got to look right after it. I've never had to use it like this before!


MTV News: The song Taylor Swift wrote for your character, cute Ghosts," was recently nominated for a Golden Globe. In her statement, she mentioned that she would go to set and watch dance. Did you realize that she was following you?


Hayward: I didn't know that! However I know that if she sang me the lyrics for the initial time, it was amazing how well she tapped into my character. I sort of gathered from that how much she must have been learning about my role and the part that I had been creating. So I guess I sort of figured that out.


MTV News: and also you were doing vocal training and cat training, while still practicing ballet daily. What was it like balancing all of that while also building a movie?


Hayward: I had to arrive to set before each person else to squeeze ballet class in. I'd be waking up at 4 a.M. And I'd be doing ballet at 6 a.M. Sort in attempt to be on set and willing to go at the same time as each person. It was certainly long, however ballet training accommodates so much with being able to deal with the stamina you need and being mentally prepared for what's ahead of you. Yet being a cat and attempting to sing at the same time were the two hardest challenges for me.


MTV News: Who was the most organic cat on set?


Hayward: Each person was so different. Yet some of my main go to Cats memories are of seeing Judi Dench curled up in a basket while watching Ian McKellen.


MTV News: If I were a cat, I would like to be that cat. Once the film wrapped, what was it like going back to your common routine?


Hayward: It was really nice to have more time in bed in the morning. I really loved that side of it. I used to complain about having ballet class at 9:30 a.M., So right now I'm ready for it.


MTV News: To put your ballet career on hold for seven months, you should have really wanted to be piece of this project. What was it about this film that made you wish to put your dance career on hold for a little bit and pursue this?


Hayward: Everything! For people who know about dance, Cats is a musical that really celebrates dance, and there really are so several different styles of dance in this film, also. I was really looking forward to being segment of that. And Tom Hooper invited me to be segment of a large film, and also you just can't turn that down. I think I'd habitually have regrets about never having had this experience.


Hayward as Victoria and Laurie Davidson as Mr. Mistoffelees in Cats


MTV News: What was your audition song?


Hayward: They invited me to sing "Memory" right at the starting, which is actually a very hard song to sing. Of course, I'd never attempted to sing it perfectly before.


MTV News: They really threw you in the deep end.


Hayward: I know. It's one of the most prominent songs ever!


MTV News: Did Tom Hooper call you personally to tell you that you got the part?


Hayward: He did. He wanted to hear my reaction over the phone. I was actually in holiday in Barcelona. I had been in a horrible Airbnb because it was the last place left I may book, however I had enough of it, so I determined to check into this really nice hotel on the beach the last two nights of my holiday. So I checked into this hotel, and I was feeling rather fabulous sitting by the pool. I had sorted myself a drink, and Tom Hooper called me. I remember him saying to me, "You just got the main part in a big Hollywood film. How do you feel?" I was already drinking champagne, so I felt excellent! I was living my best life.


MTV News: while you were younger, you mentioned you really loved performing and acting out things that you saw on TV or on stage. Did you habitually hope to act?


Hayward: Acting is what I've enjoyed the most about ballet and being on stage. I love all the ballets that have a really strong story in them where I get to play a character. I don't adore the ones that are more technical without a story line and it's just me on stage dancing. To be acting without dancing, to have it all stripped back and be about me and what I'm saying and my expressions, that was really interesting for me. It gave me a taste of what I might do in the future. Because a ballet career would be short. It's unpredictable. So I feel lucky to have this possibility to know that this is a possibility for me.


MTV News: while you think about ballet as an art form, and as a way to tell stories, what is the most exhilarating thing to you about ballet right now?


Hayward: Dancers are finally being recognized for their athletic ability. For a long time each person had a stereotype of ballet that it was easy and that we were just prancing around. Yet thanks to the world wide web, and being able to share live performances and broadcast them to the world so that each person can experience the ballet, I think it's inspiring people we wouldn't normally have the ability to reach. Finally, we're getting the recognition for the hard work and dedication that's involved. I'm happy that folks are getting to like it because the new forms that are being presented to the world now.


Cats is in theaters now.