'Elemental' Stars Mamoudou Athie and Leah Lewis on Making Pixar's First Rom-Com (Exclusive)
Plenty of Pixar films have featured sweet love stories between some of their main characters -- think WALL-E's title character and EVE,Toy Story's Woody and Bo Peep, or (get your tissues ready) Up's Carl and Ellie.
But not until Elemental has a Pixar movie focused so directly on a love story between the central couple, drawing inspiration from beloved rom-coms of the past to shape the chemistry between its main characters: Ember Lumen (Leah Lewis), a young, headstrong fire element, and Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie), a fun and sensitive water element.
Lewis and Athie joined ET's Matt Cohen at Pixar Animation Studios in San Francisco recently to discuss more about their characters and the upcoming film, which has been seven years in the making for director Peter Sohn, who previously directed The Good Dinosaur for Pixar.
Elemental takes place in Element City, in a universe where different elements -- fire, water, earth and air -- traditionally keep to themselves, sometimes facing xenophobic attitudes as they strive to live alongside one another. Wade and Ember's relationship starts off as contentious, but as they become closer, their feelings for one another start to challenge the gap between their very different lives.
"I mean, this film just leads with love in general," Lewis shared. "Because yes, you see Ember and Wade and they love themselves. But then when they come to each other, they learn how to love their own selves in a different way because of being loved by someone else, who is seeing things that they don't get to see."
"We choose our partners because they do see some of the things that we don't see and we complement each other," she added.
Apart from the main characters' love story, Elemental also plays heavily into Pixar's tried-and-true exploration of family love and the way generational support can lead to acceptance and understanding.
"Outside of just the romantic aspect, it's like, the family commitments, a familial aspect of it, the debt of gratitude to the parents," Athie explained, sharing how much he can appreciate the film's familial relationships in parallel to his own real-life story. "I came to this country when I was five months old, and I owe my parents for everything they did for me to just get over here and live an easier life. I relate to Ember's character, or Leah's character, so much because of that same [feeling of], oh, I have to give back in this way."
"Given everything that Ember's parents, and, in real life, parents give to their children too, it's something that I think Ember and even myself have so much gratitude towards," Lewis agreed. "But I think at the end of the day, you can put your own expectations on yourself of who you need to be, but then in the end, sometimes you realize that your parents just wanted you to be you and wanted you to be happy."
"I mean that family love and that loyalty there, that's basically unshakeable," she continued. "It's a self love story. It's a family love story. It just, you know, love is love, love, love, love."
The pair also shared how they've been "pinching themselves" for the last two years over being the leads of a Pixar movie, something Lewis points out has been "such a staple for so many different people."
"It's the best. I mean, this is my favorite movie," Athie marveled. "Also, my favorite group of people I've ever worked with, just top to bottom. Everyone's been so warm and welcoming and working with Leah, even in the limited capacity that it has been just incredible."
The pair also shared how proud they were to be part of the team that completed Sohn's vision for Elemental -- many years in the making.
"When somebody's put all their heart and energy into something for seven years, and treated everyone with love and respect, [you have] a gratitude for being a part of his vision," Lewis shared. "You want to do your best for them."
"It was an unforgettable experience," Athie agreed.
Elemental is in theaters now.
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