Transcripts

The Ellen DeGeneres Show
December 3, 2007

Ellen: Despite never acting professionally before, our next guest beat out ten thousand girls to win the starring role in The Golden Compass. Watch this.
(A clip from The Golden Compass is played)
Ellen: Please welcome thirteen year old Dakota Blue Richards!
(Dakota walks out and goes to her seat as "Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefani is playing)
Ellen: (pointing to a gift bag in Dakota's hand) Is it for me?
Dakota: Yes. It is. (hands the bag to Ellen)
Ellen: What is it?
Dakota: I bought it at the Getty Villas today.
Ellen: Oh did you go...are you hanging out in the states? Oh look how beautiful! (pulls out a glass blue rose and the audience awws) Thank you so much! That's gorgeous. And I got you something too. (looks around) Ummm... (Dakota and audience laughs) Oh it's an American delicacy. (picks up a pack of peanut butter crackers) These are peanut butter crackers that we eat here. These are...we keep them in cellophane because they're so precious. And uhh, they're very rare. So there you go. (gives the peanut butter crackers to Dakota)
Dakota: Thank you. (laughs)
Ellen: Yes, you're welcome. That's something I got for sure for you. Umm, but this is beautiful, thank you so much, I appreciate it. I'm gonna put it back in here. (picks up gift bag) I just assumed it was for me, it could've been for somebody else but I just grabbed it from you, didn't I? So congratulations on getting that part, beating ten thousand girls out of it, that's pretty impressive. (audience claps) And I understand your mom takes credit for it?
Dakota: Yeah she says part of the reason that I got the part is because she wouldn't let me brush my hair on the day of the audition.
Ellen: And you were supposed to look scruffy or something like that?
Dakota: Yeah, it's cause...I mean Lyra's described in the book as kind of wild and savage and, you know, untamed. And so she thought if I didn't brush my hair, then it would be a good first impression. However the story that Chris tells, Chris the director, that I was wearing a moth-eaten jumper is not true. I'm far too proud for that.
Ellen: You were wearing a what?
Dakota: A moth-eaten jumper.
Ellen: A moth-eaten jumper.
Dakota: Apparently.
Ellen: And a moth-eaten jumper is a holey dress?
Dakota: Yeah.
Ellen: (to the audience) I'm gonna interpret for you, I'm gonna help. (Dakota and the audience laughs) So, but that's not...you should go with it, that's a good story. You wanna have a good like made-up backstory and stuff. So that's...but that probably is why, that and your brilliant acting I'm sure. You have to take a little credit in that. And so what happened when you found out, did you get a call and how long after the audition did you find out?
Dakota: Well we had the first audition and then we had two recalls and a screen test before I found out that I had the part. And yeah Chris, Chris called me and he told my mum to put it on speaker phone. And because my mum's a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to technology, she hung up on him. And so he had to call back, and I put it on speaker phone, and then yeah, he said 'Do you want some good news? You're my Lyra.'
Ellen: Wow, you must've gone nuts!
Dakota: I did, I screamed and then I jumped and danced.
Ellen: That's...I mean that's really exciting. And then so you worked with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, that must've been...were you nervous working with Nicole Kidman and Daniel?
Dakota: I was a bit kind of nervous about meeting them because, I mean, they're such big stars. And I'd seen Nicole in, you know, other movies. And you know, you're walking up the stairs to, you know, meet them and your heart is pounding and you're really scared and you keep thinking things like 'Oh no, what if she thinks I'm really weird' and you know...
Ellen: With my moth-eaten jumper. (Dakota and audience laughs)
Dakota: Yeah my moth-eaten jumper and my unbrushed hair.
Ellen: Uh huh...but they were great?
Dakota: But yeah.
Ellen: Totally, yeah, she's a sweet girl, isn't she?
Dakota: Yeah.
Ellen: And did you...you had like a swear box on the set so if they cursed, they...
Dakota: Yeah everytime somebody swore, they had to pay a pound into the box. I think I raised about four hundred pounds, which... (audience laughs)
Ellen: Wow, and what are you doing with the money?
Dakota: It all went to like different charities. But yeah so I raised four hundred pounds of that, although it should've been five hundred pounds, but Daniel Craig hasn't paid me yet. (audience laughs)
Ellen: Well... (looks to the audience) Daniel, give her her money, give her her pounds. She's waiting for a hundred pounds, right? Is that what you're waiting for?
Dakota: Pretty much, yeah.
Ellen: Well there's interest on the late fee. Two hundred pounds you owe her now. (Dakota and audience laughs) Well it was nice meeting you and I can't wait for the film, it looks great. I can't wait for it to come out. The Golden Compass opens in theaters everywhere this Friday. Thank you for being here, I appreciate it. (shakes Dakota's hand)
Dakota: Thank you. (audience cheers)

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