8 Things You Didn't Know About Richard Madden

Filming Cinderella brought its fair share of unexpected challenges for Richard. One such obstacle that he managed to overcome was serious his lack of waltzing skills. 

Everyone knows the famous waltz scene between an unrecognizable Cinderella and her Prince Charming at the ball. Richard became well aware that this pivotal scene was a key element to the entire production. Unfortunately, he lacked the Fred Astaire gene.

"It doesn't come naturally to me," says Madden. "It was a mistake to deliberately miss those classes in grammar school. I thought, 'I'm not good at this so why bother?' I regretted that the moment I was cast."

Despite his best efforts, production forbid him to dance with the actual dress until he had numerous practice takes with practice gowns. The final ball gown was an incredible force to be reckoned with, featuring layers of fabrics and an impressive amount of volume. That certainly didn't make the situation any easier. 

"But, I trained three or four days a week for two and a half months, before they’d even let me near the real dress. And I destroyed two practice dresses completely. They were just ripped to shreds. They looked like cats had gotten a hold of them."

Luckily he was able to pull it together for the final take. The final product displays Richard looking every bit the natural dancer.