2. She Once Got A Part Thanks To Her Elmo Impression
In The Five-Year Engagement, Brie plays the sister of Emily Blunts character. Its a pretty demanding role for someone who hadnt done much film work before; she has to be supportive but also kind of bitchy, and show comedy in conjunction with realism. So obviously she got the gig on the strength of her Elmo impression. She told the Hollywood Reporter that writer Nick Stoller told her that she got the part because the staff at the table read were impressed by her impression of the Sesame Street character. Apparently she prepared for the audition by slavishly revising her British accent, before watching one Elmo video to prepare for that scene. But after the read, Stoller couldnt stop talking about her impression. While its not common practice, there is a precedent for this sort of thing. Daniel Day-Lewis reportedly auditioned for Lincoln by delivering the Gettysburg Address in the style of Fozzie Bear.
