Isabelle Fuhrman is attempting a feat that no other actor has done before in the upcoming Orphan sequel Orphan: First Kill. The now-25-year-old actress is reprising her role as the nine-year-old Esther in the prequel to the renowned 2009 horror film.
<img src="https://dg31sz3gwrwan.cloudfront.net/fanart/306583/1123741-0-q80.jpg" style="max said having Fuhrman reprise the role 'was a whole process to get approved.'
‘That’s a character that I love so much [and] I really want to be respectful to the audience who love that first film, and expand on who she is as a character,’ he explained.
‘To be able to kind of understand her. But at the same time have as much fun with her as we did in the first movie… and then some. And to have it be Isabelle again… it’s so cool.’
Fuhrman played nine-year-old Esther in Orphan in 2009 at age 12 (pictured left) and is now reprising the role in the 2022 prequel Orphan: First Kill ate age 24 (pictured right)
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Forever young! Fuhrman took on playing a child without any CGI or de-aging – having to rely on solely her acting skills and youthful look.
<img id="i-201ad140fdc4600" website height="949" width="470" alt="Fuhrman at the Orphan premiere in 2009 a
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A bloody good job! Fuhrman’s breakout role in Orphan at just 12 years old prepped her for a successful acting career
In Orphan, Fuhrman was 12 years old when she played Esther – a 33-year-old with a medical condition that caused her to look perpetually child-like
Fuhrman was just 12 years old when she landed the intensely eerie role of Esther in the original 2009 Orphan.
When Kate (Vera Farmiga) and John (Peter Sarsgaard) adopt Esther, they see her as a unique yet sweet little girl. Eventually, the family learns that Esther is really a 33 year old from named Leena Estonia with a medical condition that causes her to perpetually look like a child and that she has murdered all of her past adoptive families.
Such a complex role was an
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In 2007, when she was first auditioning for the role, Fuhrman knew that Esther was a role she ‘had’ to play
Fuhrman said she was ‘excited to have the challenge of being a two-faced character’ and connected to Esther’s desire to be loved
Horror icon! Fuhrman’s success in 2009 allowed for her to continue having a fulfilling career
Reflecting on the role in 2021, the actress had come to realize that she empathized with Esther’s desire to be loved.
She explained: ‘When I auditioned for [Orphan] when I was little, I honestly think the only reason that I booked it was because I understood her deep, primal desire to find love, which I don’t think a lot of people brought into the audition.’
‘It’s very easy to play a creepy kid or creepy person, but it’s very hard to find, like, what is the reason why this person is doing all this, and it was like, she wants love,’ she added.
It was this deep understanding of the role that earned Fuhrman the title of a horror icon and critical acclaim for years to come.
The odds were ever in Fuhrman’s favor! While the actress yearned for the role of Katniss in The Hunger Games, she killed it as Clove
Fuhrman landed the role of Clove in the 2012 film The Hunger Games
The actress’ next big role was in an adaption of one of the most popular young adult series of all times – The Hunger Games. She played the ruthless tribute from District 2, Clove.
When her agent told her about the 2012 film adaption, she read the first book in one night and did the same with the second book for the following night. In total, she ended up reading the entire series nine times.
Naturally, Fuhrman had her sights set on the lead role and wrote a letter to director Gary Ross asking if she could audition for the role when she was 14 years old but was ultimately told she was ‘too young.’
The psychodrama directed by Lauren Hadaway features Alex as a college freshman who is unhealthily obsessed with joining the top varsity rowing team and will stop at nothing to achieve her