The 'Madeline' Of The Movies

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

July 9, 1998 / 3:02 PM EDT / CBS

Child actress Hatty Jones, the star of the live-action movie Madeline, joined CBS This Morning anchor Jane Robelot to chat about bringing the beloved children's book character to life on the big screen.

Hatty In America: "I've been here once before. New York is much taller than London, tall like a giraffe. It's great. I like Los Angeles, too. It's very different. It's got those palm trees and those nice beaches. I love the beach."

Landing the Part: "I started off going to drama class, and my teacher said there are auditions for Madeline, so I went down. I really just wanted to see what it was like to audition. I went there and read a script, and they asked me back and back and back, and I got the role."

Making Madeline: "The movie lasted three months. We had to have 3 1/2 hours of school each day. We would film on the set and our tutors would be there and take us off for our lessons when we weren't needed for our shots. "

Hatty's Career Plans: "I would prefer to do stage, film, and TV, more than commercials and modeling. I enjoy doing a film, but commercials are just advertising. Films advertise you."

Hatty's Title Character: "She's very strong; she stands up for herself; she knows what she wants. She's determined...In school people tease me about me being in Madeline, and I don't let them push me around about it. I say it was one of the happiest times of my life. Say someone else is being bullied, I stand up for them as well."

Hatty's Family: "My mom takes care of us and isn't an actor, and my dad's a lawyer. He was never even in the school play. My brother's keen on football, but the younger one likes putting on shows with me, so maybe he'll think about it."

Working With Oscar-Winning Actress Frances McDormand: "In the beginning, I was a bit nervous. I was thinking to myself that she probably thinks I'm a rubbish actor. Once I got used to her, I was fine. Thinking back on it, I would be nervous all over again. When you do it every day, you get used to it. She's very nice in person."