Interview: Broadway’s Jeremy Jordan, star of The Last Five Years movie

Jeremy Jordan stars as Jamie alongside Anna Kendrick as Cathy in the film adaptation of Jason Robert Brown’s musical The Last Five Years.

The movie is currently being exclusively shown at London’s Empire Cinema in Leicester Square. Adapted and directed by Richard LaGravenese, The Last Five Years will be released in the UK on VOD on 1st May and DVD on 4th May 2015.

Described as a “touching story of heartbreak and passion”, The Last Five Years follows the highs and lows of a five year relationship. The musical premiered in Chicago in 2001 and was produced off-Broadway the following year.

Jeremy received a Tony nomination for originating the role of Jack Kelly in Newsies on Broadway. His Broadway credits also include originating the role of Clyde Barrow in Bonnie & Clyde and alternating the role of Tony in West Side Story. He also appeared in Rock of Ages. In addition to famously starring as Jimmy Collins in Smash, Jeremy’s screen credits include: Supergirl, Law & Order, Elementary, Submissions Only and Joyful Noise.

I recently spoke to Jeremy about why The Last Five Years stands apart from other musical movies, what he learnt from Anna Kendrick and how it feels to look back at his time in Newsies…

How did you react when you first heard about the possibility of starring in The Last Five Years on screen? 

I was thrilled! I mean, I’m one of those crazy people that knew every word of the album ten years ago. When I first heard it was coming to the screen Anna (Kendrick) was already attached, so I was like ‘If she’s attached they’re gonna get some A-lister guy to play Jamie’. But I guess they couldn’t find that, so my agent called me and said “They’re still looking for Jamie and have asked you to come and audition” and immediately in my brain I was like ‘I have to get this! This is my role and if I don’t get this then life is not worth living’ [laughs]. I was very ambitious about it, but I had loved the piece for a long time, as have many fans of musical theatre. They put me through the wringer, I think I had three or four auditions.

Film Review: Disney's Into The Woods

Lilla Crawford as Little Red Riding Hood

Into The Woods
Disney
Released 9th January 2015
★★★★★

Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's dark and twisted musical Into The Woods seemed an unlikely choice for a stage to screen adaptation from squeaky clean Disney. Intertwining several fairytales, Into The Woods tells a cleverly pieced together story that translates well on the big screen.

The film sees Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) fleeing from the ball, Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford) being pursued by the big bad wolf (Johnny Depp), Rapunzel (Mackenzie Mauzy) letting down her hair and Jack (Daniel Huttlestone) being chased down his beanstalk by the giant.

Film adaptation of The Last Five Years releases first trailer

As if we couldn't be more excited for the film adaptation of Jason Robert Brown's musical The Last Five Years, the first trailer has just been released! Check it out below.

The "touching story of heartbreak and passion" is brought to life on screen by Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan. The story chats the highs and lows of a five year relationship. Told almost entirely through song, The Last Five Years received its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year. 

Filled with the lively energy of New York City's cultural milieu, the film tells the story of the five-year relationship between rising novelist Jamie Wellerstein (Jeremy Jordan) and struggling actress Cathy Hyatt (Anna Kendrick). As Jamie's new novel vaults him to the top of the literary scene, Cathy is still doing summer stock in Ohio, and their diverging levels of success pose pressing and dire challenges to their love.