If you have heard about the new movie The Nativity Story, you may know there is a bit of a twist to it. Not the story itself, it seems to be the traditional tale of the birth of Jesus, but the young actress who plays Mary is actually pregnant. I don’t know if any actress has ever starred as Mary in a movie when she was pregnant.
You may remember the young actress starring as Mary, Keisha Castle-Hughes. In 2003, the New Zealander played a head-strong Maori girl, Paikea, in the movie Whale Rider. Never having acted before, the casting director and assistant discovered Keisha when they visited her school in Mt. Wellington, New Zealand, searching for their Paikea. Despite the fact that she could not swim when they discovered her, she was cast in the movie. Her performance was so good, she became the youngest actress (at the age of 13) to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. She lost out to Charlize Theron, who won for her portrayal of real life serial killer Aileen Wuornos.
Keisha has only been in one movie since then, a cameo performance in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” in 2005. She returns to the theater this month with The Nativity Story. The pregnant actress, now 16, was “fearless” according to director Catherine Hardwicke. She learned to grind grain, weave cloth, and even was able to master a Middle Eastern accent for her role. It was feared there would be some backlash about the actress’ role and her real life pregnancy because she is so young and unmarried (the father is her boyfriend of three years, Bradley Hull).
But, so far, both Protestant and Catholic leaders have embraced the film and its young star, with more than 100 churches hosting a preview before its actual release. One Catholic nun, Sister Joseph Andrew has even said that perhaps God wanted her for this role. Keisha’s baby is due next April and she, her boyfriend, and family are all looking forward to the birth.
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