Leah Lewis, sitting in her interview chair on the Pixar studio lot and dressed in a head-to-toe hot pink suit, has all the presence of a movie star.
Lewis, the stunning actress known for her roles in the TV series Nancy Drew and the Netflix romance The Half of It, becomes a bona fide star in Elemental, which, in all likelihood, will prove just another step in ascension of the Hollywood ladder. Born in Shanghai, Lewis immigrated to the US at just eight months old and grew up in Florida.
Lewis isn’t alone. Mamoudou Athie, Lewis’ Yale-educated, Emmy-nominated co-star in Elemental, also has a career on the rise. At age 34, he already boasts a sizable resume in television and film, including roles in The Front Runner, Cake, and Jurassic World: Dominion. Athie came to the US as a refugee from Mauritania at six months old. His family raised him in New Carrollton, Maryland. Between those stars, the film's director, and its poignant narrative, Elemental seems like a true tale of the immigrant experience.
Pixar Goes to Element City
Elemental tells the story of Ember (voiced by Leah Lewis, of The Half of It), a young woman made of fire living in Element City, a metropolis populated by citizens made of the four elements — air, earth, fire, and water. Ember grow up as a first-generation fire elemental in Element City, her parents having immigrated prior to her birth — or is that spark?
She hopes to one day take over her parents’ store, and carry on the family traditions. Infrastructure problems at the family business run Ember afoul with Wade (Mamoudou Athie), a water elemental working for the city. Ember has grown up in fear of water elementals in particular, since exposure to the fluid could extinguish her, thus causing her death. Yet Wade and Ember feel an immediate attraction to one another, and an unlikely romance blooms as the pair team to save Ember’s family shop.
Of course, because Elemental is a Pixar movie, Ember and Wade begin to develop an affection for one another which evolves into something deeper. But can a fire elemental and a water elemental — two beings taught that they will kill one another if they ever touch—ever really understand each other?
An Immigrant Story and American Tale
For playing two characters with opposing elements, Lewis and Athie, have amazing chemistry, and much of the success of Elemental derives from their casting.
“We didn’t meet each other until [production] was nearly over,” said Lewis, observing the irony of their on-screen magnetism.
“We had a really good director,” added Athie with a laugh. “An excellent director.”
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“And a great casting director,” nodded Lewis. “Knowing that my energy would mix with his as a person. Even when we watched the film together, it looks like we were in the room together.”
The casting of two real-life immigrants for the film was also key to what director Peter Sohn (The Good Dinosaur) wanted as he developed the film.
“At first there wasn’t any kind of talk as a piece of the movie,” explained Sohn. A warm smile crossed his face as he glanced over at producer Denise Ream. The two sit in folding director’s chairs, radiating pride in their movie.
“It just was part of a personal experience that I had,” continued Sohn. “As a kid, I didn’t appreciate all the things my parents had done until I was an adult. Then I was like, 'Holy cow, they came here with nothing! They had no money!' The older I got, this overwhelming emotion of gratitude came out. They did so much for my brother and I. That was the heart of it. It was the North Star we kept chasing throughout the whole film.”
“Pete didn’t do the usual pitch,” added Ream with a proud smile. “When he recounted his story [about growing up an immigrant], everyone was like, 'That’s the story you need to tell.'”
Emotional Over Elemental
“Something I learned early on at Pixar,” explained Sohn, “and maybe it’s not the healthiest thing — but you put your heart into everything you do, even in any drawing you’re doing. You’re really revealing yourself.”
For Athie and Lewis, that heart beats at the center of the film, and for the Pixar legacy as a whole. We remind the two actors that, by being part of the Disney/Pixar legacy, they will inspire audiences for generations to come.
“It makes me want to cry,” sighed Lewis, her eyes shining. “I have such a large space in my heart, partially because Pixar has opened that up. I think what it does — it touches on an experience that everyone has gone through, will go through, or is continuing to go through. To be part of that experience, as a lover of these kinds of films."
Lewis stopped herself and drew a deep breath. Athie watched her, a tender smile crossing his face. The pair, both coiffed with flawless movie star hair, skin, and bright eyes, suddenly looked delicate, even childlike.
“It makes me so emotional,” continued Lewis after a beat. “I feel like even as I was recording this film, watching it in real-time, I was getting emotional on the side over my character. The story Peter has created is just so universal for everyone.”
“My favorite thing about this movie,” added Athie, “the thing I really cherish is how we made it. It was made with a lot of love and respect for everyone involved. And our leader, Pete…” He paused a moment, shaking his head in awe. He continued:
If you make a movie like this, you want to make it with perfect circ*mstances. This is one of those movies where it couldn’t have been better. It couldn’t have been better. The experience, the results, seeing it ... it was incredible.
We offer up a gentle reminder: Ember and Wade will take their place as characters alongside Mickey, Donald, Woody, and scores of others as icons in the Disney parks. One day, Lewis and Athie will take their children and grandchildren to meet their characters in person.
“Yeah, as soon as I have grandkids,” laughed Lewis, “I’ll say, ‘That’s grandma, let’s watch the movie, now let’s go to the park!’”
Note to Pixar: that sounds like a great premise for a movie.
From Walt Disney Studios, Elemental opens in cinemas June 16. You can watch our full interview with Peter Sohn and Denise Ream below, and with Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie at the top of this article.
