Interview: Britt Robertson Talks The First Time

Interview: Britt Robertson Talks The First Time, Written by: Karen Benardello Finding someone who truly understands, and supports, your passions, desires and need for independence is difficult for adults, let alone teenagers. But the two teens in the new coming-of-age romantic drama 'The First Time,' Dave Hodgman and Aubrey Miller, have an undeniable instant connection. Their natural chemistry makes them realize they had to go through the pain of their past relationships to truly discover what it means to be loved and appreciated by each other. 'The First Time' follows Dave (played by Dylan O'Brien), a high school senior who spends his time pinning over his friend, Jane Harmon (portrayed by Victoria Justice), who has no romantic interest in him. But when Dave meets Aubrey (played by Britt Robertson), a junior with artistic aspirations, outside of a house party on a Friday night, their casual conversation sparks an instant connection. Over the weekend, their romantic feelings towards each other intensify, despite the fact that Aubrey already has a boyfriend, Ronnie (portrayed by James Frecheville), who doesn't quite understand, or care about, her. Aubrey and Dave discover what it's like to fall in love for the first time, despite her initial hesitance to start a new, meaningful relationship with Dave. Robertson generously took the time to sit down in New York City recently to discuss 'The First Time.' Among other things, the actress spoke about what attracted her to the role of Aubrey; her natural chemistry and working relationships with O'Brien and writer-director Jon Kasdan; and what she brought from her own past romances and life experiences into the role. Question (Q): You play Aubrey Miller, a junior with artistic aspirations, in 'The First Time.' What was it about the character and the script that convinced you to take on the role? Britt Robertson (BR): What I really liked about the character of Aubrey was how smart she was, and also how confused she was. I also liked how many opinions she has that don't make sense with all the other opinions that she has. (laughs) She's constantly conflicted, I think. It was just a really dynamic role to play, in a really simple way, which I thought would be a pretty big challenge. I had a great relationship with Jon (Kasdan) after meeting with him and auditioning. I also had a great relationship with Dylan (O'Brien), so it felt like all the pieces were coming together really nicely. Q: Jon both wrote the screenplay for, and directed, 'The First Time.' Do you think the fact that Jon wrote the script for the film helped him in his directorial duties once you began shooting the film? BR: Yeah. I don't know how I feel about most writer-directors. I've had mixed feelings about some-not with any I've worked with, but just watching films and being aware of it. But working with Jon, I think no one else could have directed this film. He has such a strong vision for what this movie is, and how he wants it to be perceived. He also had a strong vision of what he wanted to do with Aubrey and Dave, and how he wanted their relationship to develop. Honestly, I did all my work as an actor, but I almost feel like I threw it all away once I was on set. He was giving me everything that I needed. He was able to communicate exactly what he wanted at every moment and second of each scene. It was a really great experience. To continue reading this interview, please visit Yahoo! Voices.