Carey Mulligan’s Breakthrough: Behind the Scenes of An Education

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English actress Carey Hannah Mulligan rose to fame with her breakthrough performance as 1960s schoolgirl Jenny Mellor in the coming-of-age drama An Education (2009).

An Education, a 2009 coming-of-age drama film, stars Carey Mulligan as Jenny, a bright schoolgirlAn Education, a 2009 coming-of-age drama film, stars Carey Mulligan as Jenny, a bright schoolgirl (BBC Films)

Carey Mulligan’s Age During An Education: A Behind-the-Scenes Look

Based on a memoir of the same name by British journalist Lynn Barber that you can buy on Amazon, the film was nominated for three Academy Awards in 2010. Carey won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Over a hundred actresses auditioned for the part in the 2009 independent film, but the then 22-year-old Mulligan’s audition impressed Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig the most. The creative team was initially concerned about casting Carey Mulligan as a 16-year-old, but her screen test convinced them she was the right choice.

Emma Thompson, Ellie Kendrick, Amanda Fairbank-Hynes, and Carey Mulligan in An EducationEmma Thompson, Ellie Kendrick, Amanda Fairbank-Hynes, and Carey Mulligan in An Education (BBC Films)

“We knew because Jenny is that young, there was quite a chance we would cast someone who wasn’t well known, so you start fishing with a really big net, for people who haven’t yet shown what they can do or what they’re not good at, An Education director Lone Scherfig told Vulture in November 2009.

“Which is why we wanted to see Carey with Peter. There were concerns as to whether she was too young, because initially, we did not know her true age. But she wasn’t, she was just doing a really good acting job, such that she seemed like a schoolgirl, and everyone bought it,” he added.

Carey Mulligan was 22 when she was cast in her first leading role as Jenny Mellor in the 2009 independent film An EducationCarey Mulligan was 22 when she was cast in her first leading role as Jenny Mellor in the 2009 independent film An Education (BBC Films)

Carey Mulligan was born on May 28, 1985. When the film was released at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2009, she was 23 years old. During the movie’s filming from March 2008 to April 2008, Carey Mulligan was 22 years old.

I knew there was a reason why I find Carey Mulligan bewitching. Carey is a force to be reckoned with from Broadway to the big screen. Part of her allure (at least to me) is her interesting film choices.

Her track record includes book-to-movie projects such as Pride & Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, Never Let Me Go, and the movie adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby.

The Signature Style of Carey Mulligan: From Red Carpet to Streetwear

The biggest part of Carey Mulligan’s charm lies in her infallible style.

Carey Mulligan wears pajama pants with a two-tone wool sweater, square sunglasses, and bow flatsCarey Mulligan wears pajama pants with a two-tone wool sweater, square sunglasses, and bow flats (Credit: WENN)

She styles up impeccably — whether she sports a pixie do on the red carpet or keeps her hair up in a lazy, just-got-out-of-bed-and-no-time-to-style-my-hair bun like what she wore in this paparazzi shot.

Carey Mulligan with a cup of coffee and on her way to go with friends in the West VillageCarey Mulligan with a cup of coffee and on her way to go with friends in the West Village in New York City, New York, April 19, 2013 (Credit: WENN)

Carey’s ensemble shown above has a pajama-esque vibe, but it still looks chic enough to pass up as a day-out outfit. I suppose it’s largely due to Carey’s styling.

The pants can easily look disastrous when matched with the wrong pieces, but Carey did it right with her two-tone wool jumper, square sunglasses, and bow flats. Her hair pulled up in a bun makes the look even more effortless.