Young Woman and the Sea tells the incredible true story of Gertrude “Trudy” Ederle, a competitive American swimmer. A champion swimmer she won a gold medal in the 1924 Olympics. Trudy then went on to cement herself in history as the first woman to swim across the English Channel, 21 miles total, in 1926.

Young Woman and the Sea follows Trudy on her journey to breaking records and becoming one of the most famous swimmers in the world through perseverance, strength, and determination of spirit. Young Woman and the Sea is based on Glenn Stout’s book of the same name with director Joachim Rønning bringing the incredible tale to life on the big screen with the help of producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Star Wars fan-favorite Daisy Ridley leads a powerhouse cast in finding the nuance of portraying a real person in this inspiring biopic.

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Young Woman and the Sea’s True Story & Gertrude Ederle’s Real-Life Explained

Young Woman and the Sea covers the inspirational true story of Gertrude Ederle, but some aspects of her life were left out of the movie.

Screen Rant interviewed stars Daisy Ridley and Tilda Cobham-Hervey about their new movie Young Woman and the Sea. Ridley explained the training process to prepare for the physical aspects of the role and shared her pride in being able to tell this story. Cobham-Hervey discussed the bond between the sisters being the heart of the movie and exploring the non-glamorous side of the 1920s.

Daisy Ridley Says She “Knew Nothing” About Trudy’s Story Before Reading The Script

Daisy Ridley as Trudy Ederle in Young Woman and the Sea

Image via Disney

Ridley admitted that she didn’t know about Trudy’s story before reading the script. However, once she learned it and signed onto the project, Ridley became a huge advocate for telling this story right. This included expanding her role to not only be the star of the movie, but also serving as an executive producer as well.

Daisy Ridley: I knew nothing, which I was ashamed of. I read the script and thought, “Wow.” And then literally everyone I’ve spoken to since then has gone, “Really?”I mean, what’s great is actually, there was a crossword clue the other day that was about Trudy. So it feels really good. Even since we made it, there feels like there’s generally a feeling of remembering people who’ve been lost to history.

So being part of this is really wonderful to be able to be part of the group that tells the story of this amazing woman. In terms of executive producer, I came in as an actor, but I had feelings about, I loved the script, but I wanted the story to really be about the sisters and the love that they have for each other. So I was heard and I was embraced as a partner, and I was given that title, which was amazing.

I knew about the casting and the crew, and so I was really, really treated [as a partner]. And occasionally I’d be like, Jerry Bruckheimer is treating me as a partner, what was going on? And then, when we got to editing it, I was able to watch and give my feelings. So really every step of the way, I’ve been a real part of things and have been made to feel so.

Tilda, this isn’t just a sports movie. I actually think what drew me in is the family dynamic. Talk to me about their dynamic in the film and a little bit about Meg.

Tilda Cobham-Hervey: Yeah, so I feel like Meg is sort of there to represent what it was like for women at that time in society. She’s the one that doesn’t have the extraordinary talent and has to sort of live a life of what’s expected of women at that time. She’s incredibly close to Trudy, very supportive. I mean, they had their ups and downs as sisters still, but I just loved seeing that bond.

It was in there in the script. It’s what really drew me into the script as well. Yeah, I just found that really the warmth they had for each other and the commitment to try and make each other the best version of themselves that they could be. I really love that aspect of the story.

Daisy On The Challenges Of The Swimming In Young Woman And The Sea: “It Was A Lot”

Trudy (Daisy Ridley) swimming the English Channel in Young Woman and the Sea

Image via Disney

While Daisy knew how to swim before her work on Young Woman and the Sea began, nothing could have prepared her for what it would mean to portray the physical strength of Trudy. She broke down the training regime needed to prepare for the countless swimming scenes that she would shoot, but she was especially preparing for the expedition across the English Channel which is Trudy’s most iconic accomplishment in her athletic career.

Daisy Ridley: I could swim, but the first swimming test I did with Siobhan, who coached us, I swam half of a 20 meter pool and stood up and was like, [gasping breath] Can’t do it. Can’t do it. So yeah, I was not really a swimmer. So it was three months of intensive training and then when we were filming, we were also training.

The big swim was at the end of filming. So probably training for five months until that point. And then that last nine days was freezing cold. I’m plopping into the Black Sea, everybody leaving all the support boats leaving, and it was me and trying to keep pace with the camera, trying to keep pace with the boat, trying to fight currents, trying to not hyperventilate. Yeah, it was a lot.

Movies that usually take place around this time period in the 1920s usually show the glamorous side of the Roaring Twenties, but this isn’t that. We get to see real women in this time frame. What excited you the most about exploring this time period, Tilda?

Tilda Cobham-Hervey: I feel like the 1920s is such a period of change, and I feel like particularly for women. It’s beautiful to be a part of that time period. The production design and the costumes, that was so exciting to sort of see all of that come to life. But yeah, I just feel like it’s a perfect, her swim represents so much more than just the swim at that time.

It represents sort of a change in how women were being treated in society and challenging the gender roles. So yeah, it was a really special thing to explore and learn more about the 1920s. That’s a hundred years ago now. So to really put yourself into what it was like to be a woman then, and sort of think about all the things that have changed and also all the things that haven’t changed.

Daisy Ridley: Also, I think we were trying to think of comparisons and we couldn’t really, but the roaring twenties tend to be about people who are fabulous and glamorous and money and all the things. So this is also a story about she’s extraordinarily gifted as an athlete, but this is a normal family. So without the glitz and glamor, how were things for normal people? It’s wonderful to tell the other side of things. All the fun stuff came later, but what happened before then?

About Young Woman And The Sea

Young Woman and the Sea tells the story of Gertrude Ederle, an American swimming champion, who first won a gold medal at the 1924 Olympic Games. In 1926, Ederle became the first woman to swim 21 miles across the English Channel.

Check back for our other Young Woman and the Sea interviews:

  • Jerry Bruckheimer
  • Joachim Ronning
  • Red Carpet

Source: Screen Rant Plus

Young Woman and the Sea-1

Young Woman and the Sea

PG
Biography
Drama
Romance

Director

Joachim Rønning

Release Date

May 31, 2024

Writers

Jeff Nathanson

Cast

Daisy Ridley
, Tilda Cobham-Hervey
, Stephen Graham
, Christopher Eccleston
, Jeanette Hain

Runtime

100 Minutes

Main Genre

Biography