Aaron Tveit on How the Les Miserables Film is ‘Going to Blow People’s Minds’

When Aaron Tveit recently told Broadway.com that he’s had “a busy 2012 thus far!” he was putting it mildly. The Broadway vet has wrapped filming a juicy role in one of the most highly anticipated movie musicals in memory, the upcoming film adaptation of Les Miserables, directed by Oscar winner Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech).

“Les Miz was incredible, challenging, amazing,” he said of playing student revolutionary Enjolras. “I can’t wait to see it. Russell [Crowe] and Hugh [Jackman] and Annie [Hathaway] are just going to blow people’s minds.”

Part of the challenge, according to Tveit (and co-star Hugh Jackman) came from director Hooper’s choice to have the actors sing the famous score live during filming rather than use tracks produced later in a recording studio. As Enjolras, Tveit had to perform numbers like “Do You Hear the People Sing” and “One Day More” at full voice during long days of filming. Luckily, the vet of Hairspray, Wicked, Next to Normal and Catch Me If You Can had his Broadway experience to rely on. “I knew how to prepare myself physically for it,” he explained. “You’re working 12 or 13 hours a day and singing the songs over and over and over again. That’s so hard! I did feel like I had an advantage because I know the grind of an eight show week, which really helped. It’s gonna be fantastic.”

Also fantastic? Tveit in his French student look, which we got a peek at when on-set photos of the actor and co-star Eddie Redmayne (Marius) were leaked. Tveit, for one, was enthusiastic about his flowing locks. “It was good!” he said with a laugh. “It was very transformative. The wig is an important part of the costume, and it put me right in the period.”

Check out the teaser trailer for Les Miserables here, then see Tveit and Jackman (Jean Valjean), Crowe (Javert), Amanda Seyfried (Cosette), Redmayne, Samantha Barks (Eponine) and more when the film hits theaters on December 14.