Jordan Alexa Davis didn’t know exactly what she was auditioning for when she first read for “The End of Oak Street.” The project was kept under wraps, but with Anne Hathaway and director David Robert Mitchell attached, Davis knew she was auditioning for something special.
Set in the 80s, “The End of Oak Street” follows the Platt family when a cosmic phenomenon transports their entire neighborhood to the prehistoric era. Now, streets are overrun with dinosaurs, and the family must band together in order to survive and find a way to get back to their own time.
Davis plays Jeanette, a reserved teenager in the neighborhood who is trying to survive after losing her parents during the cosmic event.
We spoke with Jordan Alexa Davis about landing the role, her reaction to the script, and sharing the screen with Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, and dinosaurs.
This interview contains spoilers for the movie
THE MOVIE COUPLE: The movie really surprised me. It was wild, and I feel like the more I got into it, the more wild it got, in the best way possible. Talk to me about your initial reaction when you first read the script.
JORDAN ALEXA DAVIS: I had auditioned not knowing, like, what the story was, the character, the script. So once I got the script after I’d booked the role, I was just kind of like, ‘whoa, what did I get myself into?’ in the best way possible, because it was just such an incredible story. Incredibly written, and I was just so excited to see what David was going to do with it and how he was going to bring it to life on screen.
THE MOVIE COUPLE: You were saying that the audition came to you and you didn’t know what it was. I’m just curious, what was the breakdown?
JORDAN ALEXA DAVIS: It was like Untitled Project. Anne and David were attached to it, so I knew it was going to be epic, obviously [laughs]. I don’t remember if there was a logline for the movie, but for my character, it was just a very brief description of Jeanette. I think it was like she’s just a reserved girl, a Catholic schoolgirl who just moved into town. There wasn’t much information there, so I really had to create and work with that.
THE MOVIE COUPLE: What was your reaction when you found out that not only is this movie of epic proportions, but your character and basically the whole neighborhood are transported to a different era with dinosaurs?
JORDAN ALEXA DAVIS: I mean, so cool. I feel like I grew up watching action movies like that, and especially for it to be set in the 80s. That was something I was always super drawn to and thought was super cool. So I was just really excited to jump in. I feel like I found myself at times on set in situations where I was needing to be scared. I had to kind of remind myself like, ‘Okay, you’re not enjoying yourself.’ Even though for me personally it was so fun, but I was having to be like, ‘Okay, you’re scared, you’re scared,’ and kind of bringing myself back down to that.
I grew up watching action movies like that, and especially for it to be set in the 80s. That was something I was always super drawn to and thought was super cool.
THE MOVIE COUPLE: Talk to me about working with the cast and the dynamic of the group.
JORDAN ALEXA DAVIS: They’re all so talented, and it was so great getting to learn from like all of them. I think we really tried to make it so that because what we were shooting was such, like, heavy subject matter, we tried to just make it lighthearted and do things to kind of break the tension once we weren’t rolling.
THE MOVIE COUPLE: What was something that you would do to break the tension?
JORDAN ALEXA DAVIS: We would do, like, the New York Times Wordle or crossword [laughter] when we were just waiting for camera setups and stuff like that was nice, kind of like collaborating on that and trying to figure out puzzles and stuff.
THE MOVIE COUPLE: Was there a shock to you when you learned about what was going to happen to Ewan McGregor’s character?
JORDAN ALEXA DAVIS: Oh yeah. For sure. When I read the script, I was like, ‘Wait, what?’ I had to reread it. But that whole plot point and just how it unfolded is like one of my favorite parts of the movie, because I feel like it’s like one of the biggest lessons about family and the people that you love.
THE MOVIE COUPLE: As David is directing you through that scene, were there different reactions for your character that you played differently in reacting to what just happened?
JORDAN ALEXA DAVIS: Yeah, we kind of played around with different kinds of versions of emotions and stuff. I feel like what was interesting about Janette was, she had already been through so much trauma before she was brought in offscreen that nobody saw, but she was dealing with that internally. So I have had to kind of build that world within myself while playing her. And I feel like she kind of was a little bit more numb to all of these things compared to the rest of the characters, and in kind of a state of shock and immense trauma. So it was interesting to play around with that too.
THE MOVIE COUPLE: What were some of the more challenging days on set like for you?
JORDAN ALEXA DAVIS: Oh, yeah. It was my first movie doing stunts and stuff. So that was interesting, getting to learn that. And I think it was challenging, kind of, when you have to work yourself up so much into such a heightened state of anxiety and then learning how to just bring yourself down from that once the day is over, and just kind of separate the two when you’re working yourself up so much. It’s like sometimes your body doesn’t know it’s all pretend because you’re really, you know, taking yourself there. So, I guess just learning how to separate the two is like a challenge, but fun.
THE MOVIE COUPLE: So, take us behind the scenes. What’s a day like on set when you’re filming the scenes that would have the dinosaurs in it?
JORDAN ALEXA DAVIS: I mean, it was different for each scene. Sometimes we wouldn’t be acting to anything at all. So, that was very interesting. And then sometimes there would be a stick with, like, a cardboard cutout of a dinosaur head, and we were using that, or for the more technical stunt parts, when you’re wrestling with them, it was like a person in a blue suit. So every scene was kind of different technicality wise of how that worked out. But yeah, it was interesting.
THE MOVIE COUPLE: So we get to the end of the movie, and we are seeing not just what happens with the Platt family, but there were two Jeanettes. Can you talk about your reaction to that ending?
JORDAN ALEXA DAVIS: Oh my gosh. Yeah, I like had to reread that part too like a bunch of times. I was like, ‘Am I getting this right?’ Like I would just reread like, ‘Okay this is crazy.’ But so cool. So we shot – there were like a couple different endings that we shot, so I was curious to see which one would make it into like the final cut, but it’s definitely a very interesting concept to play around with. And I feel like it could go in so many different directions.
I like had to reread that part too like a bunch of times. I was like, ‘Am I getting this right?’
THE MOVIE COUPLE: For those who haven’t seen The End of Oak Street, what is something you can say to entice them to see the movie?
JORDAN ALEXA DAVIS: Oh, yeah. It’s just such a fun ride. Like you said, there’s just so many gasps, so many laughs and tears and screams. Like there’s just genuinely everything in it. It’s not just a scary, thrilling movie. It’s also funny and deep at times. So yeah, it’s a ride of everything.
