Surfer Tehilliah McGuinness in Fantastic Four
Tehilliah McGuinness is a legend. Fresh off of a gruelling week of interviewing the top surfers for SurfGirl and Carve last week at Boardmasters, we have discovered that Tee has helped train Julia Garner for her role as the Silver Surfer as well as supporting Julia as her body double through various surfing scenes (through the cosmos not in the ocean!) in the new Fantastic Four movie. We had a catch up with Tee to find out more…
Tee, you’re the surfing body double for the Silver Surfer in the Fantastic Four movie, what an amazing opportunity! Can you tell us more about it please?
Thank you so much! It still feels a little surreal to be honest! I have been working as a celebrity PT for over 10 years, which then led me to the amazing world of movies and working as a trainer on various productions. I got a call in August of last year about the production and the director Matt Shakman wanted Julia Garner who plays the Silver Surfer character to look and move as natural as possible for her scenes, so I was brought on to the production to work with her as her surf coach on various aspects of movement – which she was already amazing at. It was so incredible working with her she is such a talented and profesional actress. Seeing her become the Silver Surfer was really special.
Along with the surf / movement coach side of things I also had the pleasure of doubling for Julia, working with the CGI team on various motion capture in the studio. There are some really cool scenes of the Silver Surfer surfing through the cosmos and worm holes, while doing various surf manoeuvres. I love the fact that Matt really wanted the movements to be as realistic as possible and wanted to fine tune so much of the surfing to reflect what us surfers do in the sea. It was such a pleasure to work with Julia and the team to bring that to life. I really feel so honoured.
How did it come about and how did you manage to keep it so quiet?
I got a call in August of last year about the production and as they say the rest is history:) That sounded way too cool for school ha,ha… I WAS FREAKING OUT!!!! People have sent me messages since the release of the film saying “how on earth did you keep this a secret for so long?”. Ok, well first of all NDA’S ha,ha! But actually it’s pretty funny because its been nearly a year since I started filming and so much has happened since in terms of new productions and work that every now and again when I would feel stressed or overwhelmed about anything I would just smile to myself and remember those moments. It was like my little superpower.
What was it like being on the set, was it fun or intimidating?
I will never forget my first day on this production as this was the first day I stepped into the Imaginarium ( which is everything the name suggests and more).
Every single person made me feel so welcome and part of this amazing family. Starting new productions always feels like when you were a kid starting a new school. I didn't know what to expect but I could not have been more blessed with the team I got to work with and all the amazing and supportive people I met.
I definitely felt nervous, as this was a huge opportunity. I met Julia (Garner) shortly after I arrived on set on that first day and then it all kind of became a reality. Later that day I met the director Matt Shakman and it was amazing to hear more about his vision for the Silver Surfer character and what she embodies. I felt really connected to her personally.
As a fitness coach, you’re very fit, so what was your training for this like?
To be honest, at the time filming started I actually had three trips scheduled ( Italy, Canada and Norway) around the first batch of filming dates, which were all back-to-back and in the space of 1.5 months so I tried to do as much as I could on the road but I focused mainly on balance , strength and mobility training. The training I did with Julia was focusing mainly on technique , her stance and movements to help her feel more natural and comfortable, which I have to say she was incredible at! She really did her homework and is such a professional.
The body double work I did involved a lot of repetitive movements as there was a lot to capture in the studio and it was really amazing as I got to play around and see what different moves looked like / what worked and what didn't. I remember finishing a day of motion capture and I got back to the hotel and was like wow why do my legs feel as though I have done a really heavy training session. I didn't realise surfing the cosmos was that intense haha!
What were the cast like, did you meet many of them (Pedro!)?
The cast were all wonderful! There's always a bit of anticipation as to how the cast will be 'in real life' because you sort of build this idea of how you think they should be based on the different characters they play. Julia had a such a calming presence and you could tell she was in the zone on set but then she would just burst into character and perform some really emotional scenes and then a few moments later you would hear her bubbly laugh. She is just such an incredibly talented actress and even more than that a wonderful person. I saw the rest of the cast on set in passing and exchanged a few words with Pedro who is, is as you imagine, funny, cheeky and just felt like everyones friend 🙂 I only met Joseph, Vanessa and Ebon briefly but again, all wonderful people who make everyone feel welcome.
Did you go to the premiere and what was that like?
I went to the cast and crew screening in London last week and it was incredible! My mom and I spent the entire move squeezing each others hands and trying to break down in tears! It was so special to have her with me as she really is the reason behind everything. Always supporting me and encouraging me through every moment.Who knew all those years ago when she bought me my first surf board and the endless trips to the beach, filming me and travelling with me to all my competitions would lead to this!?
I know it sounds silly but you also really forget how many people are involved in these productions and seeing not only the incredible amount of crew at that specific screening time but also the credits, just makes me feel so honoured to have had a small part in something so special. It’s all very surreal and very special.
It was great to be able to catch up with a few of the crew I had built really special friendships with on set. When I joined filming, most of them had been working on this production for a very long time already and the days are long, yet every morning when I would pass them on the way to breakfast, set or the craft van ( heaven on earth) they would always stop and greet me with the biggest smiles and hugs. Such genuinely special people who are incredibly talented professionals. I hope I have the opportunity to work with them again in the future.
Are you pleased with the end result and your part in it?
I am so happy with how the film turned out. It flowed beautifully with all the excitement you would expect as well as a powerful message about sacrifice, unity and family. I am absolutely thrilled with my part in it and just think about the younger me that would not believe we got to do this!! We got to surf through the cosmos as a superhero!? Are you kidding me!
You’re a surf instructor, fitness coach, TV presenter and now a body double…what’s next?
Gosh, you tell me ha,ha! I would actually REALLY LOVE to do a bit of acting, believe it or not. I have always loved the idea of it and although I am actually a pretty shy person, I love idea of becoming another character. It’s like presenting, I still get shy ( which I know comes as a surprise when I tell people) but I love the feeling of stepping out of myself and into a story telling character. It’s like playing dress up as a kid. So ya, I would say acting would be something I would love to do but it would have to be something that the universe puts in my path, much like this movie.
