THE ARCHITECT BUILDS CHARACTER

Anthony Lapaglia and Hayden Panettiere star in The Architect as father and daughter each going through their own emotional crises.

Anthony Lapaglia stars in The Architect as a very successful architect who builds buildings but can’t seem to keep the foundation of his own family stable.

Anthony says the film is about disconnecting emotionally due to an incredible amount of success, so much so he comes to ignore his children and their needs. A father himself he talks about what happens when his character stops growing and simply coasts through life.

“He doesn’t understand his kids. He’s taken a 15 year old girl and turned her into a surrogate wife and made her a 32 year old woman basically without realizing what the consequences of that are and he has a son who he is so clueless about that he has no idea what his sexual orientation or that he’s struggling with what direction to go in, in life other than he doesn’t want to do or be his father which is such a normal reaction.”

Hayden Panettiere currently starring as the cheerleader in Heroes plays Anthony’s daughter who not only has to deal with her father’s mid-life crisis but is also going through her own teenage confusion.

“She’s growing into her body. She’s growing these foreign unidentified body parts and she’s trying to find comfort in her own skin. She’s not quite there yet and it’s relatable to every teenage girl whether they think they’re too skinny or too fat, too tall or too short. It’s about finding that comfort and that happiness and being OK with themselves, being OK with being in your own skin.”

At 17 herself, Hayden says she can relate to those growing pains.

The Architect opening today also stars Isabella Rossellini and introduces the film debut of Sebastian Stan.