"Joy" was only the second film role for identical twins Aundrea and Gia Gadsby
WEST WINDSOR -- Identical twins Aundrea and Gia Gadsby are just 7 years old, but they're already on a first-name basis with some of Hollywood's biggest stars.
Aundrea, left, and Gia Gadsby play Jennifer Lawrence's daughter in "Joy." In "Joy" -- only their second film role -- the girls share the screen with a star-studded cast that includes Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro, but that didn't seem to faze them.
"They don't even think about it," their dad, Brian Gadsby, said. "When they're around these people, they're not starstruck at all. They're just themselves."
The movie, which opens Christmas Day, chronicles the real-life struggles of Joy Mangano, a single mother who rose to fame after inventing the self-wringing Miracle Mop.
The girls, who live in West Windsor, split the role of Lawrence's daughter, Christie, and appear in a lot of scenes. Even when their character doesn't have lines, she can often be found in the background, standing next to Lawrence's Joy or being held by her.
"It was so much fun," Aundrea said. "It was so amazing."
And it's hard to tell the two apart -- even for them.
"Gia kept saying it was her, but I thought it was me," Aundrea said about watching themselves on screen for the first time at the New York premiere.
For them, their favorite part of the movie was meeting new people.
"The people I met are very cool and nice," Gia said.
When they first arrived on set, they were each greeted with a note from De Niro that read, "Break a leg. Love, Bob. P.S., you'll remember this when you're a little older." And when they wrapped up filming, Lawrence gave them each an American Girl doll.
Gia said she hopes to do another film with many of the same cast members. It's not something that's outside the realm of possibility considering the film reunited three actors from director David O. Russell's two previous films: Lawrence; De Niro, who plays her father; and Bradley Cooper, who plays an executive at the Home Shopping Network.
"I'm really glad that I got to be on the movie because I got to meet a lot of people," Gia said.
The pair are no strangers to the camera.
Their mom, Nicole Ortolano, was contacted by several agents after submitting their photo to a baby modeling contest. The past five years have been a whirlwind filled with auditions, but they have walked the runway in New York's Fashion Week, appeared in national television commercials and been featured in several print ads.
They made their movie debut as twin daughters Clio and Colette in "People Places Things," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.
In February, the same casting director brought them in for the "Joy" audition. The following day, Russell talked with the girls over Skype and in the early morning hours, their manager called to tell them to pack their bags for Boston.
"It was all very exciting and happened so fast," Ortolano said.
Filming lasted for about six weeks. The days sometimes dragged on into the night, but the girls busied themselves on set and in their trailers at base camp rehearsing lines, entertaining each other and attending daily tutoring sessions to stay on top of their schoolwork. When they were needed, they were ready.
"After a few times of the director getting to see their scenes, he knew which one was going to be better at what," Gadsby said.
Both parents said they feel nothing but pride for their daughters.
"When I think of all the train rides to New York City and auditions they have been on, I am proud of their accomplishment," Ortolano said.
Gadsby said it was surreal to watch the girls act alongside A-list actors.
"It was absolutely amazing," he said. "They did such a good job and I can't wait to see it again."
As for the girls, they seem to have caught the acting bug.
"I wish I could be in more movies," Gia said.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.