Rosie the Elephant Flirts with Robert Pattinson on the set of “Water for Elephants”

Set in the 1930s, a bygone era when trains excites townspeople as it arrives at dusk that transports clowns, circus animals, jugglers, stilt walkers and freaks of nature – the presence of a circus is an escape that momentarily lifts them during the economic hardship of the Great Depression.    

“Water For Elephants” is the drama based on the best-seller of the same name by Sara Gruen, tells the story of an unexpected romance in a unique setting.  Veterinary school student Jacob (Robert Pattinson) discovers that his parents have died in an accident, leaving him destitute. He jumps on a train, heading nowhere and towards a new life, only to find that he is on a circus train. The circus’ ringmaster August (Christoph Waltz), upon knowing his veterinary education gives him a job taking care of the animals and treating them. Jacob eventually falls in love with the circus’ star attraction, Marlena (Reese Witherspoon) who is also married to August. As Jacob and Marlena form close bonds with   Rosie the elephant who has a central role in the film, their relationship develops furtively.

Amid the magical world of the circus and its bigger-than-life performers, the Big Top’s towering star is Rosie the Elephant, who is nearly nine feet tall and weighs 9,000 pounds.  August buys Rosie, a cast-off from a circus that has fallen to the hard times, in a last-ditch effort to save The Benzini Bros show.  Little does he know that his new star animal attraction will not only bring him the financial success he craves, but serve as the catalyst that brings Marlena and Jacob together.  

Rosie is portrayed by Tai, age 42, a motion picture veteran (“Bigger than Life,” “The Jungle Book”), who lives in Perris, California with principal trainer Gary Johnson, of Have Trunk Will Travel Inc.®, an organization dedicated to providing the public with safe, educational and recreational access to elephants.  Tai was an instant hit with all cast and crew members, who marveled at not only her thespian skills, but at the gentle giant’s calm amidst the controlled chaos of a bustling film set.  

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Witherspoon, who shares the most scenes with Tai, developed an especially close bond with the elephant.  The two stars actually began work together long before cameras rolled on location in Piru, California. For three months prior to the start of principal photography, Witherspoon and Tai worked, says the actress, “on everything from her lifting me in the air to me learning how to flip backwards on Tai.”  Even the simplest interactions were challenging. “I’m not very big and Tai is not very small,” jokes Witherspoon. “I had to learn how to step on her trunk and hurdle myself on top of her. It was very complicated, but I finally got it.  It was one of my greatest accomplishments!”  Witherspoon’s training at “circus school” also encompassed work with horses, and trapeze work.

Tai also wasn’t immune to the considerable charms of Robert Pattinson, and the elephant often playfully flirted with the actor, who often hid treats on his person for her to find.  The feeling was mutual.  Says Pattinson: “Rosie’s demeanor is so fascinating that it magnifies the characters’ experiences with her. And I felt exactly the same way working with Tai. I’ve never been next to such an enormous animal that is so graceful and careful around people.”

The filmmakers took extra-special care around Tai during the filming of scenes where August is abusive to Rosie.  The visual effects team and elephant trainer Gary Johnson devised ingenious methods to make it appear as if Christoph Waltz’s August was striking the elephant – and appear as if Rosie was reacting to those fictional strikes – through digital wizardry and Johnson’s specially-designed series of behaviors for Tai.  The elephant was never struck. “We never even used a rubber or a spongy hook with Tai,” says Lawrence. “The hook never got anywhere near her.”  Animal Humane Association monitored these and all other scenes involving animals.

“One of the reasons I did WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is because it has love, wish fulfillment, redemption, magic and beauty. I hope audiences latch on to all of those things,” says director Francis Lawrence

Like the characters he would be bringing to life on the screen, Lawrence was drawn to the world of the Big Top.  “I have always been very intrigued by the circus, especially those of the 1920s and ‘30s,” he says.  “There was something special about it then – the steam trains, the beautiful canvas tents, the elegant performers and the exotic animals.”


“Water For Elephants” opens May 4 in cinemas from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.