Virginia Madsen

FROM Beliefnet.com June 2012

Q: Do you really play the piano?

Madsen: I played the piano until I was about 18 and then I left it when I came out to LA to be in movies. I had to play in another movie, a western that I did with Tom Selleck called “Crossfire Trail” and I had to play Für Elise, which is something that every girl at the time played. Completely had to relearn it, it was a nightmare, but this was fun. They gave me a piano in my house—because I wanted you to see my hands playing it. So when Morgan was listening to me, you’d already had the visual in your mind that it was really me. That was very important to me.

Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/moviemom/2012/06/interview-virginia-madsen-of-the-magic-of-belle-isle.html#0IFkOWvWM1rJh3va.99

Just watched the movie ...and I loved it. However, -I've played piano for years & the manner in which she was hitting the black keys at the very top, practically touching the wood, was a bit inauthentic & made me think she'd never played piano.