Elijah Wood learned piano in three weeks to pay music genius

Actor Elijah Wood faced the daunting task of learning to play piano in just three weeks to portray a musical genius in a movie. The Lord of the Rings star plays a concert pianist in thriller Grand Piano, and he had limited time to learn how to play the instrument in order to convincingly portray the gifted character.
Wood says of the experience, “It was super intense, and the learning curve was extremely steep… You have to believe this guy can play. That said, it’s extraordinarily daunting… I had a very specific road map of which shots you’d see me, my hands and my face as I played, at the same time. I had a limited portion of each piece of music to learn. I didn’t have to focus on all of it. That made the job easier. But not much… Although I’m around music and have had instruments my whole life, I’ve never put the time into one that the instrument deserves.”
However, Wood is determined to continue playing now he has learned the basics, adding, “I’ve got one in the house, now. Not a Bosendorfer (expensive piano featured in the movie). But I’m spending more time with it. I promise.”