Uncovering the Heartfelt Connection: How Maurice from Planet of the Apes Found His Soul
Maurice is one of the quietest characters in the rebooted Planet of the Apes trilogy, but Karin Konoval displays a tremendous volume of character in how she carries herself during her heartfelt performances. To capture that magic, She revealed that she had a one-to-one with a real orangutan, who became the missing link to finding Maurice. Speaking to Vancouver Is Awesome, Konoval revealed that she crossed paths with Towan, a 41-year-old orangutan living at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.
The Encounter with Towan: Unveiling the Inspiration Behind Maurice’s Character
The meeting became life-changing, as Towan paid surprisingly close attention to Konoval when she visited him. “He literally came right up, and his face was two inches from mine on the other side of the window.” The actor explained that the orangutan looked at her thoroughly “inside-out, and I just basically let myself be studied, and everything came into focus in those 20 minutes. It sounds kind of simplistic, but that’s exactly where Maurice began.” Sadly, Towan died later at 48, but his presence unknowingly fuelled an iconic performance. “He was searching me clean, and in being searched clean, he gave me Maurice.”
The Legacy of Towan: A Reflection on Maurice’s Iconic Performance
To read more about the iconic sci-fi franchise, check out every Planet of the Apes movie ranked from worst to best.