The onscreen chemistry between Taylor Swift and actor Zach Gilford’s characters in her new ‘Ours’ video feels natural, and director Declan Whitebloom confirms that in the behind-the-scenes clip below: “He and Taylor got on like a house on fire, which always helps when they’re meant to be a couple. There wasn’t much acting involved.”
In the webisode — No. 5 out of 13 in the making of ‘Ours’ series, with a new one rolling out daily — it’s revealed that Gilford (best known for his role in ‘Friday Night Lights’) was actually Swift’s first choice when it came to choosing a love interest for the video.
“The guy who we cast to play my love interest is a guy named Zach Gilford. He was someone that I had in mind because he’s really endearing in all the roles that he plays,” she explains. In a previous webisode, she remarked that she really wanted ‘Ours’ to feel like “real life,” so it seems that the male she chose for this video romance had to be someone that she truly respected as an actor.
Between behind-the-scenes shots of the pair frolicking in the fall leaves, shooting cute home videos and getting pretty cozy (to go along with the love story that the song tells), Gilford returns the sentiment. “Taylor’s super sweet and nice, and I have a lot of respect for her as an artist, so it was cool that she wanted me to be involved in something. It wasn’t too hard of a sell. It was a pretty easy acceptance,” he says with a grin.
In closing, Swift shares, “I’ve seen him in movies and in shows that he’s been in, and I was always really impressed when he’s onscreen. He always brings heart to it, and that’s what I wanted in this character.”
See the charming Zach Gilford-centric footage here, and check back in with Taste of Country for the next installment of the ‘Ours’ series tomorrow.