For the role of Susan, the beautiful, down-to-earth elder daughter, who tries to be the responsible one during the children's journey through Narnia, the filmmakers selected the most seasoned cast member among the four children, London-born actress Anna Popplewell, whose credits already include Girl with a Pearl Earring, Mansfield Park and The Little Vampire. Popplewell was among the very first performers put on tape by casting director Hall and quickly caught co-producer Douglas Gresham's attention. "I looked at these kids and immediately picked Anna for Susan," he says. "She is not only beautiful, she's also extraordinarily talented, and she brought the role to life in a really original way."
"In many ways, Anna Popplewell, playing the part of Susan, had the hardest part of the four kids," producer Mark Johnson continues. "Her character has to be the reasonable, sensible one but Anna presents her in a dynamic way that allows the audience to really feel and comprehend the danger and apprehension that these four children experience in Narnia. It is a testament to how good her performance is that we expanded the part of Susan. We gave her more scenes, more dialogue, because Anna made her character so integral to the adventure of the movie."
Popplewell, who recently turned 17, was very clear on what Susan goes through on an emotional level in Narnia. "Each of the characters in THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE has their own journey, and Susan's no different," she says. "Like Peter, she feels the obligation of looking after her younger brother and sister, and it's something that has made her grow up too fast, being saddled with all that responsibility. When she comes to Narnia, she thinks she's too grown up to believe in it. But, through this adventure, she becomes more open to the idea of being in this magical land. By the end, it's changed her for the better and she becomes unafraid of being a child. It's a real journey for her."