When the professional cat hired for “Argylle” proved uncooperative, director Matthew Vaughn turned in desperation to his own home and his daughter’s cat, Chip, part of a litter that Vaughn’s wife (“Argylle” executive producer Claudia Vaughn) had brought home sometime earlier. The only question was, would Chip make unreasonable demands knowing that his owner’s dad was in a bind?
“The only demands were my daughter’s demands, which was candy,” laughs Vaughn. “And I’m a dog person with a capital D, right? So it was very strange. The cat is definitely my daughter’s cat and I was always like, ‘Hey Chip, how are you doing?’ That was enough for me. And then Chip and I bonded making this movie.”
Vaughn adds that while a CG cat was used in some instances — most notably in a scene where Aidan hurls him (safely, as it turns out) off a roof — Chip actually did a lot of his own work in the film. “I mean, look, I’m not allowed to throw cats off roofs,” concedes Vaughn. “I probably would if I could because it’s a cat, but I’d say 95% of the movie really is Chip.”
Ultimately, having Chip play Alfie was a successful gambit. “I think because he was the family cat, he was really relaxed, so I could put him here and he wouldn’t have the need just to run off or stare,” says Vaughn. “The problem about [using] animal trainers, you have the damn animal and it just looks at the bloody trainer. So the eyeline’s always wrong.” There was an additional bonus as well: “Bryce is brilliant with cats, so they bonded and I even gave Bryce a cat as a wrap present. Chip’s cousin now lives with Bryce.”
“Argylle” is in theaters now.
