L.A. and Hollywood: Turning the Carfree Into Drivers

Carey Mulligan, we hardly knew you.

Just in time for the release of Wall Street II: Money Never Sleeps, comes news that formerly car-free movie star Carey Mulligan has been converted to a car driver because of a scene where she’s driving a car and how easy it is to get a license here in Los Angeles.  From Entertainment Weekly (page 125 of the Fall TV issue “Carey Mulligan Learns to Drive”:

“[In London] I took an intensive course – two weeks, five hours a day, in a manual car.  Then I took the test, and within three minutes of leaving the test center, the instructor had to use the emergency brake, which means you’ve failed.  Then we had to do 40 more minutes of driving around, when I knew there was no way I could pass.”

“I still can’t drive in London, but I finally got my license in L.A.  I’ve got an automatic there, and they’re not quite so rigorous in the test.  I’ve got it down in L.A.!”

Back in the days of yore (otherwise known as December, 2009), it was common to see Mulligan and her on-screen and real life boyfriend Shia LeBouf sharing a bus bench or riding the bus here in L.A.  LeBouf’s presence is surprising.  I thought he preferred cars that turned into giant talking robots.

No word on whether she switched to driving because her bus route was cut.

(H/T to Clarence Eckerson)