Ep 138 - Michael Ridley - Jurassic World, Knee High, Remote, and More

WEBVTT
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You are listening to the IH podcast
Network. For more amazing filmmaking and screenwriting
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podcasts, just go to IH podcast
network dot com. Welcome to Cinematic Heartland,
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a filmmaking podcast. Join my co
host Mike Godfrey and myself, Kevin
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Isaacson. As we talked to filmmakers
from across the Heartland. You'll hear their
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insights, thoughts, trials, tribulations
and celebrations as they continue to pursue their
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dreams far from the sparkling lights of
Hollywood. So sit back, grab a
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cole beverage, and enjoy the show. And Welcome to another episode of Cinematic
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Heartland, where it's always an adventure, as I say most weeks. Um.
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First of all, I'm flying solo
this evening for this interview. Michael
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Godfrey is not able to make it
tonight, so so I will be the
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pilot on my own and hopefully this
plane won't crash. Sou buckle in and
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hold on tight and to carry on
their tradition, our very special guests this
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evening. I was having some technical
difficulties there, so he fits right in
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with us because we have this show
is all about technical difficulties, so we're
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gonna bring in our guest right away. It is Michael Ridley. How are
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you doing, Michael, I'm doing
well. How are you doing? Doing
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very good? Another Michael. We
always joke about how many Michaels there are
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in the in the film scene,
it gets kind of confusing in abundance of
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Michael's kind of everywhere I'm going recently. So I'm being forcibly reminded just how
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not special I am. You're very
special. So let's start offering. Start
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off right away, and can you
tell us a little bit about yourself and
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where you're based. So I was
raised in Colorado, and I started training
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on stage and auditioning for everything I
could get my hands on to keep my
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gears greased, kind of when I
was sixteen. And then I went to
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Fort Louis College in Durango, Colorado, about is far southwest in Colorado as
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you can possibly get, just about. And then by virtue of the job,
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I've spent the last few years kind
of living all over the place in
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New York, Los Angeles, uh, Iowa for a bit, Italy for
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a bit, and now I found
myself back in the mountains. So you're
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in Colorado right now? Then,
awesome. My son actually lives out in
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Colorado, so he's in the Denver
area. So what is he really what
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part of the Denver area you know? Here? I am I'm terrible with
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names and everything, and I always
forget the actual like suburb that he lives
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in because he's actually moved like two
or three times out there. But um
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uh, I can't think of it
right now. Spot you put me on
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the spot. I mean, I'm
gonna I'm gonna feel horrible toet we get
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done, because all of the suburbs
kind of start to blend together when you
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look at him. So I don't
blame you. I just I hope you
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like, yeah, oh he loves
it out there. Um Uh. My
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wife and I and our other kids
went out for a spring break a couple
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of years ago, and uh,
we had all these plans to go hiking
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and everything, and that's when they
gat like the two feet of snow ye
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in the vacation home. It's it's
kind of a running joke in Colorado.
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I mean, people from out of
state might know it too, but it's
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it's that notion like if you don't
like the weather, you just wait thirty
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seconds and it'll change because it's changing. The polar screams out here, and
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it's very unpredictable, especially at you
know, at certain times a year,
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like in Durango, at least for
like the two to three years span that
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like I had, my friends were
cycling out and they were graduating, it
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always snowed on graduation day. It
would start like beautiful and sunny, and
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then like clockwork, sometime in the
mid to late afternoon and it starts snowing.
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And this was on April twenty nine. So it's definitely, but Colorado
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would just remind us just how unpredictable
she can be. Yeah, I was
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very much the same. It's uh, we could have all four seasons in
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one day. So what did you
guys need to do instead while you're here?
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What was that? What did you
guys get to do instead while you're
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here? We actually we were able
to make it down to Colorado Springs.
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We went on the Royal Gorge train
down there and we did We did not
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make it back to Denver that day
because of the snowstorm. So we were
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snowed in in Colorado Springs. So
we were paying for hotel rooms in Colorado
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Springs plus vacation home in Denver at
the same time, so heartbreaking snowed in
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right up next to the mountains.
Yeah, don't listen to me. Um.
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We actually, um when we got
done in Colorado Springs the next day,
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when it was clearing up, they
still have the interstate opened up yet,
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So we took a back road and
we actually drove all the way up
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along the mountain ridge and it was
a beautiful drive, just just gorgeous drive
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with fresh snow and so it's actually
like, and I'm guessing it was beautiful
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and sunny right after the blizzard and
everything. Yeah, yeah, that is
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a dream. I love that.
So, um, what got you interested
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in filmmaking and acting? And it
was actually film in theater that kind of
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you know, crossed my radar the
same kind of hilariously crucial time, you
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know, like I think, like
all any jest dates in the same way
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that does for probably all little kids, where you know, you're eight years
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old and you're putting on terrible plays
with your friends or your parents and your
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friend's parents and uh, you know, usually as far as I've seen a
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lot of you know, your friends
and your peers' interests will pivot to something
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a little bit more practical, like
a hobby or sport, and I eventually
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would do some of those here and
there as well. But my interest in
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performing, so to speak, never
really went away. It became more technical.
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Um. But I watched a lot
of Feeder like Feeder on tv PPS
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Theater when I was a kid,
and that was where my first productions of
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Death of a Salesman, Media,
The Glass Menagerie, all my sons and
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I have. I had this this
epiphany when I was watching The Glass Menagerie.
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I was like seven or eight years
old, where I was like,
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I knew right then and there that
whatever this job was, that it was
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going to be my job. And
I wanted to play Tom in The Glass
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Menagerie so bad, which now several
years on, is so funny to picture
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like a seven or eight year old
playing Tom and in that show just getting
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horribly drunk on stage every night.
Between that and just the litany of movies
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that I was exposed to, I
started to create this catalog in my mind
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of performances and technical feats that I
saw on stage and on film that stuck
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with me in a huge way.
Like I from a performance side, like
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movies like like a woman under the
influence, there will be blood Taxi driver
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and then like the spectacle of Jurassic
Park. And then you know, as
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I got older, I started to
really gravitate toward like the movies of Kelly
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Reichert, one of my absolute favorite
filmmakers. And this is me shamelessly begging
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to work with Kelly Reichert one day. Um. Yeah, like just her
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entire catalog of films, Lynn Ramsey, Ava DuVernay, Spielberg, Francis Lee.
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Yeah, and the performances of people
like Viola Davis and Demion the Cheer
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and Jessica Chastain, Katherine Hepburn,
general Rolans part Gable. My interest was
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almost always technical, even from like
a creative standpoint, and so I started
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to get older. That was those
things, those those things that I was
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like, those performances that I was
taking notes on, and those films that
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really stayed with me, or those
plays that left a huge impact on just
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I guess the way my brain is
wired for my brain is wired as an
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audience member. In a very roundabout
way of answering your question, those are
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essentially moving parts that got me interested
in this in a general sense, Okay,
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now you're involved with a couple of
films. We've actually had the filmmakers
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from both of these on Remote and
Knee High as we had the team from
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Remote on and we've had Marissa Van
and Bruce James Bales on from Knee High,
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just tremendous Iowa filmmakers. How did
you get hooked up with the Iowa
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film community and those those filmmakers specifically? So, I was working on a
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project in Des Moines that never really
got off the ground, and Marissa was
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the ad for it, and she
and I kind of latched onto each other
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pretty immediately, and I forced her
to be my friend, and kind of
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it worked out pretty serendivitously. Actually
I met her and I was really really
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drawn to her her problem solved,
these skills and her patients and just guard
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gantuin creativity that she has, and
we met and vowed to work on good
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things together forever. And I've been
in that in a few years since,
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I have been able to work on
great things with her hand, with Bruce
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James Bales and all the Deft Voice
John Hennessy Baker, Nick Ford, Spencer
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Smith and including those two films,
Like I think in particular, something like
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remote. It was such an interesting
idea that I couldn't have predicted in my
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wildest dreams to I've been able to
do with those guys, just because as
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far as I was observing the type
those types of scripts, they weren't really
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being made at future length. They
were really being reserved for shorts or for
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studio features. And so when I
think it was Bruce who actually reached out
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to me and said, I'm I
want to hook you up with this director
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Matthew Tribble, who saw the short
version of Nihi which Marrissa wrote, interrupted
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and based on your work in that
he wanted to meet with you and have
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you auditioned for his film that I'm
gonna be working on. And with that
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in mind, the fact that he
gravitated toward Mercy's taste and the fact that
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he'd be working with Bruce, so
that probably would have said, oh,
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I'm doing it immediately, but he
was like matt Tribble was like, I
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really I see something in your work
here and I would love to have you,
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you know, just read for this
in the most cursory way. And
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when I read the script in full, it was like the most exciting kind
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of I don't know. It's like
the exciting kind of ministery, not really
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a who'd done it type of thriller
that you don't see nowadays, especially in
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independent film. And it was on
one hand really exciting and on the other
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hand really fortifying that they want to
have me work only with them. And
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it was on that film that I
got to meet a man who's a I
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think a really good friend of yours. Frank boy Ye. He gets mentioned
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on the show quite a bit.
I'm gonna we're gonna start building him for
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a sponsorship dollars or something here listening
to the episode where you interviewed um Marissa
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just recently actually, and it just
it made me so happy. I love
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that guy. He's just cool and
so, I mean, you could go
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on and on about how talented he
is, but he's also just a genuinely
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good man and a smile and will
light up every room that he's in.
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And it was kind of funny one
day when we were working on remote.
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I think we're like, we couldn't
have been two weeks in and I don't
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know how it came up, but
we were talking about Batman and we were
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really in the thick of it and
as he is wont to do, and
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I mentioned that I was a really
huge fan of the character Dick Grayson Nightwing
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and who's the Robins character? A
Robin esque character, and then the next
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day he came into set with a
little night Wing figuring for me and I
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still have it. That's that was
how I got That's how basically how I
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got involved in that tone and I
made some incredible friends on it. I
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learned so so so much about working
on working on a film in Iowa in
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the summer, which was something that
was a little bit new to me.
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The humidity index is off the chart, especially when we're working in a couple
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of scenes where we're working in enclosed
spaces where you can't have any ventilation and
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we were just dying. So hydration
was the name of the game. Yeah,
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that's that's Iowa, Yeah, which
I love. I've kind of grown
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up traveling through Iowa bunch because a
lot of my families based in the Midwest,
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and I've always thought it was beautiful, and ever since I've gotten the
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opportunity to work in Iowa, I've
also been given the opportunity to see it
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a virtually all times of year,
like we shot the Knee High short film
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in the thick of winter, right
around the end of November. Yeah,
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that's right, because we were here
for Thanksgiving shooting and it's a different kind
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of cold out here too, yeah, which extremes Yeah, exactly. It
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definitely. It prepares you for probably
just about anything filmmaking wise, because if
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you're going to be outside in any
conditions, after doing something like either of
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those two films, you're just like, oh, I got this, this
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is fine, this is nothing.
You know. It was a refreshing change
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of pace to be able to shoot
to shoot Knee High, which we just
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finished in October, like a little
more temperate time of year. When for
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the amount of the film that takes
place outside, which is a good chunk
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of it, I would say it's
it's refreshing when like the the fresh air
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that you're exposed to isn't burning you
alive or freezing you to death. Yes,
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not that I'm am with Knee High. Did I see an IMDb?
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Were you involved with writing it as
well or the story idea or so.
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It's actually pretty interesting. Marissa initially
pitched the film to me in as a
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features as it stood but with the
caveat that she wanted to shoot the short
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first, right, and she wrote
everything right down to the nail of we
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want to be able to make this
short so that it essentially is like a
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training wheels experience for what the feature
of end up being, just to you
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know, sharpen our teeth to make
sure that we can do this the way
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we want to. And she pitched
it to me initially in the most barebone
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sort of way as she was driving
me to the airport one time, actually,
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and I was like, I'm absolutely
in. And then after we made
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the short, there was a little
bit of there's just this not a disconnect,
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but like there wasn't a whole lot
of satisfaction with the idea of just
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adapting the short work into the feature. And we weren't sure what the feature
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story was going to be there,
you know, if we didn't want to
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strictly adapt the short into like the
final feature, and you know, we
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spit balled it on it for a
few years. I came at her with
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a few ideas, and she came
at me with a lot more, and
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then formally, like about a year
and a half or so ago, I
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kind of just threw the idea her
way of what if it's not at all
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affiliated with the timeline that I should
say, the structure of time that the
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short takes place in it takes place
maybe some time after in the conflict is
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semi related, but just a little
bit. I'm different enough to where these
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characters feel like they've grown for us
basically, And she was like, interesting,
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let me get back to you on
that. And because it's Marissa,
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and she gets her strongest surges of
inspiration in like immediately, over the course
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of a few days, she wrote
this outrageously incredible script in just a handful
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of days that didn't really have much
to do with the short except for the
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family dynamics that it explores, and
then in the end it was a completely
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different movie. And she credits me
with like a story by credit because of
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that idea, I think, but
I did not write that. She's being
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very genuine because it's she is a
person. But no, that is that
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movie is her script. It's her
writing, and some of them she's ever
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done actually awesome. I am so
looking forward to seeing that. I did
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see the short and so impressed with
every so impressed with everybody that worked on
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it, and so I'm just anxiously
waiting to see the features. So a
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mind, glad you liked to short
as well. I'm the most obnoxious cheerleader
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for that crew in that cast,
because everyone showed up and left me floored
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every single day. We had the
most incredible cast um, some returning and
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some new, and then obviously the
deaf boys were our crew. And yeah,
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I'm just immensely proud of all of
those guys. And you know,
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I'm still pinching myself that I got
to make it with them. Cool.
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Um, that sounds enough. Jesus, that was awesome. That was awesome.
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Um, those guys in Marissa,
they deserve all the praise they get.
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Just tremendous filmmakers. Tremendous. Uh. So we've been talking about Remote
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and Knee High. What other past
projects have you worked done? They kind
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of want to give a shout out
to or or mentioned what should people check
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out? Didn't they want to see
your catalog of work? Ah, that's
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a good question. I did this
movie called July Rising a few years ago
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that, for a number of reasons, the pandemic included just really never reached
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the audience that I hoped it would, especially for the amount of excellent work
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that everyone put into that movie.
And I would love if more people saw
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that and gave their constructive feedback on
it. Yeah, I would really love
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that. It's a Chauncey Crail film
and it's it was a really special experience.
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We shot it in Lake County,
California, right before and during the
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wildfires in twenty seventeen that were up
in northern California. It was an idyllic
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experience for me. Very cool.
So that's called July Rising. Yeah Rising.
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I think it's available to stream on
Amazon and to be I think it's
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free on to be cool. I
will have to check that out. I'm
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out on to be quite a bit
now lately, so watching it, I
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love to hear your thought. Awesome, I will well, Um, now
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you primarily act. Do you also
do any directing or anything behind the camera
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or is no? I wish I
had that talent threshold. Um. It
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was when I was really young and
I was watching people like um, I
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think it was Who was the first
actor that I saw, Oh, it
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was Jodie Foster. She was the
first actor that I saw who really put
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work into directing and not just learning
on the job, but also getting like
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a traditional education and like just putting
in a lot of time to kind of
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refine her craft both as an actor
and as a director and as a writer
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and producer. And when I was
I think the first film myself hers was
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Home for the Holidays film with Holly
Hunter and Clari Days that she directed,
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and I was like, oh,
one day, I can do that too,
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I can absolutely do that. And
then I realized as I started to
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watch people like Marissa work and people
like some of the theater directors I've worked
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with, it's been just so glaringly
obvious to me that I cannot anyway.
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Jodie Foster has a tremendous masterclass on
directing on a masterclass dot com. Yeah,
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just amazing. She actually it shows
her going through the process of going
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through the script with the writer and
talking about the different decisions they make during
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pre production and just a tremendous class. So I think I need to check
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this out. I think one of
my friends is a Masterclass membership. I'm
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gonna have to Jodie Foster has a
tremendous one out there. Um so being
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an actor. Later on, I'm
going to ask you your advice for Hartley
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and filmmakers. But right now,
let's just specifically talk actors. What advice
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can you give to actors out there
in the indie film scene? Um.
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On one hand, while I am, I feel deeply unqualified to give any
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kind of concrete advice for anyone.
I mean because it is you know,
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it's obviously you know very well,
it's it's it's just unpredictable enough to not
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be able to say one way or
another what the right choices are, especially
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when you're just starting right. But
as far as experience goes, I think
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that from a creative standpoint, practice
is best friends. So if you can
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find a way as an actor to
practice every single day, whether that's finding
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a piece of a text like a
monologue or from a book and doing just
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relentless repetition and character work on in
a lot of dramaturgy, find some way
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to make sure that you're constantly keeping
those muscles engaged, then at the very
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least, when you walk into an
audition room or you know, do one
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virtually, you won't ever feel like
you're unprepared, which is always helpful.
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And then from a practical perspective,
just I think casting platforms like Backstage are
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really trustworthy. They're really audition etiquette
centric in a way that gets you all
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the practice that you could need in
auditioning. And as someone who actually likes
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auditioning and a little bit of a
sadist that way, it's it's helpful when
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even when you walk into a room
for something that maybe you know you're not
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going to get, you still get
the opportunity for two minutes to say,
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okay, so I have this part
like it's mine, and then yeah,
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just make sure you have a mentor
or a set of mentors or peers that
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you can trust, like a professor
or a teacher, someone who can be
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a resource for everything from being a
reader in an audition to potentially pointing you
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in the direction of auditions or classical
training. If that's something that is helpful
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for belay your brain is wired.
Now you mentioned auditioning, which made me
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think of a question here for you. Do you do a majority of your
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auditioning in person or do you do
a lot of the self tapes that you
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send in or is it a combination
of the two. So it used to
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be a combination of the two,
and I'm sure you've seen a lot of
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this as well, probably more of
it than I have. But after the
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start of the pandemic, the lay
of the land did kind of change,
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at least for film, and that
it just became more obvious that it was
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more time efficient and cost efficient to
have a lot of auditions done over zoom.
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And in terms of film auditions now
it's gone back to a certain degree
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in person. But the majority of
the film auditions that I've done, at
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least in the last year and a
half have been over zoom, and then
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the majority of the theater auditions I've
done have been in person. Does that
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answer your question yet? Actually,
for the feature we're doing, all of
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our auditions were actually just self tapes
that people had sent in. And the
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reason being is, I mean,
we were casting in pretty wide net.
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We didn't want to try and make
people drive the distance to where we're at
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to try an audition in person.
So technology has made that a lot easier
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that we can. We have people
from Minnesota and Nebraska, you know,
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and then all parts of Iowa that
were able to audition for this. But
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I get asked the question quite a
bit advice on making self tapes to you
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know, what's the best way to
do as self tape, and you know,
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how do you set them up?
And so I was just kind of
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curious if you had any advice for
creating your own self tapes to send into
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films or for film auditions. I
mean, besides like the technical things,
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you know, as long as like
you have appropriate lighting and sound like those
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are your best friends. But the
probably the most important thing is just to
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make sure that, like you have
this really rare opportunity with self tapes to
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make it as perfect as possible.
You can do it just as many times
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as you like, which is a
perfectionist nightmare, I gotta say, But
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you just make sure that you know
before you send it that it looks exactly
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the way that you want to look
like you send it and you have no
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regrets about anything from a performance standpoint
or from a technical standpoint. But that's
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actually what I was going to ask
you, Like, do you think that
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at least for the feature that you're
casting, that you get a good idea
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of what they're bringing through the self
tapes? Yeah, we felt that we
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got a pretty good idea, and
we've done self tapes for some of our
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previous projects, so we've kind of
had experience with that. It's kind of
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interesting the self tapes that we receive
that you know, a simple YouTube search
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I could have could have fixed a
lot of the issues with their self tapes
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because we get some that are kind
of a strange angles and very busy background,
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so it's very distracting. U oh, and then I love a place
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where you have a clutter background,
and you think, because I doing what
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was I think? You know,
yeah, wow, my place was a
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wreck that day. Yeah. I
didn't really think much about I've heard a
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lot of you know, advice early
on in my career about simple backgrounds and
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just playing backgrounds, and I didn't
realize the importance of it until we started
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doing audition tapes and it is distracting, you know, um ceiling fan running
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in the background, and it's like, yeah, it's really distracting away from
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watching this, and you know,
just little things like that. So my
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advice two actors out there is just
keep the background simple. Just we want
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to see how you are. We
don't want to see everything around you.
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But then you know, straight on
and you know, straight on angle,
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no angle ups. You know,
it's just keep it simple and we get
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a good idea of the voice inflection
and how they're bringing the character. And
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it's interesting to see, you know, we don't give them a whole lot
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of information. We kind of give
them the base about the character ahead of
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time, and it's really interesting to
see how they interpret the script the sides
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that we send with the little information
that they have with the character, and
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it's it's really interesting to see what
each person brings to that character. And
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that that really helps with our decision
is because we want to see what the
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actors bring. I mean, we
want to get That's why we bring certain
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actors onto our project is we want
to see what you bring to the table,
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you know, not just a puppet
for what I want. It's I
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want to see how the talent that
you bring in your ideas for the character.
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One with us was when we were
doing the auditions for A Most Forgettable
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Man, we got a self tape
from Dylan Yeager. And we've talked about
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Dylan on the show before, so
it's no surprise, but just a tremendous
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actor, but he kind of invented
the character um and when we got it,
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it was like, man, that
that's that's Howard. You know the
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character's name was Howard, and when
he sent it he had just done so
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much of that character was better than
what I had even had in mind.
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It was like, that is Howard. He read the script, and that
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is the character that he pulled out
of that script, and that's perfect.
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And so anyway, I've kind of
gone off on a tangent on that,
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but always one of the it's probably
one of the most exciting parts of like
364
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a really anxiety inducing process and auditioning
where you have those moments of kind of
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serendipity where someone comes in and they
interpret a shade of the character of the
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script that you've never even read yourself. Maybe you're the writer or maybe you're
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the director, but it's like it's
like a I don't know, it's like
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it really is one of those electric
moments where you're like, oh, not
369
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only like are not only do you
obviously have the part, but now there's
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an entirely new color added to the
script that wasn't there before. And it's
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I've always found it really exciting.
I always I love seeing the auditions of
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a lot of my peers who go
in and obviously kill it from you know,
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like a preparedness point of view,
but also come in with a point
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of view on that particular character that
maybe the casting director who's been watching these
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tapes or these impersonal auditions again and
again and again hear the words like they're
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brand new and that they've never seen
them before. And I don't know,
377
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maybe that's really indulgent, but I
think that's really exciting. It's definitely something
378
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to strive for. Yeah, I
love the casting process that it's it's like
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I said, it's so interesting to
see what each actor creates for that character.
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And um, another reason we use
a lot of self tapes, especially
381
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on in this latest feature, is
one of the people that had a decision
382
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in the casting is one of our
producers who lives in Hawaii. You now,
383
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so, um, kind of hard
for him to get all the way
384
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back here. So so we just
went the self tape route and then reviewed
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them. So so, yeah,
we take advantage of technology when we can.
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So, UM, yeah, it
has and I think we've I think
387
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we've lined up a tremendous cast for
we start shooting our feature in August,
388
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and um, thank you, thank
you. So it's really excited and yeah,
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that the cast is just amazing.
That we've assembled and and there are
390
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a lot of tough decisions in the
casting process. That's the part I don't
391
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like is it's like, yeah,
there's so much there's talent out there,
392
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and telling somebody they didn't get the
part just breaks my heart basically. So
393
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that's telling somebody it's yeah, yeah, I was. I was a softball
394
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coach for seventeen years, and it's
that. Yeah, we had a travel
395
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team as well, and uh yeah, not everybody made the team. So
396
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it's that absolutely. I hated that
part of it. Just broke my heart
397
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to sorry, you didn't you didn't
make the team, but you on the
398
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black side, you did get the
practice in heartbreaking that you needed. I
399
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don't cry as much after the process
now. So um, So, what
400
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other projects are you currently working on. I am about to start working on
401
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a really interesting film with Cole Needham
in Los Angeles, who's from Iowa.
402
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Actually I met him right around the
exact same time that I met Marissa and
403
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Bruce and all those guys. And
he's just insanely cool dude, a good
404
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friend of mine. And finally i'd
beat him down enough and he hired me
405
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for something. Ideally will be working
on this spring. It sounds like you're
406
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a very persistent persons to be friends. You'd beat Cole into submissions. So
407
00:36:46.719 --> 00:36:52.519
with Marissa like it, I think
honestly, and I've said this to a
408
00:36:52.519 --> 00:36:57.840
bunch of people who are getting a
feel for how she is as a creator,
409
00:36:57.880 --> 00:37:00.039
But I'm like, it's impossible not
to want to be her friend.
410
00:37:00.079 --> 00:37:06.000
Like she's as a person, she's
incredibly magnetic, but also she's just just
411
00:37:06.079 --> 00:37:12.679
one of the most intelligent writers that
you'll ever meet. And she's so generous
412
00:37:12.719 --> 00:37:17.239
with the feedback that she gets and
will incorporate it with as little ego as
413
00:37:17.239 --> 00:37:22.199
possible, and the result is that, like, she produces brilliant work.
414
00:37:22.280 --> 00:37:27.239
It's why she's like one of my
favorite filmmakers. So when I sniffed that
415
00:37:27.280 --> 00:37:31.239
out on her, I'm like,
please be in my life forever. She's
416
00:37:31.280 --> 00:37:36.440
like, all right, I guess
I keep. When we had her on
417
00:37:36.480 --> 00:37:39.320
the show, it was just amazing
talking with her, and yeah, it's
418
00:37:39.400 --> 00:37:46.519
just great person, great filmmaker,
just great all around. So I'm gonna
419
00:37:46.559 --> 00:37:52.000
have to hit Merissa for sponsorship dollars
now too, So yeah, absolutely,
420
00:37:54.159 --> 00:38:04.400
you know, I'll sign it right
up now. Frank mentioned this to me,
421
00:38:04.719 --> 00:38:07.960
so you can blame Frank originally,
but then, um, as I'm
422
00:38:07.000 --> 00:38:15.800
scrolling through your IMDb, there's one
film that kind of stands out, and
423
00:38:16.000 --> 00:38:20.639
when I'm scrolling it down past and
it says one hundred and fifty million dollars
424
00:38:20.679 --> 00:38:27.679
budget. Yeah, so it says
that you were in Jurassic World. Is
425
00:38:27.679 --> 00:38:35.039
that correct? Yeah? Yeah?
For a second, what did Frank have
426
00:38:35.199 --> 00:38:44.320
possibly Yeah yeah, he texts me, Yeah, he was in Jurassic World.
427
00:38:46.280 --> 00:38:52.320
Yeah. Definitely something that I still, even in what small capacity I
428
00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:55.679
was, is definitely something that is
a token of pride. I tell everyone,
429
00:38:55.800 --> 00:39:01.239
especially people who do not care,
well, we care here. Yeah.
430
00:39:04.000 --> 00:39:12.280
Yeah, So how was your experience
on that set such a dangerous question
431
00:39:12.320 --> 00:39:17.599
to ask? It was, I
didn't have I words fail me a lot
432
00:39:17.679 --> 00:39:22.719
when I tried to talk about anything
even I think, you know, in
433
00:39:22.760 --> 00:39:25.480
relation to movies like me high or
remote, and they just I'm useless.
434
00:39:25.519 --> 00:39:31.599
When I talk about Jurassic World,
it was. It was so incredibly special
435
00:39:31.760 --> 00:39:37.599
in all the ways you might imagine
it was. And then, as a
436
00:39:37.639 --> 00:39:42.519
die hard fan of those films,
I was raised on them, it was
437
00:39:43.360 --> 00:39:46.119
a pipe dream to be able to
see a fourth movie be made. I
438
00:39:46.119 --> 00:39:50.880
remember for a while it looked like
it wasn't going to happen actually, and
439
00:39:50.920 --> 00:39:54.719
then when Colin Trevarro was hired,
it kind of felt like out of nowhere.
440
00:39:54.800 --> 00:39:57.719
It was like, I have to
do this. I don't I don't
441
00:39:57.719 --> 00:40:00.760
care if I have to, like
if I have to beg to be a
442
00:40:00.880 --> 00:40:05.960
PA for there, for even one
of their units, whether it was Hawaii
443
00:40:06.079 --> 00:40:08.519
or New Orleans. I was like, I'll do anything. And then,
444
00:40:09.679 --> 00:40:15.039
you know, one very geeky thing
led to another end. I was able
445
00:40:15.079 --> 00:40:21.920
to work on it a little bit
and it was it was just mesmerizing.
446
00:40:22.039 --> 00:40:27.239
The attention to detail on that set
was The production designer was Edburrow, who
447
00:40:27.280 --> 00:40:32.159
I actually think was the production designer
for Jurassic Park three, and he and
448
00:40:32.320 --> 00:40:40.320
Colin Trevarro and Frank Marshall put in
so much work into making that set.
449
00:40:40.800 --> 00:40:44.320
At least the set that I was
able to work on in New Orleans,
450
00:40:44.480 --> 00:40:52.119
the most intricate and property like ip
honoring set that you could ever imagine.
451
00:40:52.719 --> 00:40:58.960
The set that I worked on was
the main street of Jurassic World that stretches
452
00:40:59.039 --> 00:41:01.119
from you know, like if you've
seen the film, that's from the lagoons
453
00:41:01.719 --> 00:41:07.920
all the way to the innovation center, and there was just clearly a lot
454
00:41:07.920 --> 00:41:14.480
of work put into the design and
the aesthetic and the little things that even
455
00:41:14.519 --> 00:41:17.719
the like you might notice on the
third or fourth watch of the movie.
456
00:41:19.480 --> 00:41:27.719
And then from like the creative standpoint, from a sentimental standpoint, working with
457
00:41:27.760 --> 00:41:34.280
somebody like Colin Trevarro, who had
not done the film nearly of that scale
458
00:41:34.880 --> 00:41:37.679
prior, I think he'd only directed
one feature of safety, not guaranteed to
459
00:41:37.760 --> 00:41:46.199
have him come on and so visibly
be a fan of this incredible world that
460
00:41:46.480 --> 00:41:52.400
Michael Crichton created him. Then that
Steven Spielberg and David Kepp and Joe Johnston,
461
00:41:52.480 --> 00:41:58.880
and I think Peter Buckman, Alexander
Payne and Jim Taylor, the other
462
00:41:58.880 --> 00:42:00.920
writers addressed apart three, all the
work that had been put into these movies
463
00:42:01.000 --> 00:42:05.679
up till now. He was clearly
such a huge fan of and took such
464
00:42:06.480 --> 00:42:09.280
intricate care of that set to make
a good movie and also an incredible experience
465
00:42:09.280 --> 00:42:14.119
for those who worked on it.
So it was it was a dream.
466
00:42:14.239 --> 00:42:19.719
And then, Son, were there
things that you said, well, I'm
467
00:42:19.760 --> 00:42:24.320
not done with it yet. Were
there you know, you kind of mentioned
468
00:42:24.360 --> 00:42:29.719
the attention to detail. Were there
other things that you saw or witnessed on
469
00:42:29.800 --> 00:42:36.840
set that you feel will help you
on independent films or stuff you're able to
470
00:42:36.840 --> 00:42:40.599
take away from that that you can
use in your career. Oh. Absolutely.
471
00:42:40.639 --> 00:42:45.679
I think at that point I had
not I had not worked on a
472
00:42:45.719 --> 00:42:52.920
set that large in my life,
and sawing new prior to going to work
473
00:42:52.960 --> 00:42:54.360
on it that I was like,
yes, this is going to be an
474
00:42:54.400 --> 00:43:04.000
incredible experience as as someone who's a
huge fan of this film and you know
475
00:43:04.079 --> 00:43:06.960
this set of characters. But I
also knew it was going to be a
476
00:43:07.000 --> 00:43:14.559
huge, hugely important educational experience for
me. And the first thing that I
477
00:43:14.679 --> 00:43:20.559
noticed after our first day was just
having a lot of patience is really important
478
00:43:20.679 --> 00:43:23.280
on really any set. As you
obviously know, there are so many moving
479
00:43:23.320 --> 00:43:28.159
parts that at any given point,
something could fallout from underneath you, whether
480
00:43:28.159 --> 00:43:31.679
that's a location or a cloud or
a plane, any number of these things
481
00:43:31.719 --> 00:43:38.039
that just can hold up production for
anywhere from a minute to an hour,
482
00:43:38.159 --> 00:43:42.159
like anything can possibly happen. So
as long as you're a patient and you're
483
00:43:42.280 --> 00:43:47.920
constantly in communication with everyone at every
level, then you're you should be good.
484
00:43:49.119 --> 00:43:51.400
If you can roll with the punches
in that respect, you should be
485
00:43:51.400 --> 00:43:55.840
good. And then probably most importantly, just make sure that you're taking care
486
00:43:55.880 --> 00:44:00.800
of everyone. Make sure that all
of the casting crew is taken care of.
487
00:44:00.400 --> 00:44:05.199
Working on that movie. Our first
day, I forgot how hot it
488
00:44:05.280 --> 00:44:08.599
was, but we were shooting in
the middle of June in New Orleans in
489
00:44:08.639 --> 00:44:13.280
the middle of the day, and
that is a heat that they write books
490
00:44:13.280 --> 00:44:20.920
about it. It was I mean
this, I so distinctly remember the smell
491
00:44:20.960 --> 00:44:28.119
of sunscreen. That sets just smelled
like sunscreen, and everyone like, when
492
00:44:28.119 --> 00:44:31.480
you're working in those kind of extremes, like anything can happen. Dehydration is
493
00:44:32.159 --> 00:44:37.519
the most likely culprit for anything and
everything that could go wrong, And so
494
00:44:37.840 --> 00:44:44.400
that crew had just they worked like
a well oiled machine to make sure that
495
00:44:44.519 --> 00:44:47.119
not only was everyone hydrated, but
that they were comfortable and that they were
496
00:44:47.559 --> 00:44:51.719
enjoying themselves and that they weren't being
forced to stand around for too long.
497
00:44:52.599 --> 00:44:58.320
And it was it felt like one
of those rare experiences on a film where
498
00:44:58.400 --> 00:45:00.719
the crew is really huge, and
the principal cast is really huge, the
499
00:45:00.760 --> 00:45:05.719
background cast is really huge, and
yet everyone felt like they were being spoken
500
00:45:05.760 --> 00:45:10.519
to by the same people. They're
working towards the same goal, and that
501
00:45:10.679 --> 00:45:16.280
is a kind of tact in a
working environment that I hope to bring to
502
00:45:16.400 --> 00:45:21.199
every set, no matter where the
money comes from or how a little of
503
00:45:21.199 --> 00:45:27.239
it there is. Wow, what
an amazing experience though I had open it
504
00:45:27.440 --> 00:45:32.519
was it was so cool, very
cool, very cool. So now you've
505
00:45:32.519 --> 00:45:37.280
been mentioning kind of sprinkling in some
of your films that you like and everything,
506
00:45:37.320 --> 00:45:42.960
BOT we always like to ask this
really tough question to make you narrow
507
00:45:42.960 --> 00:45:47.360
it down. What are three of
your favorite films at this time? And
508
00:45:47.440 --> 00:45:51.760
we always have to add at this
time because we know it can change.
509
00:45:52.159 --> 00:45:55.119
Mind changes from day to day.
So what are your three favorite at this
510
00:45:55.199 --> 00:46:04.880
time? Good question, you go
first? Now wait a minute, Okay,
511
00:46:05.119 --> 00:46:09.159
Um, I've had I've been asked
this recently several times on the on
512
00:46:09.199 --> 00:46:14.000
the podcast. But let's see.
It always starts off with Star Wars,
513
00:46:14.280 --> 00:46:21.159
the original nineteen seventy seven Star Wars. UM, and then number two is
514
00:46:21.199 --> 00:46:25.320
still Oh Brother, Where art Thou? The Coen Brothers film, and UM
515
00:46:25.519 --> 00:46:30.800
three is My Rotating Doors. Some
days it's uh, What Dreams May Come
516
00:46:30.000 --> 00:46:36.440
the Robin Williams movie. Um,
sometimes it's Good Will Hunting another Robin Williams
517
00:46:36.440 --> 00:46:43.039
movie. Uh. Sometimes It's greatest
showman. Um, I like Constantine,
518
00:46:43.239 --> 00:46:46.039
the Kennon Reeves, I'll like the
John Wick movies. Uh, so what
519
00:46:46.119 --> 00:46:51.440
do I go with today? Um? I don't know why I asked you
520
00:46:51.440 --> 00:46:59.920
to go first. I think I'm
gonna say, uh, what dreams make?
521
00:47:00.239 --> 00:47:01.880
I'm gonna That's what I'm gonna use
today for my number three. So
522
00:47:02.079 --> 00:47:09.800
there you go, your turn.
That is a beautiful film. I love
523
00:47:09.880 --> 00:47:14.519
that. Who directed that? Yeah? That wasn't Roger Donaldson? Who did
524
00:47:14.519 --> 00:47:20.599
that? See? This is the
bad thing on this podcast. Mike gives
525
00:47:20.599 --> 00:47:22.920
me a hard time all the time
because it's like, these are my favorite
526
00:47:22.960 --> 00:47:28.320
movies. I constantly have to look
up Okay who did that movie? Um?
527
00:47:28.480 --> 00:47:34.280
No, no, you you're good. I am absolutely horrible remember those
528
00:47:35.239 --> 00:47:39.679
What Dreams May Come? But the
director was Vincent Ward, and that Vincent
529
00:47:40.519 --> 00:47:45.079
I was just talking about him last
night. He I mean you probably know
530
00:47:45.159 --> 00:47:50.440
too. He wrote a draft of
Alien three back in the late eighties that
531
00:47:51.400 --> 00:47:54.000
never got made. But have you
seen the concept art for the script that
532
00:47:54.000 --> 00:47:57.320
he wrote her? No, I
haven't. Did you read any No?
533
00:47:57.960 --> 00:48:01.320
If you ever get a chance,
Um, it's available online, you should
534
00:48:01.320 --> 00:48:07.280
read it. His script for Alien
three was one of the most interesting and
535
00:48:08.960 --> 00:48:17.239
horrifying and probably impossible to make for
that period of time, films that I
536
00:48:17.239 --> 00:48:22.639
couldn't even dream up it was.
I'm going to give you the footnotes,
537
00:48:22.679 --> 00:48:28.320
but basically, it's like it was
set on a planetoid satellite in space made
538
00:48:28.400 --> 00:48:35.119
entirely out of wood that was occupied
by these monks basically, and when the
539
00:48:35.280 --> 00:48:40.719
Silaca from Aliens crash lands on this
satellite, they think that it's an omen
540
00:48:40.760 --> 00:48:45.679
of God basically, and they think
of it as a sign of good.
541
00:48:45.679 --> 00:48:49.599
And then obviously, when you know, the Xenimore shows itself, they think
542
00:48:49.599 --> 00:48:52.119
that it and Ripley are both an
omen of the devil. Basically, I
543
00:48:52.199 --> 00:48:59.719
think basically a lot. But it
was so interesting. It was such a
544
00:48:59.760 --> 00:49:06.760
hard left turn from uh, James
Cameron's film, and it would have been
545
00:49:07.599 --> 00:49:13.079
I mean, you know, feelings
about what Alien three eventually was, notwithstanding
546
00:49:13.119 --> 00:49:17.079
I actually really do like that movie. But sorry, David Fincher, Um,
547
00:49:17.199 --> 00:49:21.960
it would have been a much different
movie, a very interesting one.
548
00:49:22.039 --> 00:49:24.920
So you should give that scripted.
I'm going I'm going to give that script
549
00:49:24.920 --> 00:49:30.000
to read there. So what are
you what are your three favorite at this
550
00:49:30.039 --> 00:49:38.360
time? Then you're not getting you
have some really good picks. I gotta
551
00:49:38.440 --> 00:49:42.159
say, it's been a minute since
I've watched What Dreams May Come. I'm
552
00:49:42.199 --> 00:49:45.440
gonna have to revisit that one.
But three of my favorites, i'd have
553
00:49:45.480 --> 00:49:52.400
to say Blue Bayu is number one. Justin Chong film came out in twenty
554
00:49:52.519 --> 00:49:57.000
twenty one that he wrote and directed
and he started in with Felicia de Canada
555
00:49:57.639 --> 00:50:01.800
and it's just absolute beautiful. It's
one of the most beautifully shot up movies
556
00:50:01.840 --> 00:50:09.400
I've seen recently. Um, causeway
to Lila Nuchebauer film that came out in
557
00:50:09.440 --> 00:50:19.760
November on Apple TV plus. I'll
see this is difficult. Um, I'm
558
00:50:19.760 --> 00:50:27.480
gonna say it's a toss up between
women talking and The Menu. Have you
559
00:50:27.519 --> 00:50:30.760
seen the Menu? I've heard a
lot about it, but I have not
560
00:50:30.880 --> 00:50:36.360
seen it. So Matthew Tribble's brother, Daniel and I are friends, and
561
00:50:36.639 --> 00:50:40.559
he went to go see it before
anyone that I knew, and he just
562
00:50:40.840 --> 00:50:46.760
sent me this really long video right
afterwards where he was like, I don't
563
00:50:46.800 --> 00:50:50.320
know what I just watched, but
it was an incredible experience and you have
564
00:50:50.440 --> 00:50:54.400
to see this film. It was
it was the most um, it was
565
00:50:54.440 --> 00:51:00.639
the most amount of like advertising,
which as little detailed about the actual movie
566
00:51:00.719 --> 00:51:05.800
is possible. I had to do
this and I was not disappointed. But
567
00:51:06.400 --> 00:51:09.679
I will say as like, so, yeah, that's a tie with women
568
00:51:09.679 --> 00:51:14.239
talking, but if I had a
name of fourth. I just recently rewatched
569
00:51:14.679 --> 00:51:17.639
The Man from Uncle Kai Richie's filminga. I have not seen it. I
570
00:51:17.719 --> 00:51:21.239
am a Guy Ritchie fan, but
I have not seen that movie. So
571
00:51:22.920 --> 00:51:29.119
it is such a good time.
Now the men you, I'm gonna have
572
00:51:29.119 --> 00:51:35.840
to ask because I I've mentioned this
on the podcast before. I've lost my
573
00:51:35.920 --> 00:51:42.320
movie picking privileges from time to time
with my wife because um, there was
574
00:51:42.360 --> 00:51:46.400
a period of three nights that we
were watching movies and the first night I
575
00:51:46.519 --> 00:51:52.159
picked Swiss Army Man, and the
next night I picked the next night I
576
00:51:52.239 --> 00:51:58.159
picked Killing of a Sacred Deer,
and I cannot remember for the life of
577
00:51:58.199 --> 00:52:00.880
me what the third movie was,
but it was on the same lines.
578
00:52:00.599 --> 00:52:05.480
And after that third movie, my
wife said, you've lost all movie picking
579
00:52:05.519 --> 00:52:15.599
privileges for whiles She's not. I
really enjoyed those movies. I thought they
580
00:52:15.639 --> 00:52:20.119
were good. I love Killing Your
Sacred Dear, But yeah, she wasn't
581
00:52:20.119 --> 00:52:22.840
really a fan of it. I
give her a hard time about that,
582
00:52:22.039 --> 00:52:27.880
but she picks most of my movies
now, so well, I don't know.
583
00:52:27.960 --> 00:52:29.920
I have to say, I have
to say, while I do,
584
00:52:30.199 --> 00:52:34.400
I am on your side with both
of those picks. I really, I
585
00:52:34.440 --> 00:52:37.480
really did. Really, Wow,
I'm losing my mind. I really enjoyed
586
00:52:37.760 --> 00:52:43.480
The Killing a Sacred Dear. I
thought it was so interesting and demented.
587
00:52:43.840 --> 00:52:50.480
And it was right after I think
I saw the Favorite first Yogos Anthimos's okay,
588
00:52:51.000 --> 00:52:53.760
most recent, and I went back
and watched it. Just couldn't stop
589
00:52:53.800 --> 00:52:57.639
thinking about it. And I recommended
it to three of my friends and I
590
00:52:57.679 --> 00:52:59.880
was like, you guys are gonna
love this, and they're like, we
591
00:53:00.119 --> 00:53:02.280
can't wait. In the very next
day, they were like, we're never
592
00:53:02.320 --> 00:53:07.639
listening to your movie recommendation. Yeah. Wow. We didn't like it.
593
00:53:08.320 --> 00:53:13.360
He liked it. It was just
horrifying to watch, and I was like,
594
00:53:14.400 --> 00:53:17.000
I mean I should have I should
have read the room a little bit
595
00:53:17.000 --> 00:53:21.679
more, but I mean, you
can't run him off. I really like
596
00:53:21.800 --> 00:53:28.079
yourgas Plantamus. I watched The Lobster
as well, and well, on the
597
00:53:28.119 --> 00:53:34.039
same line, is gonna be quirky, but I enjoyed it. So he's
598
00:53:34.119 --> 00:53:39.480
someone who he strikes me as somebody
who when he writes, he's not afraid
599
00:53:39.519 --> 00:53:45.880
of um absurdism in natural settings,
like from everything from The Lobster to The
600
00:53:45.920 --> 00:53:52.760
Favorite. He will will really write
and enforce some of the strangest things,
601
00:53:52.800 --> 00:53:57.840
like from dialogue to like certain character
choices, and his actors always commit to
602
00:53:57.880 --> 00:54:01.039
them. The Lobster is one of
the most interesting movies I remember seeing.
603
00:54:01.119 --> 00:54:04.440
I think it came out in the
same year Jurassic World. That actually,
604
00:54:05.119 --> 00:54:09.800
and I was just transfixed by it
after I saw it, because again I
605
00:54:09.840 --> 00:54:15.679
think the first of his features I
saw was the Favorite. But yeah,
606
00:54:15.840 --> 00:54:21.400
so interesting. I think he's making
a new one now with Emma Stone and
607
00:54:21.519 --> 00:54:25.679
someone else I can't remember, slipping
my mind, but I look forward to
608
00:54:25.719 --> 00:54:31.280
it. I'm just kind of curious
if what would you think if I don't
609
00:54:31.280 --> 00:54:35.360
know, if many filmmakers be able
to get away with releasing a movie like
610
00:54:35.440 --> 00:54:38.280
Killing Him a Sacred Deer where it's
okay, we're not gonna have any emotion
611
00:54:38.360 --> 00:54:43.320
in the dialogue at all, You're
just gonna say these lines straight. I
612
00:54:43.400 --> 00:54:45.000
mean, I don't know. If
I don't know, if I'd be able
613
00:54:45.000 --> 00:54:47.079
to get away with that, I'd
probably show up at a festival and people,
614
00:54:47.480 --> 00:54:52.760
what in the hell is this?
But you're Grysa Lanthamos definitely gets away
615
00:54:52.800 --> 00:54:59.079
with it, and I really enjoy
the movies. Yeah, that's a really
616
00:54:59.079 --> 00:55:02.079
good point with that. I mean
particular, I think I read it at
617
00:55:02.119 --> 00:55:07.840
the first time I watched it as
the those with every word that's spoken,
618
00:55:07.920 --> 00:55:12.719
like Colin Ferrell's character whose name escapes
me, every single word that he says
619
00:55:12.800 --> 00:55:15.480
is supposed to be interpreted as sort
of like a blank canvas. You read
620
00:55:15.559 --> 00:55:20.480
him as exactly the type of person
that you come into the movie with your
621
00:55:20.599 --> 00:55:25.039
preconceived notions to think he is,
basically, And I haven't read that script
622
00:55:25.079 --> 00:55:32.000
obviously, but I'm curious if maybe
from an actor's perspective, if it was
623
00:55:32.119 --> 00:55:37.079
if that's like really exciting, if
maybe going into it that gives you a
624
00:55:37.119 --> 00:55:43.960
lot of freedom to be as weird
and experimental but within like a safe and
625
00:55:44.000 --> 00:55:50.440
analytical space. And I'm just not
realizing. I think I need to rewatch
626
00:55:50.480 --> 00:55:55.760
that movie. There you go,
I'll check out the Aliens three script and
627
00:55:55.840 --> 00:56:00.440
you go rewatch that movie again.
So, yes, it is a very
628
00:56:01.119 --> 00:56:04.880
it's a very interesting one. I'm
gonna I'm gonna put a cap on that
629
00:56:04.920 --> 00:56:10.000
for now. So who are me
your acting influences? Who do you kind
630
00:56:10.000 --> 00:56:20.320
of look up to our draw from? Uh? I mean I have watched
631
00:56:20.320 --> 00:56:24.880
so many of like I think some
of the most influential performances have like from
632
00:56:24.880 --> 00:56:35.280
a one consistent actor have been from
Viola Davis, General Rowlands, Isabel Lupair,
633
00:56:36.599 --> 00:56:45.639
Juliette, then Montgomery Clift, James
Garner, trying to think loss my
634
00:56:45.760 --> 00:56:52.280
Uncletia. I'd like these these people
who have made really really bold choices in
635
00:56:52.360 --> 00:56:59.719
films of of varying degrees of size
um at varying points in their career,
636
00:56:59.719 --> 00:57:02.239
like chat Stain in particular, as
somebody who I've been. I think the
637
00:57:02.239 --> 00:57:06.719
first film at first I saw was
in two thousand and nine. It was
638
00:57:06.760 --> 00:57:10.760
a film called Joline, and I
was immediately I was like, this is
639
00:57:10.760 --> 00:57:15.119
one of the most magnetic people I've
ever seen on it screen before, and
640
00:57:15.159 --> 00:57:19.760
so I made it a point to
watch every movie I could have heard that
641
00:57:19.960 --> 00:57:22.480
I had heard was coming out in
succession. And it wasn't long after that.
642
00:57:22.519 --> 00:57:28.039
I think it was two two years
later when she was in like six
643
00:57:28.079 --> 00:57:30.599
movies back to back to back,
and every single movie that she was in
644
00:57:31.280 --> 00:57:37.679
she was making the most diagonal choices
compared to the last character that she played,
645
00:57:37.719 --> 00:57:42.519
and it was it was like watching
a magic trick, honestly on screen,
646
00:57:42.599 --> 00:57:45.400
and like, I'm I'm obviously not
the first person to think this,
647
00:57:45.480 --> 00:57:51.079
and everyone who watches her work and
observe it. But to have that kind
648
00:57:51.119 --> 00:57:57.599
of courage, even when you are
not really an established name, to really
649
00:57:57.719 --> 00:58:01.840
swing big and to make really studied
and careful choices, even if they are
650
00:58:01.840 --> 00:58:08.000
big or very very small, is
huge to me, and I aim for
651
00:58:08.039 --> 00:58:13.320
that in every job I do,
whether it's in film or on stage,
652
00:58:14.360 --> 00:58:21.119
and in particular, like Tatiana Maslani
is as an actor who I would kill
653
00:58:21.199 --> 00:58:27.079
to work with her on stage,
she is she kind of represents like some
654
00:58:27.239 --> 00:58:31.760
of the strongest skill in every department
that you could possibly imagine, like have
655
00:58:31.880 --> 00:58:39.159
you seen the show or Finn Black. So I won't even try to explain
656
00:58:39.400 --> 00:58:45.519
what that shows about except to say
that she played upwards of six characters,
657
00:58:46.159 --> 00:58:52.559
emphasis on upwards, and distinctly plays
these characters in such a way where you
658
00:58:52.599 --> 00:58:55.239
can tell where one of the characters
she's playing is impersonating another one of the
659
00:58:55.320 --> 00:58:59.960
characters that she's playing. That was
the way. It was sold to me
660
00:59:00.119 --> 00:59:04.400
by my friend who was a really
big fan of the show. That's how
661
00:59:04.400 --> 00:59:07.880
she sold me on it. And
I started watching it and she's just mesmerizing.
662
00:59:08.000 --> 00:59:15.239
She's incredibly pore. But as I've
droned on quite a long time with
663
00:59:15.320 --> 00:59:19.400
this question, well it's I think
you're you bring up an interesting point.
664
00:59:19.719 --> 00:59:25.199
I really respect those actors that each
role is different for him, especially like
665
00:59:25.199 --> 00:59:30.400
you said, when you have six
movies all coming out in succession like that,
666
00:59:30.199 --> 00:59:34.639
Um, because there are a lot
of actors that will come out and
667
00:59:34.800 --> 00:59:38.840
it's it's them playing this character,
but it's they're exactly the same when they
668
00:59:38.840 --> 00:59:42.960
play this next character, and they
they're exactly the same when they play this
669
00:59:43.079 --> 00:59:47.000
next character. And I'm going to
use an example. I like Ryan Reynolds.
670
00:59:47.519 --> 00:59:52.639
I'm a fan of his. But
the more and more roles I see,
671
00:59:52.679 --> 00:59:58.119
the more and more I see,
well, this is just this one's
672
00:59:58.159 --> 01:00:00.880
this character is Ryan Reynolds. This
Ryan Reynolds, because it's the same smart
673
01:00:00.920 --> 01:00:06.239
alecky, quick witted type character,
you know, the Deadpool character. And
674
01:00:06.280 --> 01:00:09.840
then you start he seems to start
to become that in his other roles as
675
01:00:09.880 --> 01:00:15.199
well. UM, I hope he
can he can kind of get away from
676
01:00:15.239 --> 01:00:19.119
that because I really, I really
like him. But I mean, too
677
01:00:19.159 --> 01:00:22.920
many of those films are you the
same type of character just in a different
678
01:00:22.519 --> 01:00:29.559
role, I think, and get
a little old, but well, I
679
01:00:29.639 --> 01:00:36.840
mean a lot of that too falls
into where like the kind of the chokehold
680
01:00:36.920 --> 01:00:43.039
that typecasting has on a lot of
accord, or you look a certain way
681
01:00:43.119 --> 01:00:49.119
or you sound a certain way,
and the powers that be kind of refuse
682
01:00:49.320 --> 01:00:54.320
to see you outside of those boundaries
in those parameters, and it's it is,
683
01:00:54.800 --> 01:01:00.960
it's almost like an Olympic sport to
try and break that moment sometimes like
684
01:01:00.280 --> 01:01:08.239
with like with the case of Jessica
Chastain, She's this remarkably nuanced and Juilliard
685
01:01:08.280 --> 01:01:14.519
trained actor who from very early on
was aware of the kinds of roles that
686
01:01:14.559 --> 01:01:19.480
she was being paid the most attention
to in audition rooms, the ones where
687
01:01:19.719 --> 01:01:23.599
the casting directors where she would notice
when she had their attention versus when they
688
01:01:23.639 --> 01:01:32.760
didn't, and she put a lot
of work into actively refusing to even enter
689
01:01:32.800 --> 01:01:38.400
those rooms sometimes in favor of taking
these riskier auditions or these riskier meetings where
690
01:01:38.840 --> 01:01:43.079
she really had to fall on her
word and say, like I really I
691
01:01:43.119 --> 01:01:47.360
can do this, and then by
virtue of the work that she was able
692
01:01:47.519 --> 01:01:51.079
to do, in the work that
she put in, she created a value
693
01:01:51.119 --> 01:01:54.800
of work that stood against typecasting.
And with someone like Ryan Reynolds, who
694
01:01:54.800 --> 01:01:59.679
I love Ryan Reynolds's I kind of
grew up on his work. He's some
695
01:02:00.119 --> 01:02:05.400
who have you seen the movie Buried? No, I haven't. That's actually
696
01:02:05.400 --> 01:02:08.000
on my list to watch because that
I think that is from what I've seen,
697
01:02:08.039 --> 01:02:13.639
that is a different role for him. Yeah, it's and it's not
698
01:02:13.639 --> 01:02:15.880
even just that it's different, but
you can tell, you can tell by
699
01:02:15.880 --> 01:02:21.639
the work that he does that he's
I mean, it's a it's a brutal
700
01:02:21.679 --> 01:02:24.360
movie, I will say, but
that he's clearly enjoying the work that he's
701
01:02:24.400 --> 01:02:31.400
doing. And yeah, I'm a
huge fan of it as well. That's
702
01:02:31.400 --> 01:02:35.239
why I really love him. But
it's just the more I see, the
703
01:02:35.280 --> 01:02:38.920
more it's like, Okay, I
like that character, but now this he
704
01:02:39.039 --> 01:02:42.239
did the same thing in this role, and now he's doing the same thing
705
01:02:42.239 --> 01:02:45.320
in this role. But you make
an excellent point there that you know when
706
01:02:45.320 --> 01:02:49.840
somebody like Ryan Reynolds comes in,
I don't know if this is a case
707
01:02:49.920 --> 01:02:52.840
or not, because I'm not privity
of that information. That's way above my
708
01:02:52.880 --> 01:02:57.000
pay grade. But you know,
he could walk in and want to do
709
01:02:57.119 --> 01:03:01.000
something different, but the power is
a begat. No, we hired you
710
01:03:01.079 --> 01:03:07.679
to do Deadpool in this character,
we want Deadpool type attitude and get kind
711
01:03:07.719 --> 01:03:08.760
of stuck in that. I don't
know if that's the case with him,
712
01:03:08.840 --> 01:03:13.440
but I could definitely see that.
Like you say, it's kind of a
713
01:03:13.519 --> 01:03:19.400
chokehold on the typecasting. And so
I don't know who said it. I
714
01:03:19.559 --> 01:03:22.360
need to someone needs to fact check
me on where this quote comes from.
715
01:03:22.960 --> 01:03:29.280
But there there's a whole notion.
It's like film or I guess Hollywood at
716
01:03:29.360 --> 01:03:35.480
large is not unimaginative, it's anti
imagination in a lot of respects where it's
717
01:03:35.519 --> 01:03:40.800
that argument of you, you aren't
going to see fresh ideas or fresh opportunities
718
01:03:42.480 --> 01:03:47.440
unless you present it to the people
with the funds, with the resources and
719
01:03:47.960 --> 01:03:54.480
kind of push this new idea onto
their desk in a way that it almost
720
01:03:54.480 --> 01:03:59.119
seems profitable for them, whether it
be monetarily or creatively. And that does
721
01:03:59.280 --> 01:04:06.079
fall into the you know, the
actor's sphere where you really have to not
722
01:04:06.119 --> 01:04:13.800
as much convinced, but sell this
idea that you're more than just your last
723
01:04:13.880 --> 01:04:17.039
role, who can show up in, say a new line. And honestly,
724
01:04:17.079 --> 01:04:21.719
that's where I credit someone like Marissa, who is the most imaginative person
725
01:04:21.760 --> 01:04:28.679
I know, for probably changing everything
of what I thought was possible, at
726
01:04:28.719 --> 01:04:32.320
least at this point in my career. She saw beyond what I was being
727
01:04:32.440 --> 01:04:35.800
seen for which I was. I
was again, I was auditioning for everything
728
01:04:35.840 --> 01:04:40.559
I could get my hands on,
big small, across both mediums, and
729
01:04:41.719 --> 01:04:45.920
I just there was so many times
where there were these these characters that had
730
01:04:45.960 --> 01:04:48.400
so much nuance in depth to them, and I was like, I would
731
01:04:48.519 --> 01:04:53.760
kill I would kill to just have
five minutes in that room and I wouldn't
732
01:04:53.760 --> 01:04:58.519
be seen for them. Or I
would go in and the casting director or
733
01:04:58.559 --> 01:05:00.599
the writer if I was lucky,
would say, Hey, instead of that,
734
01:05:00.639 --> 01:05:03.360
would you instead of this character?
How would you feel about, you
735
01:05:03.400 --> 01:05:09.519
know, reading for the this character's
bully or this character's love interests that like
736
01:05:09.679 --> 01:05:14.239
through them and through their jerkishness,
I don't want to swear on your podcast,
737
01:05:14.800 --> 01:05:24.039
through their through their two dimensional terribleness. Basically, the main character gets
738
01:05:24.079 --> 01:05:28.039
their character development. They they are
the vehicle for this this character to grow
739
01:05:29.039 --> 01:05:35.079
and it was obviously incredibly frustrating,
and Marissa came in and just said,
740
01:05:35.119 --> 01:05:39.800
Hey, how would you like to
read for? How would you not even
741
01:05:39.840 --> 01:05:42.199
like to read for? How would
you like to play this character as this
742
01:05:42.239 --> 01:05:45.679
young guy who was a young father
trying to save his family farm. And
743
01:05:45.719 --> 01:05:49.760
it was it was things that at
least in film at that point, I
744
01:05:49.760 --> 01:05:56.320
had never been I had never been
given that opportunity. Those kinds of rooms
745
01:05:56.360 --> 01:06:01.480
weren't necessarily open to me at the
time, And I think it takes it
746
01:06:01.559 --> 01:06:08.320
takes imagination on both sides to change
the type of characters that an actor comes
747
01:06:08.320 --> 01:06:13.599
in in place. Yeah, I
think it's really interesting that you pointed out,
748
01:06:14.119 --> 01:06:17.800
you know, Big Hollywood for being
an industry built on imagination. They're
749
01:06:17.840 --> 01:06:26.960
so unimaginative. And I also see
the point that it's moviemaking and investing in
750
01:06:26.960 --> 01:06:31.920
movies is such a risk based business. But the people in Big Hollywood are
751
01:06:31.920 --> 01:06:39.639
in the most risk adverse people there
are, because it's well, we don't
752
01:06:39.639 --> 01:06:44.159
want to invest in this new idea. We want, you know, something
753
01:06:44.199 --> 01:06:47.360
like Marvel again. We want this
ip that already has this based audience and
754
01:06:48.000 --> 01:06:55.239
it's actually independent film. That is
what's rooted in true imagination and rooted in
755
01:06:55.320 --> 01:07:00.199
true risk. And it's all the
independent filmmakers out there that are the true
756
01:07:00.239 --> 01:07:05.400
soul of filmmaking. I'm starting to
sell I don't know, no, no,
757
01:07:05.400 --> 01:07:11.199
no, but it's just no,
no, no, no, It's
758
01:07:11.320 --> 01:07:15.320
very true. It's like I think, how I guess you know, it's
759
01:07:15.320 --> 01:07:20.119
a whole other conversation, of course, but Hollywood has just a sphere of
760
01:07:20.199 --> 01:07:27.039
influence is kind of built on the
concept of imagination makes incredible things. Obviously,
761
01:07:27.039 --> 01:07:33.519
it's very idealistic, and it's it's
maybe how like the fundamental tenets of
762
01:07:33.760 --> 01:07:38.599
that I'm calling Hollywood. I'm talking
about Hollywood like it's a production house.
763
01:07:38.920 --> 01:07:44.480
It's so much more broken up and
diversified than that. But it really there's
764
01:07:44.519 --> 01:07:48.280
this notion now that it's like taking
any huge risk, whether it be in
765
01:07:48.320 --> 01:07:57.360
casting or in budgets or um like
certain themes, anything, stories, you
766
01:07:57.480 --> 01:08:00.519
name it. Like, there's this
idea that anything that's even sort of off
767
01:08:00.559 --> 01:08:08.400
the beaten path is at risk of
cutting into the bottom line. And it's
768
01:08:09.320 --> 01:08:12.840
you know, demoralizing on the best
of days. But you know, there
769
01:08:12.880 --> 01:08:17.760
are some that you know, come
through and take risks in really special ways.
770
01:08:17.800 --> 01:08:23.079
That both, you know, affect
an actor and things that don't like
771
01:08:24.159 --> 01:08:30.319
I remember a few years ago I
auditioned for White Side Story, the one
772
01:08:30.319 --> 01:08:33.800
that was directed by Steven Spielberg,
because he had opened before beautiful roles of
773
01:08:33.880 --> 01:08:40.640
that film to be cast in an
open call, and they ended up casting
774
01:08:42.159 --> 01:08:45.399
I believe three of the four leads
with people that were a little bit more
775
01:08:45.479 --> 01:08:50.119
established. But the female lead of
the film, who played Maria, was
776
01:08:50.439 --> 01:08:55.560
cast if after not having shot a
single frame of film in her life.
777
01:08:55.960 --> 01:09:01.600
She was just remarkably talented and is
if you've seen the movie, remarkably talented.
778
01:09:01.840 --> 01:09:08.840
And it's that kind of risk taking
on behalf of the studio, and
779
01:09:08.960 --> 01:09:15.000
people like Steven Spielberg, who takes
risks like that both creatively and thematically a
780
01:09:15.039 --> 01:09:20.560
lot, I would say that changes
everything. It's those little holes that are
781
01:09:20.600 --> 01:09:29.920
poked in the larger machine that make
a huge difference. So now, earlier
782
01:09:30.680 --> 01:09:35.039
we asked for your advice for actors
specifically, Now, what advice can you
783
01:09:35.079 --> 01:09:44.560
give to Hartley and filmmakers in general. None, there's no advice. I've
784
01:09:44.720 --> 01:09:50.560
actually talked to a lot of my
peers on sets all over the world actually
785
01:09:50.560 --> 01:09:56.479
that I've told them that the crews
I've worked with in Iowa have been some
786
01:09:56.520 --> 01:10:00.479
of the best I've worked with in
the entire world. They are some of
787
01:10:00.520 --> 01:10:09.720
the most creative and some of the
most genuinely good and kind people who want
788
01:10:09.960 --> 01:10:19.159
to get constructive feedback and make good
quality films that are genuinely excellent experiences to
789
01:10:19.199 --> 01:10:23.680
make. And you don't always get
that. It's a lot of times,
790
01:10:23.680 --> 01:10:28.319
you know, you might be working
on a set for twelve thirteen hours and
791
01:10:28.680 --> 01:10:31.800
it might not always be fun.
Sometimes the weather is terrible. Sometimes you're
792
01:10:31.800 --> 01:10:35.640
standing around for far too long.
Sometimes you know, you name it,
793
01:10:35.800 --> 01:10:40.600
X, Y, and Z.
And the crews and sets that I've worked
794
01:10:40.640 --> 01:10:47.479
on and with with and on in
Iowa have faced all of those obstacles and
795
01:10:48.720 --> 01:10:55.560
produced just incredible working experiences. So
I have nothing software, they have everything
796
01:10:55.600 --> 01:10:58.479
to offer me. The only thing
I can say is just like, keep
797
01:10:58.520 --> 01:11:01.520
on keeping on, keep up the
good work, keep highloting women's stories,
798
01:11:01.640 --> 01:11:10.520
queer stories, and um yeah,
keep it up, awesome, awesome,
799
01:11:11.359 --> 01:11:15.239
um again. I can't wait to
see Knee High and I can't wait to
800
01:11:15.279 --> 01:11:24.560
see Remote. Um. I've seen
a little bit of both, and they
801
01:11:24.760 --> 01:11:31.000
the kind of the technical precision in
both Remote and Knee High is just it's
802
01:11:31.039 --> 01:11:38.760
like it reminds me every time I'm
you know, struggling with like, oh
803
01:11:38.760 --> 01:11:42.000
my god, Like I'm just going
through the same repetitive beats in these auditions
804
01:11:42.000 --> 01:11:44.960
over and over and over again.
I'll watch like a little bit that I've
805
01:11:44.960 --> 01:11:48.039
gotten to both of those films,
Um, and I'm just reminded. I'm
806
01:11:48.039 --> 01:11:55.039
like, oh, yeah, this
is why I do it. So I
807
01:11:55.079 --> 01:11:59.920
can't wait either. So how can
people reach out to you? See your
808
01:12:00.119 --> 01:12:06.079
work, follow your career, stock
you. I mean, at this point,
809
01:12:06.079 --> 01:12:10.199
all you need to do is stock
either Marissa or Bruce, James Bales
810
01:12:10.439 --> 01:12:15.640
or Frank Knowing, and you'll find
things I was able to work on with
811
01:12:15.680 --> 01:12:21.640
those guys. But just just keep
an eye out for um Knee High and
812
01:12:21.760 --> 01:12:26.279
for Remote and for this other movie
I did called Nat and Mariah in Venice,
813
01:12:27.520 --> 01:12:30.960
and yeah, just go see them. Keep an eye on them,
814
01:12:30.960 --> 01:12:35.319
and if they are in the realm
of possibility for you to see, just
815
01:12:35.439 --> 01:12:42.520
seek them out. I'd be hugely
appreciative. They're good movies that a lot
816
01:12:42.560 --> 01:12:45.720
of a lot of people worked incredibly
hard on. Well, thank you Michael
817
01:12:45.760 --> 01:12:51.119
for coming on Cinematic Hartland. It's
greatly appreciated and good luck with everything you're
818
01:12:51.119 --> 01:12:56.680
working on. Thank you for having
me. That concludes this episode of Cinematic
819
01:12:56.720 --> 01:12:59.920
Hartland. Love to hear from all
of you out there. Just visit our
820
01:13:00.039 --> 01:13:03.279
website. I likeike films dot com
and there you'll find our email address as
821
01:13:03.279 --> 01:13:08.039
well as all of our social media
links. Again, that's I likeike films
822
01:13:08.079 --> 01:13:11.039
dot com and while out there,
I urge you to sign up for our
823
01:13:11.039 --> 01:13:14.520
mailing list keep up to date on
all the latest happenings where I like ike
824
01:13:14.560 --> 01:13:18.159
Films as well as Cinematic Heartland.
Now, whatever you do, wherever you
825
01:13:18.199 --> 01:13:19.680
are, keep creating