Did Paul have to pitch the role to you or convince you in any way?
No, we were primed to work with each other. I was only a few pages in by the time I knew I absolutely wanted to do it.
What was it about those few pages?
I remember the words “he’s going there” going through my head, because I had no idea what the subject matter was going to be, what it was going to be approaching or reflecting about our lives today. And Paul, he’s sort of like Hal Ashby. Each movie is coming from a different world, a different tone. He’s so diverse in this way that there was no anticipating what it was going to be. When it was this, I knew I was in for something.
This character is so unique. How much did you add to what was on the page?
That’s always hard to say, because really good writing is like really good music. But that doesn’t mean I’m hearing the music like everyone else. You’re always a part of a bigger puzzle. With his writing—I’ve experienced it a few times, mostly in the theater, where the writing drives the choices.
What other films have you experienced that on?
I had a very similar experience with Woody Allen’s movie Sweet and Lowdown, where I felt like I heard the song clearly. I think it’s not surprising that the best directors, whether they write them or not, are working with the best material. And I’ve had a chance to work some. In fact, Leo and I have worked with a lot of the same directors, and it’s just nice to have the script feel you. Some of them could be interesting movies, but every day, you’re looking to find an organic thing, so you’re almost functioning like a writer. I prefer to be an actor.
Do you gravitate toward projects that speak to the present moment, or things that may be already weighing on your mind about the world or politics?
I’ve quoted this a lot over the years. E.L. Doctorow had a line: The responsibility of the artist is to know the time within which he lived. So somebody can make a period film, but in doing that, the good ones reflect something very current. Not modernizing it, but there’s something that is rhyming in history. I think that this became exponentially more timely after production finished and we watched, kind of shaking our heads. It’s also a great thing that because he doesn’t have a conventional dependence on what satire is, the movie is malleable. It’s not dependent on being a far-fetched idea that makes us laugh. And now that some of it is not at all far-fetched it takes on a more full quality.
You have said that before making the 2023 film Daddio, you had become disillusioned a bit with making movies.
You said it when you’re talking about the importance of narrative being somehow in rhythm with what’s interesting to you at that time. At a certain point, I found the criteria that maybe used to work—good project, interesting material, great director, fantastic cast—if that subject isn’t really what’s in your heart or interest, for me it just got miserable. And especially if you’re playing a leading role, you also have to offer leadership in spirit every day.
Rebecca Ford
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