I’m just kidding.
Oh, you scared me.
I’m trying to break the ice …
It came down to Cooper [Raiff’s] passion and also reading the script.
It was so wonderfully written and a testament to the human condition on many levels.
Your character Greg and Cooper’s character Andrew have a very interesting kind of contentious dynamic throughout the movie.
What was that like for you to play?
Well, that’s what really attracted me to it.
I’m going through it right now at 62.
We’re hopefully always evolving.
Do you like doing projects like that, where it brings in both elements seamlessly?
Just as in life, there’s a lot of comedy and drama.
I’ve used humor my whole life as a defense, as a relief, as a tool.
It felt very balanced here.
Cooper’s an amazing director and writer.
And it felt like the humor came out of character as opposed to just being jokes or jokey.
It seemed to come out of what each character was going through, which always makes it more authentic.
You mentioned that this is a coming-of-age story that takes place after college.
Because, like I said, we’re always going through things at different phases in our life.
We’re in a society that’s always pressuring them.
We’re in a fast serve or a fast food bang out of society.
We have to know everything now,thanks to social media.
And that raises children in an unrealistic environment, to where they don’t always have to know.
you’re free to graduate college and still wonder what you’re doing.
The key, I hope that they discover, is to know where you are emotionally.
Was it ever difficult for you not to break and laugh while you were filming?
I found a lot of it amusing.
We had a lot of fun.
[Cooper is] a very collaborative director because he’s such a good actor and writer.
It was a very homogenous set.
It felt great with the producers and the writers.
But I try not to break when I’m in character.
Once in a while you do.
But at this point in my life, I’m just trying to remember my lines.
What was it like working withLeslie Mannon this project?
Being able to work with her was a great reason to jump on board.
Of course, with Dakota too.
Though, I didn’t have any scenes with her.
However, I kept asking if I could.
And they kept saying, “No, no, just be happy you’re here.”
But it was great with Leslie.
And she did such a great job as Cooper’s mom.
So it was really fun.
So I’m very grateful I had anything to do with this.
Do you feel like he brings something to the family that it takes a while for Andrew to see?
Especially at these ages of the kids in the film, where there’s going to be a competition.
Here’s this guy coming into his life.
He’s running the show, though Greg is really just flying by the seat of his pants.
He’s learning every day, like Cooper is.
That’s what they have in common.
Though it’s important to show that [he has] everything under control.
He’s had to live a certain way.
He’s had to work a certain way.
And Andrew is taking a very different jot down of path so that may be a threat.
I guess maybe deep down, [Greg is] a little envious of that.
I really enjoyed it.
I’m very grateful to be included in it.
I wouldn’t say challenging, I would say it felt great.
It felt like even in a small way, I was part of something that was really special.
And he has a fearless way of directing.
And I say “fearless” because he’s open.
He’s open to ideas, open to thoughts from other actors.
The [movie] had a wonderful cinematographer.
The producers were very …
They’re all young.
So it’s great to see a bunch of young people kicking ass and making something that was special.
It was great to see that audiences were so taken by it at Sundance and really liked it.
It’s like, “Hey, this is it, this is our life.
This is where we are.
And we’re still dancing as fast as we can to figure it out.”
Well, my last question was going to be, what do you hope people take from this movie?
But you kind of already summed it up.
I hope I have.
I hope that [audiences] take away that it’s okay not to know everything.
At a young age, at an old age, do the best it’s possible for you to.
Stay true to yourself.
We’re all searching.
This interview was edited for clarity.
