[Dramatic music]
[Talbot] One of the first ways that Jimmie and I bonded
as kids was sharing stories with each other
that we couldn't share with other friends of ours —
mostly other guy friends of ours.
That got us through difficult periods in our lives.
So we knew firsthand how important it is to, like,
have a friend that you can open up to.
[Fails] We're very vulnerable with each other,
so that's kind of how our friendship's always been.
So when we met Jonathan [Majors], he was the same way.
"You were in a group home?"
"Yeah.
For like a year."
[Fails] It was important for us to be friends because it is —
it was a movie — as much as it's about me in the house,
it was a movie about me and my friend, as well.
That was always the thing, like,
"Oh, how are we gonna make the friendship believable?"
But when we met Jonathan, it wasn't hard to do it
because he just became, like, our third brother,
and he just understood.
"You guys wanna go for a schvitz?"
[Talbot] We would also have other guys that we grew up with
who, when they were around us,
would be more in touch with maybe that vulnerability.
They'd feel more comfortable to open up.
And then they'd be outside in a different group
and they'd do a 180,
and that's part of where the character Kofi came from.
"Hey, great news is, you're all doing marvellous work.
Congratulations, it's not easy.
[Gentle music]
I believe you.
But I know it can be deeper."
[Talbot] Kofi was hard trying to cast, in some ways,
because we wanted to find someone from San Francisco
who felt like people we grew up with,
who understood the mask and the facade that sometimes men
have to wear when there's a pressure to be tough.
We met Jamal [Trulove] by chance at an after-school program.
We were casting kids for this rock-fight scene,
so they were crumpling up paper balls
and throwing them at Jimmie to audition,
and Jamal wandered in and he was working there,
and he asked us what we were doing
and we started telling him about the movie,
and immediately he said, "Oh, this character is me."
"You're okay there.
You're okay there."
"Bro, you're not a director, bro."
"Man, take your weird ass outta here, man."
"Keep building it." "Nigga, I don't like when—"
[Talbot] And Jamal had been framed for murder in real life
by the SFPD, and spent six and a half years in prison,
thinking he wouldn't get out,
and he was suing the SFPD when we met him,
and we casted him that day —
and a couple weeks before we shot the film,
Jamal won $10 million from the SFPD.
"This that house?"
"Hm."
"Hey, Jimmie used to talk about this spot all the time.
But you know how niggas be in a group home,
over-exaggerating and shit,
trying to be all special.
You weren't lying about this one, though, huh, Jimmie?"
[Talbot] I think, even though Kofi's character obviously
doesn't have the same backstory as Jamal —
he didn't go to prison, he wasn't framed for murder —
what he was saying is he felt like he understood
this character was under the same pressures
that he had been under growing up.
And so I think we were all kind of blown away,
having never acted in anything like this,
how believable he made that character.
But I do think part of that is just because,
in his bones, he also understood him.
"I hope I never made you feel like you weren't welcome here."
"No, I...
I never felt like that."
"Cause...
I don't care where you've been.
You don't have to tell me.
It's just, you two...
stick together."
[Gentle piano music]
[Fails] The reception has been great.
It's been men coming up to us who are
kind of uncomfortable even saying, like,
[awkwardly] "Uh... I thought that... um... you know...
thanks for being vulnerable, man."
You know? They're just, like —
they don't wanna say it, but, I mean,
that's why I think it's important for kids to see it, too:
to know that you can be vulnerable with your friend and stuff.
So it was very important.
But Jonathan was a big part of that, but,
I mean, so was everyone.
It's been a collaborative thing, and everyone's
kind of vulnerable, and understanding, and empathetic —
everyone that worked on this film, I feel like.