(Upbeat music)
- Hi this is Maria Gulloo from The Hollywood Reporter,
and we're in-studio today with Neil Burger and Kevin Hart.
(claps)
Here to talk about The Upside.
Yeah!
- Yeah!
(clapping)
(laughing)
- I don't understand why people don't clap. Like you guys
know I come from a stand up comedy background. We base
everything off of the applause. I just never understand why
you just look at us, Neil and..
(laughing)
- That's what I had to do when I was directing him after
each line.
(clapping)
- Yes, yes I need that.
- She got very angry. Yeah.
- Yes, yes. Sorry that wasn't a good MC intro for you.
- Mean ratification.
- You'll see how I do it.
(clapping)
Even that, even what he just said. Yeah.
(laughter)
- Thank you, Neil. Appreciate you.
- Yeah, yeah, it's the only way we got ever got through it.
- Hello, exited to be here.
- Hi! Hi, alright, so let's get to it. Kevin, first question
goes to you
- Okay.
What about Dell, the character you played, what were you
attracted to in him?
- What was I attracted to about the character Dell?
- Yeah.
The difference from anything that I've done.
Dell gave me
an opportunity to tap into a different level of acting
on the big screen, and I felt that for the first time
I was approaching a piece of material that was layered. You
know? I got at, got to show emotion on different levels, you
know from heart, from anger to vulnerability.
It was real,
it was just the realest thing that I've read on page where
I didn't have to falsify, or create,
or find to just have
the funny. This was much more than funny, you know, it was
the first solid,
well rounded individual that I got to
take on from a material standpoint. So, that's what
attracted me the most.
- You're known as somebody who's kind of a self starter
when it comes to your own career. So was this a calculated
move or are you heading towards more serious films?
- Well, the conversation of the film had been around for
quite some time. You know, when I saw that it was more
serious, and I saw that it was going to happen, it was a
priority. I know the names that were in the hat, when Neil
signed on, I was well versed on what he's done. We talked,
we met, that conversation was at good conversation, and
I could see where, you know, just people are exited about me
wanting to do it, but apprehensive about the approach that
I would take to the material. So, the conversations that
I had with Neil and Brian beforehand we're just about
understanding where my head was, and I wanted them to
gain security, and knowing like "I know what this can be."
And I want it to be all of those things and more, and the
only way to do that is to go into a completely different
direction that I've ever went in before with my performance.
- Yeah, and Neil this is an adaptation of a French film.
So, how did you bring it into the today, our country's
current climate?
- Right. Well, I mean the basic sense, we were translating
it to New York City, so there's, obviously there's
similar concerns. But, there's different ones as well,
different, sort of, socioeconomic vibes and things like that
among people. But, I thought that was why it was an
important movie to do right now, because of what was going
on politicly, and culturally in the country. People
feeling so divide, and when I read the script, I thought
"Well, this is a perfect movie." Just in these microcosm of
these two men who kind of bridge the divide, and find
common ground. I was like "Well, what a great movie." And
sort of a beautiful message of people finding common ground
that maybe is translatable to, you know, the culture
at large. So, that's why I wanted to do it, and that's
why I felt like it was important to do it now.
- We're you concerned about kind of transforming or
going beyond, like, basic stereotypes?
- Well, you basically want to make the movie as honest as
possible, and as real as possible. Because the story
had, for me, such an important message. I wanted to, and
that was applicable to the real world. I wanted it to be
real, real, real, and I wanted it to be honest. I wanted
their performances to be honest, and I wanted, you know,
Brian is playing a person with a disability, to be as
honest and respectful in that as well, and then even
with Kevin's character, where he's from, you know, the
world that he's coming out of. Again, to be as true as
possible to that.
- Yeah, and Kevin, a lot of this movie hinges on the
chemistry between you and Brian Cranston. Tell me what you
like about Brian Cranston.
- Oh, Brian's a great guy. On top of being a great guy, he's
he's just, an amazing actor, you know, the time and energy
that's spent... that he puts into his craft is seen. It's
seen when you're on set with him, it's seen in his day to
day approach to the material that he was given. So, for me
outside of knowing how good of a guy he was, outside of
hearing all the things I heard about him before we got to
set, before we got to work. When you get to see it
firsthand, it's refreshing. When you get to see the
personality that's within the artist, be a vibrant as his
was. It's the bast thing ever, because there are no bad
days, you know? Every day is a good day, because we're
both coming to set with the attitude of making that day
a great day. Not only getting the work done, but smiling
while doing it. Creating a fun, comfortable environment
for everybody that was there on set. That's something that
he takes pride in, it's something that I take pride in. So,
we share that. So, you know, there was never those moments
on set where people were tip toeing
- No.
On eggshells or like..
- It was a great set actually
- Yes.
It was a great crew, and a great group of actors.
- Yes.
It was actually, for me, it was one of the best experiences
I've had working with all of these guys. So. But, Brian's
a really generous actor as well
- [Kevin] Very.
To the whole crew and other actors as well, and to, you know
so, he's a pleasure to have around, and then to watch and
work.
- Yeah I was going to say, it's really nice to see
Brian Cranston back in a comedy.. in a comedy role again.
- Yeah, but and he, look, he's a very funny guy, and not as
funny as you.
- Thank you.
(laughs)
But he is, he's a very good straight man. So, um, though he
does have the one.. the one improv line really in the whole
script is him saying when you're showing him and he says
- Oh!
"You're waterboarding me."
(laughs)
Which he came up with, like, on the spot.
The rest of the movie is very tightly controlled, as far
as that. So, it's funny that Brian has that. But, you know,
he's uh, he's very funny. But what's, the movie is a
comedy, but with real dramatic elements, and he brings
such empathy, and such honesty to the role. You know, that
he also, yes he's funny and the movie's funny, but he breaks
your heart, and so does he. Which I think is so unusual.
- You know, it's funny because when we say comedy, you know,
it's like it's just so real. It's a real performance
with a real story.
- [Neil] Yeah.
Because, you know, the laughs that you are getting aren't
thought and sought after laughs, these are real moments
that provide laughter, because of how personable they are.
- Right
You know, me when I'm showing him, and not knowing,
you know, that I'm aggressive with the shower.
- Comes out of character.
It comes out of character.
- Yeah. Know he's being jokey.
Let's find the funny. It's not, we're not like "Alright,
Kevin, we need some funny.
- Yeah.
"Make sure you bang it here." You know, that's not the case.
- Yeah.
Though me, when I'm wiping his mouth aggressively when he's
eating, it was character driven. The moment where we're
watching the Opera, and I'm laughing, and you know,
I can't believe
what I'm seeing. It's character driven, so these moments
that act as laugh out loud moments for the crowd that's
watching, are actually just real...
- They're really earned, basically...
Really, yeah.
Because they come at, they're built, you've watched, you've
whatever, you become invested in these characters over the
course of the movie. So, then when they do something, or
where they, you know, they change their, you know, their
rhythm, or they say something funny or whatever it is.
It's just, you know, a real release, and it's.. it's
really honest laughter. Which is, you know a pleasure
to see, and pleasure to see him doing it. Yeah.
- One of the moments that the audience that I was with
responded to the most was your shower scene, Kevin.
- Oh..
What was it like filming that?
- I had my chest out.
- [Neil] Well, that's probably the jokiest thing in the
movie, in a way.
- It was me getting the monsoon.
Him naked.
- Yes.
(laughs)
- Well, the thing about that, which I didn't know if we
told you about it at the time. In order to get that sort of
monsoon, we had like six fire hoses loaded up, you know
like, full pressure above coming through something.
- I remember, cause they were up there, like, I could see
them..
- They were like "Kevin, don't look up!"
Yeah, I was like "Hey, how we shooting this?"
(unintelligible)
"We don't have this. This is not the sprinkler thing coming
out?" So, we had to really, really crank it up,
- [Neil] Yeah.
And make it believable. But, it's a great scene.
- [Neil] Yeah.
Great moment.
- So, your character plays a life auxiliary.
- Yes.
Do you have a spiritual life auxiliary?
- A spiritual life auxiliary? Yeah, it's my wife.
- That like a spirit animal?
It's my wife.
(laughter)
- [Neil] Yeah. I would say the same.
- My wife,
- [Maria] Yeah.
- [Neil] You know it's really true.
At this point, in my life, 100% is my wife.
- How important is it for compassion for a human being?
I mean that's what the story is really about. Finding
compassion.
- Go ahead, Neil.
- Well, there's a lot of elements that are, you know,
essential for a human being. But, I think certainly,
that's one of them, and that's the important thing to,
you know, it's one thing you're individual growth. But,
it's another thing, how you work in a community, and how
we all get along or don't get along, and certainly one of
the main elements of that is to have compassion, to have
respect, and to me, that's what the movie is about. These
small acts of respect and compassion between these men, and
how that, you know, how they grow as people because of that.
Because of the generosity of the other person.
- I mean, look, you don't get the point, you don't get to
the point of respect without reaching that level of
compassion, emotion, and I think the journey that they
take us on, is one where you're fighting through levels.
You're fighting through tiers and levels to ultimately get
to the place of "I respect you, and your opinion, and what
you've done. But more importantly, I respect you more for
helping me get to this space that I'm now at." That to me
is the best thing, because it's accidental. They didn't
sign up for the relationship that they end up walking
out of this film with. They didn't sign up and say "I want to
be your friend. You're going to be my friend." It was
completely accidental, and to get to a place of love
between these two guys, it was was hard fought. It was hard
fought and well deserved, which is where the
- Yeah, earned. They discover it and they earn it. You know?
Exactly.
- So, but they would have to sacrifice themselves, and
their individuality in a certain way, to then, you know,
to give to the other person, you know, you can't have it
all. That's what they both learn in a certain way.
- Last question, if you have your own Phillip in your life,
and you wanted to pitch him for some seed money. What would
your big idea be?
- My big idea? Ah, man, I've had so many so many Phillips.
I can just pull some of the real ones that I've had in my
life.
(laughter)
- Really?
- Ping flag! "What's that, Kev?" "Well don't think ping
pong. Think a flag, so the ball gets wrapped up into the
flag." No, I would say, god what I picture more? You know
I think if I really had to picture somebody on something,
it would have to be with just recreating comedy. You know,
I love that I constantly recreate and try to
put a new face
on what stand up comedy can look like from a live
performance. So, you know, what is the version of that,
that can involve the masses that are in the world of comedy,
you know, what is the new version slash face of the comic
view def jam era look like. "What's that new thing?"
That would be my picture.
- Do you know what the future of comedy is?
- Well, I hope so, I got a laugh out loud network where I'm
investing in it. So, I hope I'm onto something.
(laughter)
If not, I'm wasting my town. If not, this thing is going
down fast.
(laughter)
So, hopefully I'm on the right track for Laugh Out Loud.
- Excellent.
- Great.
- Thank you so much!
- Thank you.
- Bye.
- Thanks for your questions.