CHRIS KLEIN: Well, acting has been a dream of mine since I can remember, being in the movies and acting, having those experiences. For some reason I’m drawn to the energy of playing a character, getting involved in the scene, trying to evoke truth. It was always something that I loved to do and the athletics, at a certain age, you kind of say that’s as far as I can take it. I certainly wasn’t going to play Division One football in college. I really missed my window for the gold medal in the Olympics. And really, it’s just pursuing dreams and goals.
You could play an athlete in movies.
CHRIS KLEIN: There you have it. That’s kind of funny. I remember when I was a really little kid, I used to dream about being an actor and fireman. After I saw “Backdraft,” I knew it was possible to do both so I was pretty stoked.
What are your priorities for choosing roles?
JENA MALONE: The priority for me is that it’s truthful. As long as there’s truth and it’s a script that I respond to and that’s beautiful and that’s wonderful. It’s also getting to work with people that you really respect. I think the script definitely comes first and it’s not even necessarily about the role, because it can be one scene in a really incredible script that’s funny, but it’s not the most incredible scene. You can still love it and want to do it because the script is so great. That’s where everything starts from.
Did you work with Ryan Gosling on developing the anger you feel toward his character?
CHRIS KLEIN: No, that comes from Matthew. That comes from the writer and all the work that we did beforehand developing these characters. Matthew had such a clear, wonderful, passionate, concise vision of this story and of each and every one of these characters. And sitting with him and working with him and rehearsing with all of us together, I keep using the word organic but it became a very organic process. All of us coming together knowing our particular characters as best we could.
What was the rehearsal process like?
JENA MALONE: We were locked away in an office house for like two weeks. It was reading it on the table, it was reading it on the floor, it was moving the table out [to get a feel] of what the room felt like. It was just not reading it at all and talking about what’s underneath and storylines and backstories and emotional throughlines throughout.
CHRIS KLEIN: I think the amount of time that we were able to spend was unusual. I spent two days with Matthew at a table hashing out the entire script, every time that ‘Alan’ was in it. We went and hashed out the entire thing. But that’s a real unique opportunity to work very up close and personal. And that’s kind of a cool thing about the writer directing the movie too.
JENA MALONE: It’s like there was your resource. You’ve just got everything.
CHRIS KLEIN: It’s a one stop shop.
Chris, what’s “The Long Weekend” about?
CHRIS KLEIN: “The Long Weekend” is a comedy that I just finished with Brendan Fehr over at Gold Circle, the guys who did “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” It’s about two brothers on a long weekend and all the comedy that ensues. It’s always funny to go back and forth. I find every medium has something for me that I enjoy and this movie up there was exceptionally interesting because it was a brother relationship. It’s always been a relationship that I know very well because I have a younger brother that I love very much and we’re very close and have a unique thing. It was really exciting to be acting that kind of relationship. So it was really funny. Cool comedy, a comic web of weekend craziness.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Interviews with Ryan Gosling / Kevin Spacey & Matthew Hoge
"The United States of Leland" Photo Gallery
"The United States of Leland" Movie News, Credits, and Websites
