John C. Reilly Compares PTA's New Movie Lead To Joaquin Phoenix
John C. Reilly compares Licorice Pizza's lead star Alana Haim to Joaquin Phoenix. Reilly has starred in a number of Paul Thomas Anderson's projects, including his feature debut Hard Eight in 1996, his breakout film Boogie Nights the next year, and his 3-hour mosaic Magnolia in 1999. Now, Reilly reunites with the director in his most recent film, Licorice Pizza, in a small supporting role.
Licorice Pizza is a coming-of-age drama set in the San Fernando Valley during the 1970s and centered on the love story between two characters played by Alana Haim (a member of the rock band Haim) and Cooper Hoffman (the son of the late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman), both of whom are making their acting debuts. The film also features a stacked supporting cast that includes Reilly, Bradley Cooper, Sean Penn, Skyler Gisondo, Maya Rudolph, Tom Waits, Benny Safdie, and Ben Stiller. The acclaimed auteur, Paul Thomas Anderson, produced the film throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and it is now gearing up for its limited release one month from now.
Reilly and Haim recently sat down for a conversation with Interview magazine and the veteran actor made quite the lofty comparison between the Licorice Pizza star and the Academy Award-winning actor Phoenix. Reilly recalls watching Haim's first screen test, visiting the set, and not being able to take his eyes off the first-time actress. "The only other actor who makes me feel that way is Joaquin Phoenix," Reilly says. Read what he had to say about Licorice Pizza's lead star below:
When Paul sent me that first screen test, I was like, “Dude, if you can keep them feeling this free, I think you’ve got a movie.” You know the phrase, “You can’t take your eyes off her?” I’ve experienced that feeling before, watching a fireplace or a baby, but rarely with adults. When I visited the set, I remember sitting there and being glued to the monitor, even between takes. I turned to Paul, and I was like, “You can’t take your fucking eyes off her.” He looked at me like, “Right?”
The only other actor who makes me feel that way is Joaquin Phoenix. Watching him is like watching a raccoon rummage through garbage cans. What is he gonna do now? Why look at anything else, while this is going on? It’s hard to keep that energy on camera.
Phoenix has starred in two of Paul Thomas Anderson's films, The Master and Inherent Vice, the former of which he was nominated for an Academy Award. While the two have never appeared in a PTA film together, Reilly and Phoenix did share the screen in Jacques Audiard's 2018 film, The Sisters Brothers. Like many movies fans, Reilly is likely well aware of Phoenix's bravura due to his Oscar-worthy performances in Gladiator, Walk the Line, and Joker.
This is quite high praise for Haim to receive before her acting debut has even been seen by general audiences, although it is important to note that Reilly has seen the film in its entirety, while also seeing her work on set during production. Anderson has shown a preference for working with talented actors like Reilly, Phoenix, Hoffman, and Daniel Day-Lewis. Perhaps he has found his new muse in Haim. Audiences will be able to decide for themselves when Licorice Pizza opens in limited theaters on November 26, followed by its nationwide release on Christmas Day.
Source: Interview magazine