LIVE 24-SEVEN
NICK ROBINSON IS NO STRANGER TO THE LIMELIGHT
The film covers some dramatic ground but it’s also pretty funny. Yeah, I think it's really funny! And there were some great comedic actors in the film. Tony Hale plays the Vice Principal, and he is like uproarious. I think that one of the strengths of the film is that it isn't just one thing. It's not a drama, it's not a comedy, it's not a romance, it's sort of a mixed bag of all of these different genres and ideas that I think make it very true to life.
What appealed to you about the project? A number of things. I am a big fan of those sort of John Hughes-esque coming of age films. And I felt like this kind of fit that mold pretty well. And on top of that, it was telling a story that hadn't been told before from this perspective. From a young gay man's perspective in high school. Usually that character is the sidekick or something.
In the film, Simon has a close-knit group of friends. Did you know many of the cast beforehand? Not really. I knew Logan who plays Martin. But, he's not really in Simon's immediate social circle. Of the core group of friends, no, I didn't know anyone. I got to know everyone pretty well and it's been a pleasure. Greg had a rehearsal period beforehand. So we had about two weeks to get to know one another, get past the icebreakers, the get-to-know-you phase, and actually get into the work. By the time we started shooting, we had already developed a relationship.
So, what’s Love, Simon? Love, Simon is a coming of age story set in high school about a young man who's trying to find his identity, trying to find his way through high school. And he basically meets someone who allows him to be himself for the first time. And it's a journey told through that relationship.
Tell us about Simon. I think Simon is someone who knows who he is. But, he's just not ready for the world to know. So, he basically organizes his whole life around the fact that he doesn't want people to know that he's gay. And that really informs most of his day to day life and decision making and thought process.
Although, presumably, he’s planning to come out at some point? I think he's dead set on going to college and then becoming who he wants to be on his terms. He wants to remain in control for as long as possible. But, as I think most people can attest to, the best laid plans don’t always work out the way you want. So then he's someone who has to come to terms with the fact that he didn't get to tell his story exactly how he wanted to. But, he eventually owns it. And he uses it to his advantage.
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You are in practically every scene, so there must be a sense of responsibility attached to that, and the need to make Simon both a well-defined individual and also broadly appealing and, for want of a better word, relatable. Absolutely. And the rehearsal period definitely helped to kind of crystallize some ideas and find out what didn't work just as much as what did. And hopefully people won't get too sick of Simon! [Smiles] Because the film definitely centers on his path, his journey. But having said that, his friends have their own issues to deal with too.
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