After the huge success of "Breaking Bad," many were very interested in seeing which direction Aaron Paul would take his career. His big studio film was "Need For Speed," but before that smash-em-up film played there was a smaller, more intimate tale of a father trying to do right by his young, rebellious son.
Kat Candler's "Hellion" played well at Sundance, and this stark independent film is now making its way to home video this month. Last January, Moviefone Canada got to speak with Paul about this project, and we were joined by Candler as well as the young lead, Josh Wiggins.
Much of the conversation surrounded discussion of Wiggins, an actor Aaron was almost evangelical about in his enthusiasm.
Moviefone Canada: Mr. Paul, you've been a huge proponent of Josh's work -- what does Josh's performance mean to you, and what did you see in his performance that you saw in yourself as a young actor?
Aaron Paul: First of all, when I was his age, I was not half the actor he is. He is really such an inspiration to actors, to people in general. He's just such a sweet, good kid, head on his shoulders, focused, driven. This is his first project and he blew us all away. The script is just so beautifully honest and I could relate to all of these characters. It was very important that we find the individual that could nail all of the layers of Jacob.
How did you find Josh?
Kat Candler: We scoured all across Texas. We took the "Tree of Life" approach, we worked with the same local casting director. I went to tiny towns across Texas, I went to motocross races, and we were just trying to find really authentic real kids. When this kid walked in the room for the first time, it was like the heavens opened up and God started singing. There's my kid! Aaron and I definitely talked a lot about how the kid has to nail it.
AP: He had to be perfect, and I could not wait to see the choices, the casting tapes, and she sent me his tape after the first meeting. Of course, I was just blown away. Getting in a room with him, when he came up to Los Angeles and read with me, and he just was lost in it. He believed everything.
Is this when Josh starts getting a big head and starts making diva demands?
KC: [Laughs] No, no.
AP: That's what I keep telling him, but because he's such a sweet guy and he's going to hear it from all angles, you've just gotta truly just appreciate what has been.
Josh Wiggins: Yeah, definitely. I lucked out.
Often, particularly with kids' performances, you just have people casting who the character is and when you get them on-screen, they're not being themselves. Could you talk a little bit about that process from a more seasoned actor?
AP: There are no real similarities between these two. They're such polar opposites.
KC: But I think the one similarity is that Josh and Jacob both have such good hearts. They're just good kids, and Jacob's taking a different approach to dealing with his grief, but this kid is so nice, he's polite, he's intelligent.
It's like you're almost Canadian. We'll accept that.
JW: [Laughs] I think Jacob does have a lot of love for him family, whether he wants to admit it or not. He loves his little brother much more than he lets on and I can kind of relate to that as well. I love my family and I don't try to hide it or anything, but you still love and take care of them.
Aaron, you came to the project early on. Why this project?
AP: Well, first of all, this script was sent to me from all directions. My reps read it, they loved it, a friend of mine, a director I worked with, James Ponsoldt, sent it to me as well with an incredible recommendation for Kat. I saw her short film and it was amazing and I loved that she wanted to commit, and just go further with this story.
I read the script and it's just such a beautiful, honest story that I definitely could see myself in it. We met in Georgia and talked about this project over some milkshakes, and within moments of sitting down with her you can see the love, the beauty that exudes from her, like every pore.
So you all hate each other.
AP: Yeah, pretty much. [Laughs] It was really love, you know? My heart truly lies in independent filmmaking, because you come to the set and you feel like you're really a group making a film together for the right reasons, for the pure love of the art of the project, the passion. I told Kat right away, "I adore you, you're so brilliant, let's do this. If you'll have me, I'm on board."
When you were in Georgia, I assume you were shooting a racing car movie?
AP: Yes! [Laughs]
Which was the bigger adrenaline draw, finding the kid or racing at 100 miles an hour?
AP: They were both pretty great but the moment I saw him, it was just ... I know it's just a love fest, but it's true, the moment I saw him I was just ... wow, I'm really witnessing something great here.
As a director, were you showing Josh stuff?
KC: I gave you a list.
JW: Yeah, she did.
You had homework?
KC: Yeah, he had a lot of homework.
JW: It was fun homework. "Stand by Me" was one of the big ones. "Mud," which I had never seen, was amazing.
KC: I can't remember which other ones I gave you. I made all of the boys do character outlines and talk about their relationships and histories with each other, and try to create that.
What effect did shooting in that part of Texas have on the colour of the story?
KC: This is where Kelly Williams, our producer, grew up. We shot in the bedroom that he grew up in! It was such beautiful community support of a film that I've ever experienced. It's all Kelly's old teachers and friends and family who literally were donating meals and football stadiums and golf carts and cars and places for people to stay. It was an amazing experience to see entire cities rally around our film and be a part of it. I think all of those Southeast Texas voices are showing up on the screen and I love that.
Aaron, this is certainly a different role than we're used to seeing you in. Could you talk about what it was like working with a very different kind of ensemble?
AP: It was so great. That's what I was so excited about, just diving under this guy's skin -- this emotionally absent father to these two young boys just trying to find guidance. That was very exciting for me to work with.
I hadn't really worked with kids ever. But they were just so professional and focused and fun and we really just enjoyed being around each other. This is a very small, independent film, we had no trailers to go to, we were confined to our house where we couldn't have the AC on. It was super hot, but we were just hanging out 24/7 and we grew a huge bond with everyone.
Yeah, I'm guessing this is the first time you're on-screen as a father.
AP: Yeah, sort of. In "Big Love" I had a baby, but at the very end.
But that's during the closing montage!
AP: Yeah, but I was holding a baby, thinking "This is a lot of pressure here." I'm getting older.
"Hellion" can be screened at several local theatres. Check your local listings for showtimes/dates.
