One of the many films to debut at this year’s Sundance Film Festival was the comedy Joshy. Written and directed by Jeff Baena (Life After Beth), the film stars Thomas Middleditch as a man who, following the suicide of his fiancé (Alison Brie), opts to use their non-refundable honeymoon reservation as a getaway for him and his pals. Over the course of the weekend, the guys do their best to make Joshy forget about his past tragedy, but in doing so bring other emotional issues to the surface. It’s a surprisingly thoughtful twist on a simple premise, and with a cast that includes Nick Kroll, Adam Pally, Jenny Slate, Brett Gelman, Aubrey Plaza, and filmmakers Alex Ross Perry and Joe Swanberg, a variety of comedic talents are on full display.

At Sundance last month, I had the opportunity to talk with Middleditch and Pally, who play close friends in the film. They talked about the process of improvising much of the dialogue in the film, the collaborative atmosphere on set, the difference between researching a role and finding a character, advice for aspiring actors, and of course statues of cheese women. The two also touch on upcoming projects, with Middleditch teasing the third season of HBO’s Silicon Valley.

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Thomas Middleditch & Adam Pally:

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  0:15 – They think back to when they learned their film would be going to Sundance
• 1:05 – Pally and Middleditch summarize the movie and tease the story
• 1:50 – They talk about the process of improvising dialogue during filming
• 3:20 – Somehow the talk turns from the rehearsal process to statues of cheese women
• 4:50 – They comment on the collaborative process on set
• 5:30 – They admit that working for a director who likes a lot of takes is Hell and they prefer to have some input
• 7:00 – They look back on how much the movie changed from what they originally imagined
• 8:40 – They talk about their process as an actor, or lack thereof
• 10:10 – They then comment on the difference between researching a role and finding the character
• 11:48 – Pally issues an acting challenge to Robert De Niro
• 12:10 – They reflect back to the first time they knew they wanted to be an actor
• 14:10 – They offer up advice to young aspiring actors
• 16:20 – They tease what they each have coming up, including Season 3 of Silicon Valley and Dirty Grandpa
• 17:30 – Middleditch teases the upcoming season of Silicon Valley

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