I had solely three days to arrange for the display screen take a look at and audition, which wasn’t as a lot time as I’d like. So I attempted to go as broad as potential, after which shrink it down and go as particular as potential to find and discovering the place it’s that I, as Lewis, can relate to this character.
The place did you pull from?
What was so thrilling and terrifying was how a lot I associated to this character. By way of the psychological well being components of it, the anxiousness and the despair, I’ve an excellent wholesome dose of O.C.D., and simply self-doubt and that detrimental self-talk that may paralyze you. I’m fortunate to have come from an incredible household that was very proactive and resourceful about serving to me determine all of it out. And so to attempt to inhabit any person who didn’t have that — I used to be shut sufficient to these alleyways to have the ability to see what it could have appeared like had I not had these.
Have you ever had candid conversations with individuals in your personal life about psychological well being?
I used to be a social work main in school in North Carolina, and so I’ve had many conversations about these matters. Coming into this mission, it was apparent that it was a serious theme. However it was by no means our purpose to make this a P.S.A. That is nonetheless an extremely enjoyable, large-scale blockbuster movie. However by shining a flashlight on it, it turns into extra actual. In some ways, my anxiousness is one thing I’m grateful for. It’s there as a protecting mechanism. You don’t simply make a film about it, after which the dialog’s over. I’ll be speaking about it till I circle the drain. And that’s one thing I’ve come to be OK with and embrace.
Do you even have private expertise with despair?
That’s one thing that’s much less of a constant power in my life. It is available in waves. However it’s one thing that’s deep in my marrow as a result of, while you really feel that, it’s very arduous to overlook. I used to be in a position to faucet into that in a means that was protected, with remedy, after which pals and help.
I am going about remedy in the identical means that I am going about appearing — I assume that I by no means know something, that there’s at all times one thing to study. I did plenty of cognitive behavioral remedy in highschool, and now I’m in speak remedy. I’ve realized that the occasions when it is best to persist with remedy essentially the most is while you assume you’re doing the very best with out it. That’s a thoughts recreation that I’ve fallen for a few occasions.
Why do you assume the character has resonated with individuals?
That oscillation that he has between feeling this worthlessness, met with this true perception in your self, may be very resonant. That’s one thing vital about Bob: He needs to be of use, however he’s been advised his complete life that when he tries to become involved, he at all times makes issues worse. Lots of us have been advised that, in a technique or one other. And so to see this very actual individual amongst these surreal and extraordinary circumstances is what makes it so resonant.
