“C’mon C’mon” by Mike Mills: Woody Norman and Niccolò Lapo Latini one-to-one in partnership with A24 on Bafta 2022

I'm watching right now your live interview at the Vulture Festival with Mike and Angelica. Mike at one point says "...we were looking for Woody to take the lead..." (contrasted almost curiously to Jesse's line "I'm not used being able to choose" in the screenplay). The well-known Italian poet Giovanni Pascoli spoke about "the poetics of the child" ("Fanciullino" released in 1897 inspired by Plato's "Phaedo"). He wrote that the child who lives inside us he's the one who creates art and beauty. He arrives at the truth not by means of reasoning but in an instinctive, almost natural way. This could somehow paraphrase Mike's words, giving the little one the chance to create something spontaneous and unprecedented, something real. What's the secret for an artist to make his art constantly bright?

I think the secret of a good artist is to be able to improvise around your role, giving new depth to it, and always adding some of yourself to the character.

The movie tells us about growth, bonds, sincerity, and emotional purity. Do you feel you have grown as an artist after such a work?

I do feel like I have learnt so much as an artist from both Mike Mills and Joaquin, enabling me with different tools as an actor and giving me so many opportunities since the movie.

 Tell us about your first meeting with Joaquin and your relationship right now. The most valuable tip you learned from him?

I didn’t really know Joaquin before I started working with him, so I didn’t know what to expect, but as the process of making the movie evolved myself and Joaquin evolved, just like Johnny and Jessie, and we are strong friends now. The most valuable tip I had from Joaquin is to always try to make work comfortable for everyone who works on the set.

Let's talk about authenticity. Woody, could you reveal the background of an improvisation in the movie outside the original screenplay between you and Joaquin?

I loved being able to improvise with Joaquin and my best memory is when I did a chemistry test with him and we went into the wrestling, that then was written into the script and myself and Joaquin got to improve that again when we were filming in New York City. 

"And when the time comes to return to your star it may be hard to say goodbye." (From "Star Child" by Claire A. Nivola). When an experience ends, when an adventure comes to the final act, there is always that pleasant feeling on the way home but then deep down sadness always comes. The most beautiful and at the same time saddest moment once your journey on set was over? 

In New Orleans, where we wrapped the movie, we did our final scene and Mike kept shooting that scene even though he had the shot. He finally said "We can’t keep going" and Joaquin and Mike fell to chairs crying and I fell on the floor crying too. It was so emotional as we knew the journey was over and the movie was finished.

From "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Love comes from investing time and faith in relationships. Do you find correspondence today in this description with the increasingly darker and valueless world in which we live?

I find with social media that even if you're texting someone you know, subconsciously they still feel anonymous so they would say things they wouldn’t say to your face. I feel it’s making unhealthy relationships.

One of your favorite scenes to shoot from the "C'mon C'mon"?

The scene "I'm fine" with Joaquin. It was wholly scripted, not so much improvisation here, but we filmed in a beautiful location.

Finally, what's normal Woody?

Normal for me is playing and listening to music, hanging with my friends and enjoying time on set when I’m filming.