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  • 2 months ago
Conan O’Brien is known for bringing comedic and chaotic energy as a talk show host. However, he was called upon to flex some other creative muscles for the A24 film If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. Mary Bronsten’s latest feature is a cerebral (and harrowing) look at parenthood (specifically from the perspective of a struggling mother). On paper, this dramatic piece of work may not seem like the kind of project fans would imagine for O’Brien. Yet he’s phenomenal in it, and Bronstein told CinemaBlend how O’Brien surprised her.

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You – one of the most intriguing titles on the movie schedule – stars Rose Byrne as Linda, a therapist who’s contending with her ill daughter as well as other domestic duties. Conan O’Brien plays Linda’s therapist (who also just happens to be her colleague). When I spoke to Byrne and Mary Bronstein, I asked what it was like working with O’Brien, and Bronstein had nothing but praise for the iconic talk show host’s on-set preparedness.
Transcript
00:00mr conan o'brien okay in your opinions should he do more dramatic work and also was there
00:06anything about his performance that surprised you all while you were on set oh yes um i mean uh he
00:12and i worked very closely together um uh on that performance but i can't i i can take no credit
00:18for it it's all it's all him and it's him taking the role very seriously and and bringing things
00:25to it that yeah the best thing uh that a filmmaker can experience is being on a set and and an actor
00:33making a choice that surprises you right um because you prepare so much and and all you that's all you
00:40can ask for um there's a monologue that he does uh in this film that i don't want to give away but you
00:46know what i'm talking about as i was writing that monologue literally alone and by myself i've i
00:52thought to myself i'm writing something that is unperformable that that is so didactic uh and so
01:00wordy and so it's not performable i'm gonna have to work with whoever ends up getting this role
01:05to make it come to life not true with mr o'brien word for word off the page he performs this monologue
01:15and it i was it was one of the greatest pleasures of making the film was watching that happen i would say
01:23you
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