00:00Do I say my name as well?
00:01Yes, you can.
00:03I forgot.
00:04I'm so sorry.
00:05My brain's not functioning too.
00:06Hi, I'm Rosalyn Elazar and this is our director, Mr. Christopher Rock, director of Misty Green
00:14and we're here to talk about the film for The Hollywood Reporter.
00:18Hey, Paul.
00:29Is the hair okay, Chase?
00:34Okay.
00:35It's so weird today.
00:36You can do it.
00:37Hi, I'm Sayah Rankin with The Hollywood Reporter and I'm here with Misty Green with Chris and
00:44Rosalyn.
00:44You had your big premiere last night.
00:47How are you feeling?
00:49How did it go?
00:50It was a good vibe.
00:51No?
00:51It was a pretty good vibe.
00:55Yeah.
00:56Before, after.
00:58Just like sharing it with a group of people for the first time and every time we've seen
01:02it.
01:03It's been like four people but having a whole group of people laughing at, you know, different
01:09places.
01:09I don't know.
01:10It was really special.
01:11You can feel the tension and the, you know, the mood swings and the, yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:17Yeah.
01:17There were laughs too.
01:19I mean, you made a big, not a big to do, but you've made sure to point out at the
01:23beginning
01:23to everyone it's a drama.
01:24Well, if you go in thinking you're going to see a comedy, you're going to be disappointed.
01:28Why did you want to make a drama?
01:30Why did you want to make a drama?
01:31It wasn't like a conscious choice.
01:33It was like you come up with the story of Misty Green and you just start writing and you're
01:40like, oh, this is a drama.
01:42It's just naturally a drama.
01:45And you add the performances.
01:47It's not like we didn't have any comedy in it.
01:50But as, you know, as I was editing, the performances were so good.
01:56So I ended up cutting probably 80% of the few jokes we had in there.
02:01Like what was the first thing that gave you the idea?
02:03What did you start writing first or how did you?
02:06Um, watch Rosalind on Slow Horses.
02:10No.
02:10Did you?
02:11No, he didn't.
02:12Have you not seen Slow Horses?
02:14I hadn't seen it until I met Rosalind.
02:20No, I was editing a movie or something and I was doing a loop group.
02:25You know what loop group is?
02:27Okay, loop group is you're almost done with the movie, right?
02:31Okay.
02:31And you need extra sound effects.
02:33Okay.
02:33And you ask for a loop group.
02:36And I don't know, 12 actors, what not, come in and you go, I need shuffling.
02:42What's that?
02:43Wow.
02:43Yeah.
02:44I need, somebody needs to fall down.
02:46I need some laughter here.
02:49It's a restaurant.
02:50Can you guys clink some, you know, silverware together?
02:54So in the loop group was a formerly famous actress.
03:00Okay.
03:01And I was like, wow, what is she doing here?
03:04Cause it's, you don't really get paid for loop group.
03:07Okay.
03:08Are you ever gonna, are you gonna tell us who it is?
03:09I'm never gonna tell you who it is.
03:10Okay.
03:12And it's something about watching her sparked the initial like, oh, this is, this is a
03:19whole movie here.
03:20What happened in her life that she's here at the loop.
03:23Yeah.
03:23Kind of thing.
03:24And then you naturally thought about, no I'm kidding.
03:28Washed up.
03:30Washed up.
03:30All so washed up.
03:32Who do I know that's washed up?
03:34No.
03:34How did you guys meet?
03:36What was your, cause did you do like a big search for your missy?
03:39We did a big search.
03:42Yeah.
03:42Let's hear about this.
03:43Who else did you see?
03:44Who did you see?
03:45I'm not supposed to say.
03:46I'm not gonna say.
03:47We saw nobody that was right.
03:50We saw, when we finally saw Rosalyn, that's all I needed to see.
03:56So there.
03:57What was it about her?
04:00Um, Rosalyn.
04:01No, I'm gonna say what it is about myself.
04:04Yeah.
04:04No way.
04:05Are you kidding me?
04:06Yeah, like a rapper.
04:07Well, I was really great.
04:09No.
04:09No.
04:10No way.
04:10Okay.
04:11You tell, tell me what, um, like, did he tell you what the movie, like, what did you
04:15know about the movie?
04:16Or like, was it just like, Chris Rock is, he's making another movie?
04:20I read the script.
04:21Okay.
04:21And I fell in love with the script.
04:23And I, like, probably a few people, I thought I was about to read a comedy.
04:26Mm-hmm.
04:27And I kept on going, and by like, I was like, oh, oh, okay, this is a really heavy drama.
04:31Yeah.
04:32Really heavy.
04:34Um, and I loved it.
04:36And, you know, we set up a couple of Zoom auditions.
04:39Couple of Zooms.
04:40Did you have her read on Zoom, or did you just want to talk to her and feel her out?
04:45She read.
04:45She read.
04:46I read.
04:47Then I flew to L.A. for a chemistry read with Mr. Christopher Rock.
04:51Yes.
04:51Mm-hmm.
04:52Yeah, because you guys have, you put yourself in the film, thankfully.
04:56I put myself in the film.
04:58That's right.
04:59A little bit of extra cash.
05:00A little bit of extra cash.
05:02A little bit of extra cash.
05:02A little bit of self-nepotism?
05:03Is that what the term is?
05:04Yeah.
05:05Yeah, yeah.
05:06You had to make a movie.
05:08It's like, hey, this is a good part.
05:10You know who would be really good for this part?
05:12Me.
05:13Did you ever consider making a movie about an actor, and then you could be, you know,
05:19Miles Green or whatever?
05:21Yeah, I definitely considered it a couple of times.
05:24But it was always better with a woman.
05:26So there's also a lot of, like, inside baseball-type stuff, right?
05:31About, like, what it's like to go out for parts and being in casting rooms and just sort
05:37of the, I don't know, the day-to-day of being in L.A.
05:41How much of that is, like, pulled directly from stuff that's, like, happened to you or people
05:45you know?
05:47Hmm.
05:47Have you?
05:48Well, you're right.
05:49I mean, some of the stuff is, I'm assuming, you ever dramatized, darkened it for the drama.
05:55I remember when I used to, I definitely remember actors coming in.
05:59You ever had somebody come in while you were reading?
06:03Yeah.
06:03Walking in.
06:04Oh, I've definitely had that.
06:06Like, hey, I was just down the hall.
06:08Really?
06:09That's so rude.
06:10Yeah.
06:11Gosh.
06:12I don't think that would happen now.
06:13Oh, I've definitely had that.
06:14I might have done it to somebody.
06:16Yeah.
06:17Well, now that's your position, is now you do it to people.
06:20I've definitely done it to somebody.
06:22Yeah.
06:22Walked in.
06:23One of the guys from Seinfeld.
06:25Uh, Newman.
06:26What's his name?
06:26For some reason, I walked in on his audition.
06:28I said, Vicky, why are you reading him?
06:30He's so good.
06:31Did you actually say that?
06:32Yeah.
06:33Oh, is that what the line comes from?
06:34Yeah.
06:35He's so good.
06:36Did you read Adam Driver?
06:38Did you read?
06:39They all sent self-tapes in.
06:41No.
06:42I begged all of them.
06:45Did...
06:46There's also a...
06:47I begged them all.
06:50Roslyn's got such good reviews.
06:52People are begging her to be in their movies now.
06:55She was here on Friday.
06:56Yeah.
06:56With Slow Horses.
06:57And they told this really great story about how they had just been in L.A. and they were
07:01trying to get into a club.
07:02And they got denied the club because there was like some influencer named Hannah Banana
07:05who needed to get in.
07:07I don't know if she was an influencer.
07:08Oh, I just assumed.
07:09My brain's filled in.
07:11The whole cast couldn't get into the club?
07:12It was just, yeah, me, Chris, and Saskia.
07:15We were just, we couldn't get into the club.
07:16And then Hannah Banana behind us just...
07:18But don't you think...
07:19You need to complain to Apple TV.
07:20It's like after last night, I think.
07:23But I could get into a club.
07:24I think so, right?
07:25Yeah.
07:25Not sure that's life goals.
07:26In L.A.
07:27Yeah.
07:28Major life goals.
07:29I'll go back to that club.
07:30And can I get in now?
07:33What is like the coolest thing that can come out of something like this?
07:38To be able to choose more work.
07:42That's the coolest thing.
07:44Yeah.
07:44You know.
07:45To work with directors that I really want to work with.
07:48Offer only.
07:49Huh?
07:49To be offer only.
07:51That's a while away.
07:53That's a while away.
07:55Yeah.
07:56You know, the freedom to pick more your work.
08:00Yeah.
08:01Yeah.
08:01That makes sense.
08:02You name drop a lot of people in this movie.
08:04I do?
08:05Not name drop.
08:06Like you mentioned...
08:07You say a lot of real people's names are like real TV shows or real movies.
08:10Did you tell any of them ahead of time that they were going to be a joke in the movie?
08:13I've told no one.
08:15Yet.
08:17Perfect.
08:18No one yet.
08:19You mentioned last night at the...
08:21When you were introducing the movie that you showed it to Paul, Thomas Anderson.
08:27Yes.
08:28Was that to get notes?
08:30Or just because you're buds and you wanted to see it?
08:33Or who else did you show it to?
08:34But it's always for notes.
08:36Okay.
08:36What do I have you...
08:38What's the use of having a friend like you?
08:40If you can't help me.
08:41Did you change anything?
08:43Maybe a tweak here or there.
08:46Okay.
08:46Yeah.
08:47Where?
08:47I'm not saying.
08:49I'm not saying.
08:51That's okay.
08:51Okay.
08:52But what was the first thing you really ever did in Hollywood?
08:55And then what did you...
08:57Where did that paycheck go?
08:59Well, my very first job was theater.
09:02Would you consider that?
09:03Yeah, yeah, yeah.
09:04Yeah, cool.
09:04Because it is industry, isn't it?
09:05That's industry.
09:06At the Royal Court Theater.
09:08Ooh.
09:09Yeah.
09:09That's fancy.
09:10Yeah.
09:11Yeah.
09:11About a woman who had early onset Alzheimer's.
09:15So it's like comedy.
09:17Yeah, yeah.
09:18What was the first thing you...
09:21My first job...
09:22I'm in Beverly Hills...
09:25You know what?
09:25First job.
09:26I'll go even further back.
09:27I'm an extra in a movie called Crush Groove.
09:32Starring Run DMC and Blair Underwood.
09:37Damn.
09:38Yeah.
09:38I don't think I've...
09:39Yeah.
09:40So, and I don't know.
09:42If I'm an extra, I was probably making 30 bucks a day.
09:45Yeah.
09:45Or something.
09:46So it probably went to pizza.
09:48Yeah.
09:49What do you need?
09:51Like a luxury or a creature comfort that you need with you when you're like traveling for
09:56work or like on location or on set?
09:59Like what are your non-negotiables?
10:03I...
10:04This is so boring.
10:05I take my miniature radio wherever I go.
10:09Like to listen to the broadcast news?
10:11Like Robert's radio.
10:12Oh.
10:12Listen to the broadcast news.
10:14You're like...
10:14You Brit.
10:17BBC Today.
10:18No, no, no.
10:19What is it for?
10:21No, it's just like it's...
10:24Well, it's a speaker.
10:25It's everything.
10:27Oh, okay.
10:27It's an alarm clock and it's just...
10:28I don't know.
10:29I like seeing it next to my bed.
10:30Yeah.
10:31It just reminds me of home a little bit.
10:32Okay.
10:33Yeah.
10:35I have...
10:36This sounds obnoxious, but I have my Apple TV hooked up to every hotel room.
10:42Oh, you carry like the little block?
10:44Yeah.
10:44My...
10:44Oh, I thought you meant like you carried like your personal TV.
10:47Well, they hook it up.
10:48Okay.
10:49So you can get one and you tell the hotel and they'll do your codes and yeah.
10:54Oh, that's good.
10:54That's not that bad.
10:55Oh.
10:55Yeah.
10:56So I get to watch my shows.
10:57I feel like that you probably could have said something more high maintenance than that.
11:02That's not very high maintenance at all.
11:03Yeah.
11:03That's not too high maintenance.
11:04Yeah, yeah.
11:05That's pretty normal.
11:05I think you can get it on the channels now, can't you?
11:07Just get Apple TV on the TV.
11:10Yeah, yeah.
11:10Yeah, yeah.
11:10No, you cannot.
11:11I mean, I was doing it when you couldn't, so...
11:13Well, thanks for coming and talking about Misty Green.
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