So I heard you're in Toronto right now, where you did the bulk of your growing up. How does it feel to have a film at the festival there?
I was...how do I say this? I don't think I was anything short of ecstatic when I found out It's Kind of a Funny Story would be premiering in Toronto. As you said, it's my hometown and it's where all my friends are, so I'm pretty excited to see it for the first time here in Toronto.
Let's talk about the directors, Anna and Ryan. They have such varied credits between Half Nelson, Sugar, and now this. Do you see a throughline?
I think what fascinates me about Ryan and Anna is just that, that none of those films are related at all. They make completely different films every time, and I don't think Sugar and Half Nelson are similar, or that this one is like either of those. At the same time, all three of them are definitely "Ryan and Anna" movies. They put so much effort into their films -- they're writing and rewriting and rehearsing and editing while we shoot all the time.
What are they like as a duo?
It's interesting doing a film with Ryan and Anna because you have a very interesting relationship with them. It's two different people that you see every day and take direction from and work with in every scene. In real life, they're both rather quiet when you first meet them, but they balance each other out. They work really efficiently, actually, and I think people are surprised that they're so in sync -- I've never seen them crack under pressure. Also, I think having a male/female directing team works really well, because it's like having both ends of the spectrum working on the movie. You've got both perspectives on every character.
I do notice that all three of their films have very naturalistic performances and feature quite a bit of improv. Was there plenty of improv during this film?
There was a considerable deal of improv on the set. Obviously, when you have Zach there, it's pretty unavoidable, because he loves improv. They gave me a big say in a lot of the scenes, actually. I always had the option to rework lines or rework scenes and the script was constantly changing. They're very open to whatever will make the film better. They don't think their words are too important to lose.
Can it be daunting to have that much control?
I suppose at first it was a bit daunting, but we spent two weeks rehearsing and getting into character. I really went into it with no plan and no real ideas, and we worked through it so that by the time we ended up on set, it was actually really easy to tap into it.
I never read the novel, actually. I still haven't at this point. I didn't feel the need because I had read Ryan and Anna's script, and while it's obviously Ned's story, it's their script. I really wanted to make their movie and do whatever they wanted to, and I was never really concerned about being the same character that was in the book.
Tell me how you got the role.
I can't remember if I was the first one cast, but I know that I went on tape for it in Toronto and then a few months later, when I was in LA shooting United States of Tara, they called me in for an audition with Ryan and that went well. There was an amount of time where we weren't sure if it was going to work schedule-wise because I was still technically in school and the laws in New York say that if you're in school, you can't work very many hours, so there was a lot of uncertainty and then when I finally booked it, everything seemed to fall into place.
You're still 17, and you've got a television show. I imagine your schedule is not the easiest thing to accommodate.
On United States of Tara, it's not that bad, because I don't have to work very much. It's Kind of a Funny Story would not have worked, period, if I had to do school at the same time. There's no way, but while I was technically 17, I actually had finished all my schooling, so it was more of a legal issue. I think I got a special letter or something and I was able to work adult hours.
Let's talk about United States of Tara. When do you go back to shoot the third season?
I'm actually leaving the day after the movie premieres in Toronto.
Do you have any idea what's to come for Marshall this year?
I actually am no use. I have no idea what's going on this season at all! I have read nothing and I'm just going into it. I'm the sort of actor who doesn't really prep a lot -- I don't do a lot of research for parts, I just go for it and I usually pull through.
Do you think some actors do too much prep?
With Marshall, I never prep anymore because I've done [that character] a lot, but with the projects I'm accepting now, I don't really like to prep. When I create a character, I do it with the directors, and I take their notes and try to have my notes meet in a common ground. I don't create characters myself, and I don't really think that's my job. I'm not a prep person at all -- plus, I'm just a lazy procrastinator. [Laughs]