Good Grief Interview: Himesh Patel & Arnaud Valois On Working With Dan Levy Behind The Scenes (2024)

Good Grief

Good Grief Interview: Himesh Patel & Arnaud Valois On Working With Dan Levy Behind The Scenes (1)

By Tatiana Hullender

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Good Grief

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Summary

  • Dan Levy makes his feature film directorial debut in Good Grief, a comedy-drama about a man grieving the loss of his husband.
  • The film explores complicated relationships and the dynamics within a trio of friends, as well as the possibility of new love.
  • The cast, including Himesh Patel and Arnaud Valois, praises Levy's ability to juggle multiple roles as actor, director, and writer, creating a collaborative and fulfilling working environment.

Dan Levy's career takes a dramatic turn in Good Grief, the new Netflix movie premiering on January 5. He portrays Marc, an artist grieving the sudden loss of his husband Oliver (Luke Evans), and pulls double duty by making it his feature film directorial debut. Of course, Levy is no stranger to working on both sides of the camera, having previously created the beloved show Schitt’s Creek alongside his father. But Good Grief marks his first time handling much more sensitive material, as well as playing a character in a more emotionally difficult situation.

Oliver’s death is accompanied by a particularly painful revelation, causing Marc to take his best friends Thomas (Himesh Patel, Yesterday) and Sophie (Ruth Negga, Passing) on an unexpected trip to Paris that cracks open several repressed aspects of their friendship history. In addition to exploring the complicated dynamics within the trio, Good Grief also introduces Marc to the possibility of new love in the form of Theo, played by French actor Arnaud Valois.

Related

October on Netflix is packed with new TV shows and movies including Lincoln Lawyer, and the Kung Fu Panda franchise.

Screen Rant interviewed Himesh Patel and Arnaud Valois about the complicated relationships at the heart of Good Grief, their experience working with Dan Levy as both costar and director, and the lessons they personally took away from the project.

Himesh Patel & Arnaud Valois Talk Good Grief

Screen Rant: How were you introduced to the film, and what was it that first spoke to you about the screenplay?

Himesh Patel: For me, it came through as an audition through my agents and I read the script and just thought it was so beautiful. Very unexpected, the directions that the story goes in, and I really identified with the character of Thomas. I think it was that; he speaks to things that are unrequited and sort of outside of the norm, or that's how I perceived it anyway. That's what really made me relate to him and the film.

Arnaud Valois: In a rather common way, I receive an email from my agent with a script, which is not often the case. I adore the story; bittersweet and profound. Mixed feelings. I sent a tape in and we did a scene with Dan through Zoom because he was in LA, I was in Paris, and to be sure that we had the right chemistry. I think it worked because I'm here.

Himesh, I love that this is really a love letter to friendship, however complicated it may be, and Mark and Thomas's is very complicated indeed. Can you talk about exploring that relationship to Mark through your, Thomas's perspective?

Himesh Patel: Yeah, it was interesting, because they've got a history. And we had a really generous sort of rehearsal period that was just me and Dan and Ruth just sort of sitting, talking about our characters – a lot about ourselves as well. It's lent to a lovely friendship between the three of us, but it also informed building the friendship that you see on screen and shaping those histories.

The one between Mark and Thomas is so fraught with something – again, maybe unrequited from Thomas's point of view. I think maybe Mark is a little more settled on it. Obviously, his life's moved on to the point where he has a husband and everything, whereas Thomas is maybe feeling that he's still in stasis to some degree, and I think that maybe informs where things go in Thomas's mind, at least in the aftermath of what Mark is going through.

Arnaud, I think Theo really comes in and sweeps Mark off his feet. He's exactly what he needs at that moment. And so I'm wondering what is it that you think Theo sees in Mark when he first sees him?

Arnaud Valois: I think Theo is a breath of fresh air in Mark's life at that point. And I love that relationship between them, too, and being able to put a smile back on someone's face. Maybe it's something really exciting in a way. And yeah, maybe a chemistry as well. You don't really know why you are attracted to someone, sometimes, it's just a glimpse and "Oh, why not?"

Dan is your scene partner, but also the director and the writer. What's it like collaborating with him as he puts on all these different hats?

Himesh Patel: I found it to be really amazing just watching him do it. He made it look so easy.

Arnaud Valois: He has two brains.

Himesh Patel: I think so. Two, perhaps three. He has multiple brains, and he made it look really easy. But I think, not to speak for him, but I think it seems to me that he surrounded himself, in terms of his crew, with people who are really very good at what they do. And it meant that it probably relieved some of the pressure on him in terms of having to manage the running of the whole set. But he set a tone that I thought was lovely.

I think often the director has to set a tone and, for me, it felt very collaborative and very fun, and also artistic. The relationship between him and Ole, our DP, was really important because I think Dan was very specific about the way the film was going to look, and it just gives everyone a sense of confidence that there is a vision there and we're all following that and he can put on all these different hats without anything being compromised.

Arnaud Valois: Really open to collaboration and new ideas. A dream partner.

Sophie is the life of the party, and the glue that holds the friendship together. Can you talk about specifically how Thomas feels towards her and maybe the overprotectiveness, if you will?

Himesh Patel: Yeah, I think it's a sort of sisterly relationship there. The difference between someone like Thomas who's quite sensible and quite staid in how he approaches things, as much as he also does let his hair down sometimes, he does it in his own way. I think he probably did follow her down a certain path when they were younger.

I feel like maybe he's feeling that maybe she needs to find her own way to some calmer sort of centered place, but he's also intelligent enough to not be too sort of prescriptive about how that's going to happen until he kind of has to be, to some degree, as we see later on in the film, when she scares him. It just goes a bit too far. I think he's been very forgiving of Mark and Sophie for a lot of things, because he loves them more than anyone probably. But there is a limit to that.

One of my favorite moments is the karaoke scene where Theo comes in and sees Mark singing his heart out. You did not get to participate, you didn't get to join karaoke. What song would you have sung?

Arnaud Valois: Dan's song, I think.

Good Grief Interview: Himesh Patel & Arnaud Valois On Working With Dan Levy Behind The Scenes (6)

This is the second time that Theo has seen him, and it’s in a very different environment. How does that shift his perspective, if at all?

Arnaud Valois: With a blue tongue. I think he finds it funny. He was not expecting at all to hear from him, so it's a nice surprise. And when he arrives, see the whole scene and it's going a bit wild in there, say "Okay, that kind of man. Okay, why not?"

Dan said that he wrote this coming out of the pandemic, also dealing with grief and how each person handles it differently or when they start to open up to it. What did each of you take away from having worked on it? What did you feel was most significant for you?

Himesh Patel: Short of just having a great experience and really loving working with everyone and feeling like I've got some new friends in the world, it gave me a sense of the kind of tone that I like to be around on set. Like I said, Dan set a certain tone. You said it felt collaborative, I agree with that. I think it was just a lot of different facets that made it a really sort of ideal working environment. It sort of set a bar, I think, for me. And I really think I'm carrying that forward into anything else that I do. It's possible to create that sort of environment and come out with a really beautiful piece of work that feels fulfilling to everyone; it doesn't have to be fraught.

Arnaud, I believe you're going to be in Kaiser Karl, which sounds fascinating to me. You're going to portray Yves Saint Laurent. What's it like to embody a real person?

Arnaud Valois: It's a hell of a job. A big transformation, mental preparation and yeah, it's quite something and it's quite something to get out of the role. We were two for six months. Yeah. Yeah. Quite something.

Himesh, I believe you're in The Franchise, is that correct? I love that it's another entry into this superhero fatigue meta-conversation. Can you talk about what that's like?

Himesh Patel: Yeah, it was great. We shot the pilot last year, just before the strike, and I was kind of sad that it was coming to an end because I really wanted to carry on, and we get to carry on next year. And yeah, it's very, very intelligent the way that they've sort of built this world, which you'll see.

I've since had conversations with people who've dipped a toe into that world and it feels like we've started on the right path in terms of accuracy. And it's a sort of pinch-myself group of people that I'm getting to work with. So yeah, I'm looking forward to getting back to it.

I just realized Daniel Brühl is in both of those things. Have you already compared notes about working with him?

Himesh Patel: No, we haven't, but we'll do it. Why don't we do it now? So he's terrible, right? He's awful. Terrible human being.

Arnaud Valois: Terrible. Awful. A very bad person. Not nice, not nice.

Himesh Patel: Shame.

Arnaud Valois: Daniel, hi. We love you.

When it came to filming Good Grief, do you each have a scene that was most either challenging emotionally for you or most fulfilling afterward?

Himesh Patel: For both of those, it would be the Ferris wheel scene, for me. It was challenging in many ways, really. We shot that for real, and found out, I think the day before that we weren't going to have full control of it as we were previously told. So, the pressure was even higher to get it right within a certain year period. And then, of course, you have to hit the right part of the scene at the right point so that it cuts together properly. And then on top of that, it's a very emotional scene.

And also it was so cold up there, so there were a lot of challenges to be overcome. But I think we got there and I'm very proud of how the scene turned out.

I actually got sick before the karaoke scene and my voice was completely gone, basically. And so the bad singing is actually because I was –

Arnaud Valois: Not acting. [Laughs] It was my first big role in English, so quite challenging, and playing among such incredible actors was quite something as well. So yeah, I was very excited, but very, it was stressful too. But yeah, we got along, I think.

Himesh Patel: Can't see any of that stress on screen.

Did you get any advice or did you have any discussions with Dan from a directorial perspective, before scenes?

Arnaud Valois: Yeah, we did a lot of readings, talking a lot about the character. He was really involved in Theo's silhouette as well, which was really important to him and to me. So a lot of talks, but very organic talks. Nothing, "You should do this," "It's going to be like this." No. "What do you think?" Those sorts of conversations.

About Good Grief

Good Grief Interview: Himesh Patel & Arnaud Valois On Working With Dan Levy Behind The Scenes (7)

Marc (Daniel Levy) was content living in the shadow of his larger-than-life husband, Oliver (Luke Evans). But when Oliver unexpectedly dies, Marc’s world shatters, sending him and his two best friends, Sophie (Ruth Negga) and Thomas (Himesh Patel), on a soul-searching trip to Paris that reveals some hard truths they each needed to face. Good Grief marks Levy’s debut as a feature-film writer and director. He also produced as part of Not a Real Production Company, alongside Sister Pictures.

Good Grief will release globally on Netflix on January 5.

Source: Screen Rant Plus

Good Grief Interview: Himesh Patel & Arnaud Valois On Working With Dan Levy Behind The Scenes (8)
Good Grief

R

Comedy

Drama

Good Grief is a comedy-drama film by writer-director Dan Levy, who also stars in the film as protagonist Marc. After Marc's husband dies suddenly, he and his two best friends head to Paris for some much-needed soul searching - where each of the three is forced to face elements of themselves and their pasts they try to bury away.

Release Date
January 5, 2024
Director
Dan Levy
Cast
Dan Levy , Ruth Negga , Himesh Patel , Luke Evans , Celia Imrie

Runtime
100 Minutes
Writers
Dan Levy

Studio(s)
Not A Real Production Company , Sister Pictures

Distributor(s)
Netflix
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  • Good Grief

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