Dan Levy and "Good Grief" Co-Stars Talk Honest LGBTQ Storytelling and Importance of Chosen Family

okay well I love this film so much but what I love the most is the three of you together Dan tell me about what it you know the Journey about finding your two best friends in this in this it's magical the three of you together I would argue that they found me okay really I mean the proc the casting process was sort of um you you hope that people walk in the door and you can just say okay great I can breathe a ey of relief that's the Hope sometimes you don't get that luxury and panic and you have to make weird choices have cast truth but no it was it was I they found the film I I truly believe that and I we just I knew it instantly and it was just there was a closeness and there was a I think there was a like an openness to be vulnerable very early on and then we spent two weeks just getting to know each other it was so important for me to um give that space because the the intimate it's such an old friend collection of friendships that if we didn't have that time to yeah know each other and know how we work and know each other's physicality and know the buttons that we can push and all of those fun things that you can play on when you actually know an actor it doesn't happen that often no sometimes you just have to walk on and set and it's like well this is your child and this is your husband and it's like Ruth your character I think it's fair to say has the most wild time in Paris of the group tell me about filming those scenes I was like I am sure there is some behind the scenes stories that happened cuz it looked like you having a really good time we had a bull I mean it's in Paris with these two Christmas time we're staying at like the loveliest Hotel we're staying at the Bristol it's my favorite Hotel because it has a cash excuse me a resident cash soc's the cash was so uh you never saw him I didn't see anyone who I never saw C was it really there then I was kidding honestly TBD uhhuh um so no so it was like it was it's magical to be honest it's magical and like you know Dan creates a very sort of let's say comparatively luxurious um uh atmosphere and so it was just very you know you know when you're on a job and you're having a ball and you're very looked after it with that kind of lovely experience dream experience dream Hesh uh what I love so much about this is the theme of chosen family found family what was it like for you to get to play a part of this Dynamic with the two of them it was a joy complete joy and it definitely felt like a found family right we did become a family for that little period of time you you spend more time with with your Co with your co-stars what are we going just use the word star than you do with your own you spend more time with these guys than you do with your own family you know because you just by virtue of the hours you're working and so it's always great when you get on actually and you love each other and you support each other through through the whole process and it just became joyful Dan you obviously are so committed to telling interesting Amazing lgbtq Stories obviously glad that's what we're pushing for and hoping for I mean what's it like for you to you know thinking about the journey you know we've seen with shitz Creek and now here you are continuing that it's got to feel pretty good yeah I mean opportunity right like that's what it comes down to it comes down to opportunity and people making the choice to allow me to tell continue to tell those stories more opportunity should be provided for people I feel really grateful I think in in again it's I write my experience I write my f like you know I I write from what I know that's that's it there's no concerted effort to you know white glove the the experience and that I think is what has resonated in the past and I hope what what will resonate with this film as well is that there's no we're not being precious about these relationships and we're also showing you know justifiably so like flaws in people and the fact that people aren't perfect and um particularly in you know lgbtq uh storytelling like there is almost this expectation for characters to be perfect or to send a perfect message about you know the community and I think the greatest thing we can do is be honest yeah let's be honest Ruth Hesh big shits Creek fans how many episodes did you watch I mean we love it I mean favorite oh my God like what sry what should help me through the you're so terrible watched it all I never expect any twice the pandemic well just like me oh my God we were coming out of the VNA uh exhibition the shanan Expedition and this woman comes running like running over to us and she's like Dan Dan Dan and I'm like and she's like and I'm like it was Lulu Lulu Lulu the singer was like oh my God and I was like did he save your life during the pandemic she's absolutely you know like I think something happened you know and that show just like just meant something special it did I you know I was just talking to Dan and he was telling me how it's so meaningful for him as someone who's a part of the lgbtq community to be telling these stories what does it mean for you same for me same for me um what I love in the The Mark uh Mark the relationship um is that Theo is um um a breath of fresh a uh someone who puts a smile back on Mark's face and um the sweet and tender scenes we had together were really easy to play because we thanks to prep we um um established um genuine Bond I think and real connection and uh so they were really easy and fun as well yeah there was a lot of fun I mean running around Paris for a weekend or you know it was longer when you were filming what was it like to kind of get to be a part of that cuz obviously you're very familiar with it and then Dan loves it but you know he's Canadian I mean it must have been a lot of fun it was really fun but the funniest spot for me was in London uh because Harris is home so you know and London was great because I I was with all that British actors and technicians and producers and they were so funny and done is an angel and so lovely and I think he loves London as well so it was nice to be with them over there what about shitz Creek because I would IM I mean did you know the show were you a okay let's let's set the record straight I was a huge fan but I hadn't realized from France that Dan was so popular all around the world um we had access to the show very late in front on canel P so um yeah uh he's a huge star so when my agent uh called me about that project say Dan Ley wants to me oh I love Dan Ley and she's great it's Dan Ley okay okay okay okay we're GNA do this I'll try uh how did you kind of you know show up as an actor but also get to kind of be in these romantic scenes with someone that you're a fan of um yeah it's quite a challenge but thanks to the meetings um we worked on Theo's U silhouett we had a lot of talks before we're not friends I love Dan I would love to be his friend but we have a special connection I would say working friendship connection so I wasn't really uh in front of Dan from greatek you know it was my director as well so I had to behave right I love that I think what I love so much about this film it centers around um you know kind of chosen family the people that are around you what do you hope that people watch this film which they definitely will because it's on Netflix um take away from it the power the power of a chosen family um and uh the love through that uh that which helps you [Music] to be a new one um be a better you be a better youth I think that's the journey for Theo for example um is not grieving in the same way as Mark is grieving his whole self and is strength to be more honest more authentic with people trying to tell the truth which is not very easy in the real life we're trying right we're trying so yeah we love you this is us loving [Music] you

Channel: GLAAD

Views: 5,718

Keywords: GLAAD, media, LGBT, GLBT, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, equality, award

Id: hZwGN4tF1_s

Length: 9min 12sec (552 seconds)

Published: Tue Jan 02 2024