HBO’s upcoming movie The Parenting puts a new spin on the traditional haunted house trope. Couple Josh and Rohan plan a weekend away together with their parents in a remote location, as a way for them to all get to know each other. What they aren’t counting on, though, is a 400-year-old demon with an ax to grind who just happens to reside in the same house. With an ensemble cast that includes Friends star Lisa Kudrow and veteran actor Brian Cox, the results are equal parts terrifying and hilarious.
Game Rant also recently sat down with Dean Norris, who is perhaps best known for playing Hank in Breaking Bad, to discuss his experience of bonding with the cast while shooting HBO Max‘s The Parenting. He talked about the activities they would get up to while off-camera, which was a crucial component in ensuring the cast’s chemistry came across on-screen.
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The Parenting’s Cast Bonded Off-Screen
A movie that centers on the importance of family and acceptance needs a cast that can really make the audience feel that sense of connection between them. The Parenting throws these unwitting characters into a situation that they aren’t expecting and forces them to quickly trust each other, despite having only just met. On meeting his fellow cast members for the first time, Norris said,
”I remember getting onto the set and just immediately thinking, ‘I love them.’ We would have film nights together. We had a big cookout. We would go out to eat, we’d have game nights. It was so much fun doing this movie, I think maybe more than anything I’ve ever done in terms of off-camera stuff. It was a small town, Concord, Massachusetts, so we all just kind of hung out together.”
Norris’ character, Cliff, is a far cry from the usual gritty, dramatic characters he has portrayed. This change of pace was exactly what Norris wanted though. ”I’m always trying to look for comedies and stuff that is separate from the stuff I’m more known for. This fits the bill.” He said. ”I know exactly who Cliff is! You don’t think of a funny line. You just think of playing the guy.” Continuing to discuss his relationship with his co-stars, he continued,
”We would hang out on the porch, and someone would say something. All of a sudden we’d all start doing improv, just laughing and having fun. I think a lot of that just came into the movie naturally. Nik (Dodani) and Brandon (Flynn) were amazing. I think it’s going to really send them to another level in their careers. They really held their own, and we loved them. They’re such sweet guys too, in addition to being great actors! They hung out with us a lot. Both on and off camera, it was a family affair.”
Norris’ admission goes a long way in explaining the natural chemistry shared among the movie’s stars. Building camaraderie is crucial among a cast, particularly in a film that takes place almost entirely in one enclosed location. Director Craig Johnson ensures that, while the movie doesn’t take itself too seriously, the scary parts are genuinely scary, which allows the actors to portray different sides of their characters at different stages of the movie.
The Parenting streams on Max on March 13.