Andre Hyland

The 4th

Interview by James Patrick Herman  Photographs by Jeff Vespa

Where are you from?

I am from Cincinnati, Ohio. I lived there until I was 24, then I moved to Los Angeles. I am still very much a proud Cincinnatian.

Are you a Sundance virgin? 

No, this is my second time. I had a short film there in 2014 called Funnel. This is my first feature, so I am a feature virgin. 

How does it feel to be a Sundance sensation?

I don’t know if I am a sensation, but it feels awesome. There are so few things left in the entertainment world that have credibility and good taste. Anything that has the Sundance stamp of approval — there is a certain quality about it that you can’t deny. So it feels really cool to be selected by that level of quality.

What’s the buzz about your movie?

That it is actually a smart comedy. Of course, I am biased — I made it. But a lot of indie comedies try to disguise cheap quirkiness as good comedy and this is not that. It is a dialogue-driven, grounded film and it is fairly true to life. It’s like I made a highlight reel of modern archetypes you might meet in this day and age — a compilation of all the mundane, stupid hurdles you have to overcome in daily life.

What was your first acting experience?

My older brother and I were home schooled from fourth grade to seventh grade and we started making videos. But as far as professional acting experience? My mom produced this recycling video when I was eleven and I was in that. I don’t think I even got paid.

Did you ever have a normal job?

I worked at two different pizza places in Cincinnati. I got fired from both. I also worked at American Apparel in LA for like a year. I got fired from there, too. I dressed up as an ice cream cone and walked around a mall for Häagen-Dazs. That was only for one day, though.

Describe your ideal Sundance selfie.

A photo that somebody else takes of me. I don’t like selfies. My Instagram rule is that I can only post one photo of me out of every five photos.

What’s more important to you: Staying warm or looking stylish?

A combination of both.  I don’t want to roll up looking like the Michelin Man covered in an enormous snow jumper. I don’t dress up often, but I also don’t dress down.

What do you think of Robert Redford?

He’s cool, man. I got to meet him the last time at a brunch for directors. He seemed like a nice dude — I mean, as far as my two minutes talking with him. He is a movie icon; he didn’t need to start a film festival. He could just be chilling.

Twitter: @AndreHyland   Instagram: @TheAndreHyland

Fashion Credits:

Stylist   Avo Yermagyan   Makeup   Gina Ribisi    Hair   Jayson Medina 

Look 1: Acne suit, Richard Chai shirt

Look 2: Sergio Devilla suit and shirt, Bespoken tie, Ermenegildo Zegna shoe