Logan Huffman

Toronto Film: We Gotta Get Out of This Place

Interview by James Patrick Herman  Photographs by Jeff Vespa

Do you have high expectations of Toronto?

“My mind was blown when I found out that the film got in. Because I know it will be seen by the best and the brightest in the western hemisphere — everybody who is anybody in this industry will be there.”

       

What’s the buzz about your film?

“It’s real cinema and everything a movie should be! I play a scary, crazy son of a bitch hunting down my two best friends who are cheating on me. So it’s sort of a coming-of-age-story about rural Texas. Some of the characters will go on to see the world—and others aren’t going to escape this world.”

What was your big break?

“I think it’s going to be this film. I’ve always wanted to be in a Western, so I can die happy now. I formerly did a show on ABC [V], but I played a whiny character that everyone hated. I love the character in this movie. B.J. is a boy who is really stuck: He thinks he’s stupid because he can’t read and doesn’t see much hope for a future. He’s afraid of everyone leaving him because his dad shot himself in the head. He’s dangerous but lovable.”

What actors do you admire?

“My mother raised me on black and white movies, so I dig Errol Flynn, Robert Mitchum, Buster Keaton and Don Knotts. The old stars weren’t afraid to be goofy and look ugly. There are too many pretty boys who only worry about their hair working in movies today. Nobody studies vaudeville anymore — that’s my newest craze.”

What would be your dream role?

“A great love story that takes place in the early 50s, a time that I feel more suitable for. I love A Place in the Sun, where someone can’t be with somebody because everything seems to work out the wrong way at the right time. You can’t get any better than that one.”

Where are you from?

“I was born in Noblesville, Indiana. It was a good place to grow up, but I left home when I was sixteen. I have a green thumb and I’m really into gardening. I grow all of my own food, including kale, bok choy, romaine, butter lettuce and cotton. I harvested over 150 types of wildflowers from the state of Texas while we were filming there. And I have 28 bonsai trees. Next I want to get some chickens, but I don’t have enough money for the wood to build a coop. I try to be the most primitive man I can possibly be.”

What was your first job?

“I worked as a tour guide at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. I was in the mysteries and histories section. I would have all these sayings memorized and rehearsed. I’d go: ‘This is a cabin from 1860. Before the pioneers were here….’ All that B.S., you know? But I had a good time. Once we found a lady riding a stuffed buffalo. She wouldn’t get off it. She had no teeth and she was just laughing and screaming.”

I can understand why you’re happy to be a full-time actor these days.

“Well, I still play the banjo and harmonica and panhandle on the weekends. How can you hold a banjo and never smile?”

Producer Bailey Reise (@BaileyReise)

Stylist Avo Yermagyan (@AvoYermagyan)

Groomer Erica Sauer (@ericasuaer) at The Wall Group (@TheWallGroup)

Fashion Credits:

Look 1: John Varvatos t-shirt, J Brand jeans, Joseph Brooks bracelet, vintage hat

Look 2:  Sand Copenhagen suit, tie and pocket square

Zoe Levin

Toronto Films: Palo Alto + Beneath The Harvest Sky

Interview by James Patrick Herman  Photographs by Jeff Vespa

How would you describe your character in Beneath the Harvest Sky?

“Desperate and insecure.”

    

    

What’s the buzz about that movie?

“It’s about two boys who grow up in this small, poor, rural town in Maine. They feel trapped by the town and also by their identities. They try to break free, but one boy can’t escape: He gets drawn into drug-dealing by one of his family members. The other boy tries to help his friend but then he gets caught up, too.”

And you play their drug mule?

(laughs.) “No. My character plays the high school love of one of the boys. She’s not a sweetheart, though. She is trouble.”

What about your other film, Palo Alto, which is based on James Franco’s acclaimed book of short stories?

“There are high expectations because of the people attached to it, and people will be more blown away when they see it. [Director] Gia Coppola’s style is so unique, her timing is amazing and the cinematography is incredible.”

With a surname like Coppola, the stakes are pretty high for Gia. What was she like as a director?

“She kind of let us do our own thing. She gave us certain parameters and set up the scenes based on the script, but then we wound up creating a whole different scenario. Because we had such a good connection with our characters, she would let us [improvise] for like ten minutes at a time because we could imagine what these kids were going through. It felt so fluid and right.”

Is your character in Palo Alto trouble, too?

“She’s not trouble. She’s vulnerable. It’s funny because the girls I play in both movies are insecure — but they deal with their insecurities in such different ways.”

How do you feel about working the red carpet at two film premieres?

“Nervous. I can only smile for so long you know.”

What do you consider your big break?

“When I was fifteen, I was cast in David Schwimmer’s Trust after I sent in my audition tape. Then I got on a little bit of a roll and I encouraged myself to go for it. I never thought I’d do a film — it seemed impossible and so far out of reach.”

What was your first job?

“I worked at this beach body fitness camp before I did The Way, Way Back. I would do every single class along with the fitness instructors. Cross-fit training on the sand is no joke.”

Producer Bailey Reise (@BaileyReise)

Stylist Avo Yermagyan (@AvoYermagyan)

Makeup Lina Hanson (@LinaHanson) at Tracey Mattingly (@TraceyMattingly)

Hair  Tony Chavez (@TonyChavezHair) at Tracey Mattingly (@TraceyMattingly)

Fashion Credits:

Look 1: Ted Baker suit

Look 2: Marissa Webb top and pants, Nanis Italian Jewels earrings and ring

Ed Weeks – The New Hugh?

by James Patrick Herman Photography by Jeff Vespa

Cheeky and charming, The Mindy Project’s resident Englishman, Ed Weeks, is like a younger, sexier version of Hugh Grant. And he’s not above sleeping his way to the top of the TV world—just ask Joan Rivers!

What’s the most English thing about you?

“Gosh, I don’t know. I guess I say ‘gosh’ a lot. My Americans friends are disappointed when they discover how un-British I am. Because I’m actually half-El Salvadorian, not even a full Brit.”

How is your day off from The Mindy Project so far?

“I’ve been drinking since eight this morning. There’s no rest for the wicked.”

Before we talk about Mindy, I want to ask about another funny woman: How is Joan Rivers in bed? I am referring, of course, to her online talk show: In Bed with Joan.

“Joan Rivers is marvelous in bed. She gave me a big glass of red wine as soon as I arrived. You know, it’s always advisable to get into bed drunk with somebody—that’s how most of the unions in this world happen. I was very nervous because she’s a legend, not to mention a hero of mine. But she could not have been nicer. She said: ‘Feel free to say anything—this isn’t network TV. It’s online, so you can be as dirty as you want to be.’ I felt weirdly relaxed because the interview literally took place in bed. I’m sure it wasn’t her real bed, just a prop, but because of that scenario—added to that the wine—I felt more loose-tongued than usual. It is a measure of her skill that Joan is one of the most famous women in the world, but she made me feel like I was chatting with a dirty-minded friend.”

You’ve also been a guest of hers on E!’s Fashion Police. Who is your style icon?

“David Bowie. But I could never really emulate him. I’m not flamboyant enough. I’m risk averse. My own style is kind of preppy.”

Is your own taste in clothes similar to the sharp-dressed doctor you play on The Mindy Project?

“They dress Jeremy as a rich, debonair Englishman: He wears slim-fit Burberry suits. I do love that kind of thing, but I, Ed weeks, am not James Bond-ian enough by half to pull it off. I’m also not a big label queen like Jeremy is. He dresses to impress. I am more slovenly, I’m afraid.”

Clearly you charmed Mindy Kaling into casting someone who is relatively unknown to American audiences. Did you go to bed with her, too?

“I went to a slew of awful auditions and then this part came along. It was written as an American, but as I was practicing and running through lines with my roommate, she was like: ‘I think you should do it in your own accent, so that you can really play up that sliminess and oiliness.’ I was like: ‘That’s very nice, thanks.’ So I went in and I played the character as British, which they had not heard before. I was brought in to read with Mindy that same day. There was a scene in the script that called for Jeremy to throw some birth control at her. So I threw a condom which I had brought directly at the casting director’s face—not at Mindy. I thought I made the right decision, but there was silence. For a moment, I was like: What have I done? Then Mindy said: ‘Is that a real condom?’ And I was like: ‘Yeah.’ And she said: ‘That’s hilarious!’ ”

I like that you always come prepared, Ed.

“It’s important to be safe. You never know what’s going to happen.”

So how did you prepare for playing doctor?

“I felt like I knew that kind of character. I also felt that I can be a bit like Jeremy: Very entitled, princely, caddish, spoiled, you know? Kind of young, dumb, overeducated and over libidinous.”

And as for the doctor stuff?

“There’s not a huge amount of gynecology happening on our show, but we did do a triple delivery at the end of season one that was surreal: There was a woman with a plastic stomach, a [prosthetic] baby all covered in goo and a medical consultant telling me where to put the forceps! But the part hasn’t called for any research yet. Or maybe I am just lazy: ‘Ed Weeks lazily did no research whatsoever.’ ”

I’ve heard we will get to see a whole lot more of your character this fall.

“In season two, you’re going to see the darker side of Jeremy. It’s not all fun parties, anymore. While Mindy is away in Haiti for a few months, Jeremy has taken over as managing partner. He’s in charge of the whole practice, which puts a lot of stress on him. He likes the perks of being a doctor, but he doesn’t particularly like having to work. So suddenly he has all this unglamorous responsibility of dealing with HR and people who have made complaints and someone took his parking space—all that bullshit. He’s having a tough time, which shows in his stress eating. He’s not your usual svelte, suave and gorgeous Jeremy—the past three months have not been kind to him because he’s not well-equipped to deal with life. One of the writers on the show summed it up brilliantly. He said: ‘Jeremy loves America, but it constantly disappoints him.’ He’s now living the dark side of the American dream.”

And speaking of the American dream, you’ve already sold a pilot to CBS—and made it look so easy!

“I guess it happened quickly for me in Hollywood, but remember, I’ve been doing this in England since I was 19. And it didn’t feel easy at the time. But yes, I sold a pilot script to CBS when I first came out to L.A. Then the acting thing kind of happened and the writing thing kind of fell away.”

What was your pilot about?

“I don’t think I can go into it because CBS owns it. I can tell you that it’s a romantic comedy—but clearly it wasn’t either romantic enough or comedic enough because it remains not on television.”

Do you aspire to become a Hollywood leading man?

“At this stage, my only desire is to keep on working. My career has taken such a strange path from graphic designer to writer to actor. We’ll see where things take me. Obviously, I would love to do bigger stuff, but leading man? I don’t know. I’d also like to write and produce.”

Let me guess: What you really want to do is direct?

“Directing is something that has never really occurred to me. My castmate, Chris Messina, just directed his first feature during our hiatus. I can see why he’d want to do it: He’s good with actors, he has a great theoretical mind when it comes to how shots work and he is a connoisseur of cinema. I always thought I’m more of a writer-producer type than a director type. The idea of dealing with all those people kind of scares me. I’d much rather be in a small, smelly room with a few other writers cracking sex jokes. That’s more my speed.”

How do you feel about the Hugh Grant comparisons?

“Flattered. I’ve always loved Hugh Grant ever since I saw him in Four Weddings and a Funeral. He’s such an underrated actor, actually. It’s hard to do light comedy, which he does beautifully. Also, he’s hilariously witty and dry on talk shows. So if I remind people of Hugh Grant, that’s pretty thrilling.”

Here’s some career advice: Don’t pick up prostitutes.

“Not on Sunset because it’s a very public thoroughfare.”

What would be your dream role?

“I’m a music geek as well as a huge show off. When I was a kid, my dream was to be a musician. I’m a guitarist and a pianist and I would write musicals back at Cambridge. My fantasy is me on stage playing for all my teachers and school friends who doubted me in the audience cheering. I’d love to hear people say: ‘That guy can act and play the guitar and the piano really well—let’s try and sleep with him!’ Yeah, that’s the reaction I want.”

What’s your favorite karaoke song?

“ ‘All Night Long’ by Lionel Richie. Next Question.”

What was your first job?

“I worked as a janitor at a dance studio in London. I joined a temp agency and it was the first thing they found for me. I read the job listing and thought it sounded sexy—I imagined all these young dancers and me in overalls with my toolbox. It turned out to be lots of 75-year-old women in a smelly office building.”

I envisioned Channing Tatum in Step Up until you mentioned the elderly clientele.

“It went from like Step Up to Cocoon. But I’m sure that 75-year old women are good in bed. They’re wise.”

No doubt your friend Joan Rivers would agree.

“Yes, that’s true. We did just talk dirty in bed, though.”

Tye Sheridan

Toronto Film: Joe

Interview by James Patrick Herman  Photographs by Jeff Vespa

What are your thoughts on Toronto?

“I didn’t do a lot of research because I don’t want to be disappointed. But I can speak Canadian: Let’s go play some hockey, ay?”

          

What’s the buzz about your movie?

“Joe is about a man with a troublesome past. He sees a part of himself in this kid. He can steer the kid the right way—or let the kid go down the wrong path and end up like himself.”

Describe your character in one sentence.

“He’s a fearless young man looking for a father figure — he’s never had a real home, and that’s what his search is all about.”

Our photo shoot at L.A.’s Griffith Park Observatory was inspired by your adoration of James Dean. What do you like about him as an actor?

“He’s the only actor who has truly inspired me. Rebel Without a Cause is one of my favorite films. His character has never done anything right and he wants to figure out why he’s bad. Even though it’s an old movie, I feel like every teen can relate to it. Everybody has a rebellious side.”

You have a rebellious side?

“Sure. I mean, I do what my parents tell me, but if there’s something I want to do, I’ll do it and I won’t let anybody tell me anything different.”

Unless that person happens to be Terrence Malick, who directed you in The Tree of Life when you were eleven.

“Right, I’ll do what he says. At the time, I had no idea who Terrence or Brad Pitt or Jessica Chastain were. We were shooting for like five months, so going to work with those guys became a part of my life. If you get the opportunity to work with Terrence Malick, you should take it! Myself, I randomly fell into that film. I was the first kid cast and I was chosen out of 10,000 boys.”

Was it a tough audition?

“I went on at least ten auditions. Terrence’s process was unlike anything I’ve ever done before or since. He got like fifteen boys together and let us play football for hours. I remember it felt like we were just playing all day. I was so young that I didn’t realize what was happening. This turned out to be one of the biggest opportunities of my entire life.”

What did you learn from the experience?

“That I love to improvise. That’s how you can go deep down in a character and get stuff that’s not in the script.”

Have you found that other directors are receptive to that?

“Some. I remember working with [director] David Gordon Green on Joe, and he was really open to my ideas. But not [Mud’s director] Jeff Nichols. In his work, everything is based on the script. His script.”

What do you consider your big break?

“Maybe Mud. It was a good showcase for my versatility. But maybe my big break hasn’t happened yet. I like to try new things—and I love a challenge.”

Did you ever have a normal job that didn’t involve going to work with the likes of Brad Pitt and Nic Cage?

“I have a friend whose dad is in the hay-baling business, and I used to drive their truck through a field. I was thirteen at the time.”

Any plans for higher education?

“I do want to go to college even if it means setting my film career aside because I think college is one thing you need to experience. At least that’s what my aunt says!”

 Producer Bailey Reise (@BaileyReise)

Stylist Avo Yermagyan (@AvoYermagyan)

Groomer Sydney Zibrack (@sydneyzibrak) at The Wall Group (@TheWallGroup)

Fashion Credits:

Look 1: Velour by Nostalgi shirt

Look 2:  Sand Copenhagen sweater, Richard Chai pants

Look 3: Sand Copenhagen leather jacket, Reiss t-shirt, Richard Chai pants

 

Lindsay Burdge – Hot For Teacher

by James Patrick Herman  Photography by Jeff Vespa

After her sexy, provocative and, yes, buzzy hit “A Teacher” at SXSW and Sundance, Lindsay Burdge’s career is not simply smokin’—it’s on fire!

      

How was the Verge party at Sundance?

“It was really fun. All the other kids [from Verge’s Sundance issue] were there: I got to see Amy Seimetz and Julia Garner, who are friends of mine, and I met the actor [Tequand Richmond] in Blue Caprice. I think I was the last one to arrive, so when I got there we were swept up and took some photos. The Verge [B-roll] video was being projected on every wall in the room, so no matter where I turned I saw my face.”

How is your life different post-Park City?

“Since then I’ve been going to a lot more events where I need to wear nice clothes. So that’s how my life has changed. And I definitely have access to more scripts that I might be interested in reading.”

Was Sundance everything you thought it would be and more? Or less?

“Oh, yeah. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I had been briefed enough so I knew that it was going to be in a whirlwind. And it really was as sort of big of a deal as people make it out to be. It was also nerve-wracking and sleepless and a good time.”

What surprised you about the reaction to A Teacher?

“That people weren’t more upset by it—or at least more vocal about the compassionate way we addressed my [student-seducing] character. We expected people to be angry and upset. Many people have said that they can relate, which surprised us.”

How has success changed you? 

“Well, that’s an interesting question. Like everything, there’s two sides: The positive has been how nice it is to have the validation of people appreciating my work. I can’t pretend I never wanted that. And basically it makes it easier to say I’m an actress or whatever. Also, it changes going out to parties and things like that. Because I am a person who enjoys being anonymous—I mean, I am still totally anonymous. Nobody knows who I am. But just being at an event, looking around and thinking: I know that person saw my movie and I wonder what they thought. I feel a little bit more private, I guess. But there’s something to be said for having had the opportunity to show people my work and to have gotten a little bit of recognition. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that was nice.”

Surely everyone in your neighborhood of Williamsburg must recognize you from that Death Cab for Cutie video. You’re practically a hipster icon!

“I don’t think so. I had somebody on the street stop me once when it first came out.”

Do you think your role in A Teacher is a great representation for who you are as an actress?

“I don’t know if I chose it as much as it chose me. But I’d be happy to play more complex and controversial characters. I’d also like to play warm and funny characters. I’m kind of a goofy person. But certainly as a way of breaking through, I could not have asked for a better role. At the moment in time when we made that movie, it was the perfect part for me.”

You’ve alluded to hitting red carpet events. Has that been a surreal experience?

“I usually have a lot of friends there, but…well, but nothing! It is fun. I’m not a fancy person—I am pretty casual—so it’s funny to try to show up at a place looking (laughs) alright.”

Have you taken the big Hollywood plunge and hired a personal stylist yet?

“No way. I’m an indie actress. I would need to make more money. Luckily I have friends who have good taste, and my mom is really into fashion, so I borrow a lot of clothes from her. Also, a long time ago I worked for Emma Fletcher who designs for Tocca now. She lent me some things to wear to Sundance and that was hugely helpful. I want to reach out to some local designers in Brooklyn, but we’ll see how that goes.”

From what I can see on IMDB, you have two movies in post production—a comedy, Satisfaction, and a drama, The Sideways Light—and you’re currently filming Wild Canaries. Sounds like you’ve been a very busy actress.

“It’s funny that IMDB is always behind! I shot Satisfaction and The Sideways Light awhile ago and they already have a rough cut of Wild Cranberries. I’ve made two other films since then: More recently I shot the film Up the River about two couples vacationing and a little bit of infidelity that transpires. Then I shot another film called Some Beasts in Virginia, which is going to be very beautiful.”

So essentially you have five movies in the can?

“At least! (laughs.) You know, I like to go where I am wanted. I feel like if I can be of use, then that’s a good thing. These are mostly small movies, so they are all made with a lot of heart and I like being involved in that kind of project.”

Has everything gone according to plan so far?

“Before Sundance, I didn’t know what to expect to be honest. Some people were like: ‘Oh, my gosh. Your whole life is about to change.’ And other people were like: ‘Well, maybe it will change a little. Maybe not.’ I’m kind of a slow person. I don’t mind things happening a little gradually. So I guess, yes, things are going according to plan…if I had a plan.”

Does it feel like you have been working nonstop?

“No, I’ve had good little breaks, which is good because I need that. There’s one side of me that’s like, well, probably tomorrow they’ll call and ask me to be in the next Transformers movie. Not that it’s what I would necessarily want. But I am grateful for the way things are going now. Maybe I am secretly hoping the next step would be doing a little TV. It seems like there’s a lot of good TV now.”

Are you just realizing that?

“It’s crazy, but I don’t own a TV. I’ve been going to L.A. to meet with casting directors and producers and I’ve been really surprised by the feedback—primarily from female casting directors. They’re saying, Look, there are great roles for women on television right now but not in feature films. I’ve met and gotten to know a number of TV actors recently. And they are great actors! And they have fantastic roles! It’s not what I would have expected. But I think it’s an exciting turn in the industry in a way. With a television show, there is less of a rush to have a whole character arc in a short period of time. And you get to explore more dimensions of a person.”

What type of TV projects interest you?

“I’m just starting to do my research because I am really behind. I’ve been watching House of Cards, Breaking Bad, Mad Men and all the things that everybody else has been watching. I’m a huge Louie fan. I mean, Louis is a comedy, but it’s, like, very edgy, you know? It’s pushing things in a different direction in a way that I didn’t even know could happen on television. I’m giving myself an education now, and it’s exciting.”

Uh-oh, are you succumbing to a binge-watching addiction?

“It’s not a habit that I’m in. I like to read and walk around with people and reflect. I don’t usually allow myself to spend that amount of time in front of the computer like it seems a lot of people do. But instead of feeling like I’m not being productive, for me it’s part of my job. I’m like: OK, I just woke up, so I can watch three hours of television. Because that might be helpful for me—and even good for me. It’s just so counter to how I have trained myself thus far. I’m interested in engaging with the world and this is a different way of engaging. So no one may see or hear from me for the next few months as I choose to watch all of TV history.”

What is your ultimate goal as an actress? What point—and pinnacle—are you striving to reach?

“Gosh, I would like to be in a Woody Allen film. Is that so hard? I would like to have a sustainable career. I don’t want to do a million things and burn out quickly. I’m not interested in getting super-duper famous. I would like to continue to work with challenging roles, and I don’t know yet what form that’s going to take. I have a producing background, so it’s possible I might get into something deeper than acting. I might…I don’t know…direct. Or certainly produce more. But as an actress, I’d prefer to work with interesting directors. People who are actually pushing boundaries and not just doing the same stuff over and over again.”

Do you honestly care about landing a role in the next Michael Bay extravaganza?

“I think that would be fun to do at least once, don’t you? To be sort of a badass superhero or maybe a cool spy, especially if it would allow me to do other, smaller work and still be able to pay the bills.”

Looking back on your journey, is there anything you would have done differently?

“I’m not one for regrets. I just feel like everything you do moves you to the next place, so it’s hard to think about revising history. Maybe I would have gotten a few more massages during the Sundance Film Festival.”

Do you feel any pressure to start a quirky indie rock band to take your career to the next level like, say, Zooey Deschanel?

“That’s hilarious. My best kept secret is that I am a singer, but don’t tell anyone.”

What’s your karaoke song?

“Oh, I don’t do karaoke. Because everyone wants to sing fun songs. I would just want to sing a teary ballad, and nobody wants to hear that. I really love Emmylou Harris and Joni Mitchell—you know, the classic songstresses. But recently in L.A., I did enjoy rolling up the windows and singing along to Whitney Houston on the radio.”

I would not have expected that.

“Whitney Houston? Are you kidding?”

Well, she’s not exactly in the same vein as Emmylou and Joni. But I do love the image of you belting out “I Will Always Love You,” Lindsay.

“That’s exactly what I sang. At the top of my lungs!”