Hiraga has starred in severalcoming-of-age comedies, likeBooksmartandMoxie, and Hearon is a seasoned stand-up comedian.
Ahead of the project’s streaming release, I spoke with Shipka, Hiraga, and Hearon.
What I enjoyed about this film is that it’s, in its essence, a buddy comedy.
Image by Jefferson Chacon
Are there any of your favorite buddy comedies that you revisited while you were working on this film?
I love aHot Fuzzmoment, but I actually saw it for the first time after this movie.
CALEB HEARON: It’s a great one!Superbad was big on my mind while reading the script.
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
I mean, it really was.It felt like this night of misadventure.
Buddies, romantic, or whatever it may be.
NICO HIRAGA: Definitely a big one.Pineapple Expressis great!
Image via Max
HEARON: Uhum, so funny!
When the script forSweetheartscame your way, what about this story appealed to you?
SHIPKA: My gosh, so much!
It was a really smart script.
On top of that, it was so funny.
Yeah, it was just meeting with Jordan and then Dan and just everyone involved was amazing.
Image via Max
There was not a moment when I had to go, oh, do I want to do this?
It was always that I wanted to do this.
I also love comedy.
Sweethearts is a comedy directed by Jordan Weiss, centering on two college freshmen who face the challenge of ending their high school relationships during a chaotic Thanksgiving Eve. The film explores themes of friendship and growing up as the characters navigate the pressure of breakups and newfound independence.
I grew up doing improv.
It was pretty much just an all around, yes!
HEARON: One thing about Kiernan Shipka.
When she books a job, we say thank you.
SHIPKA: [LAUGHS] Thank you.
HEARON: God bless!
Thank God she is on that screen.
SHIPKA: I gotta do it.
That is so sweet!
Nico, you’ve worked with several first-time directors.
I wanted to hear from you.
What was it like working with Jordan in her feature directorial debut?
HIRAGA: I think it goes for all of us that it was so good.
I mean, she’s a force of nature.
She’s a beast.
She seems like a veteran at it.
You know, seems like she’s been doing it for forever.
That didn’t feel like a debut for me.
She knew what she was doing.
So yeah, she’s great!
Let’s talk about the movie itself.
It’s so hilarious to watch!
In talking with Jordan, she shared how she was very open to improv.
SHIPKA: Stavros [Halkias] was very funny.
HIRAGA: Stavros did a lot of improv.
SHIPKA: Stav was [im]proving.
I think he was doing more improv in that scene than we were.
I think there might have been a few alts that Jordan gave me.
HIRAGA: There were a couple of looks on the face that were a little different, you know.
SHIPKA: Yeah, we were straight men, and he just went for it.
The comedy is the latest to come from Dollface creator, Jordan Weiss.
I will talk to you Caleb, right now.
When you guys were shooting the other stuff, I was like, I want to be with them.
Yeah, that element of it felt really true.
It was just an immediate, very real friendship.
But this job, it was like, man, I really do love these people.
It was so easy, so we really dove right in.
It’s just a formative moment for all the characters.
What is one thing that you think audiences will resonate with your characters' trajectories in the film?
Speaking up about true feelings, but also being easy at the hands of the ones that they love.
Or it’s okay to be sensitive, or it’s okay to be delicate.
SHIPKA: Love that.
I guess one thing that I would like to ask you about is the ending.
I was surprised as an audience member.
Nico, Kiernan, were you surprised where your characters were headed?
SHIPKA: I was probably 50/50.
I read the script so quickly.
HIRAGA: At the tree house?
SHIPKA: No, after.
When you come over.
HIRAGA: Oh, yeah!
SHIPKA: I remember that feeling amazing.
This actually is the right way to go about it.I think it’s such a pleasant surprise.
Caleb, one of the key moments for Palmer, takes place in a fire truck.
You’re so funny in all the things that you work on.
Did you have room to improv and play around with that scene?
HEARON: Yeah, I improvised a ton in the movie, which was a real credit to Jordan.
Obviously, as a woman director - well, first and foremost, just a brilliant director.
Jordan doesn’t have that ego.
Jordan let us improvise, and wasn’t so precious about the script, and Dan too.
The fire truck stuff was so fun.
It’s the fire at the lake house.
It’s all that kind of stuff, you know.
I had a blast.
It’s just such a gorgeous thing.
HEARON: As a comedian, if I get to show up and be funny, that’s amazing.
HIRAGA: When you show up on Thanksgiving.
SHIPKA: Oh, I love that.
HIRAGA: The Thanksgiving scene, when you just come in with your little thing.
HEARON: Cute, huh?
Dan and Jordan are brilliant writers.
Yeah, the two of them, they’re in lockstep.
I have one more question.
Can you share something that you are really grateful for about your co-stars?
This movie is set on Thanksgiving, so I think it’s fitting to talk about that.
HIRAGA: I’m thankful for these two.
[To Shipka] Thankful for her wisdom, the beauty and grace that she carries herself.
I mean, I said it a lot earlier, working with you was an absolute pleasure.
Both of you, God damn.
You guys make me feel at home.
You guys made me feel safe.
It’s not an easy task.
You guys help me out, so that’s good stuff.
Caleb, you are in my heart, bro.
SHIPKA: I love you guys so much.
HEARON: I’m so grateful for you guys.
When I was going to bed, I almost sent the gayest text ever.
I said, “Wait, let’s do the press and also the gay text later.”
SHIPKA: Send the gay text.
If you take one thing out of this interview, it’s send that gay text.
HEARON: But yeah, there’s so much to be grateful for this movie.
SHIPKA: Yeah, it’s over after this.
It’s all PR.
[LAUGHS] No, I’m so grateful for both these boys.
I mean, Nico has such a beautiful openness and just such a welcoming energy.
I could be around you all the time.
That’s so valuable and in friendship, it’s even more so.
I’m so thankful for your wit, for your integrity, for everything that you say.
It is so smart, and you’re so embodied.
You are a dream.
You are a dream human.
I just cannot believe that I get to sit next to you guys.
I’m so lucky.
True gems, absolute f—ing gems.
HEARON: Can I get access to this recording?
I want to play it on a bad day.
SHIPKA: I will say it again in a voice memo.
Sweetheartsis now streaming on Max.
