EW's Summer 2024 Preview features exclusive coverage of the most anticipated TV shows, movies, books and music from the hottest season in entertainment. Continue visiting ew.com through May for more previews of what you'll be watching, reading, and listening to in the coming months.
Nick Jonas has been singing and performing since he was a child, appearing on Broadway for the first time at the age of seven, and then forming a small band with his brothers called the Jonas Brothers, which you may have heard of before.But in a scene from his next comedy-drama good half He was actually nervous when asked to sing in front of the camera. It turned out to be “one of the most difficult scenes to film.”
Apply entertainment weeklyFree daily newsletter Get the latest TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
Starring Jonas good half He plays Len Wieland, a struggling writer living in LA who is forced to confront unresolved issues in his life after his mother (Elisabeth Shue) dies. On the flight back to Cleveland for his funeral, he forms a new connection with his fellow passenger, Zoe (Alexandra Shipp). But when he returns home to his family, he finds himself healing from old relationships with his overbearing sister Lee (Brittany Snow), his father Darren (Matt Walsh), who yearns for connection, and the irritating Steppe, while also trying to find new You will have a hard time finding balance in your relationship. His father (David Arquette) deals with his grief.
utopia
In one scene, Len sneaks out of his parents' house and goes on a date with Zoe at a karaoke bar. After he has a few drinks, Zoe convinces him to stand on the microphone and perform a song. But this is no Jonas Brothers-esque performance. Len is a normal guy with a decent singing voice, but that's what Jonas struggled with the most.
“It's really hard to figure out how to make it sound like it's not good, but it's not bad,” he says. Entertainment Weekly. “That balance was interesting to navigate, but the character's victory in that moment was very necessary to his journey, so I was happy to do it, but it's not something I'm willing to step into.” It was the only scene I was nervous about for the movie.
Jonas loved the 'good challenge' of singing do not have As himself. “It certainly shakes things up mentally, but I thought it was weird trying to figure out how to sing in a good way,” he added. “I just tried to have fun and act like it was late after a few drinks, which made it easier.”
utopia
That was also helpful good half Filming took place in Jonas' home state of New Jersey, and sometimes in locations that hold fond memories for Jonas. “The first day we were shooting some scenes in a mall where my brother and I used to play early in our careers, like 2005 or 2006,” Jonas says. “It was so interesting to come back to that place and have those memories come flooding back while we were shooting the movie.”
This isn't Jonas' first major role, but he previously appeared in the mixed martial arts drama kingdom, In addition to appearing in jumanji movie, Love again, goathis Disney television series JonasThis is the first time he has played the lead role in a feature film. “I'm proud of this movie and the fact that I was able to step into where I was in every scene,” he says. “I'd never done anything like that before, and this was a completely different kind of movie for me. It was a big undertaking. I just tried to give a consistent, thoughtful performance.”
good half Although it deals with heavy themes such as loss and grief, Jonas liked the way the script balanced dark subject matter with humor. But Jonas was most focused on capturing the “stillness” of the story, in which Len learns to accept and cope with his grief. “He's obviously going through one of the most difficult things that humanity goes through, and I wanted the performance to reflect the sense of isolation that he's creating for himself. ” he says. “It felt really important to me to work with Robert Schwartzman, a longtime friend of mine who directed this film, and to trust the quiet moments and the serenity of the performances. A friend I can trust. “The whole time I thought about this movie, I knew I was in the hands of a man.”The performance was truly liberating. ”
utopia
He also spoke about Len's journey during filming, drawing on his own experiences with grief. “Unfortunately, we all experience some degree of grief at different points in our lives,” says Jonas. “Up until my grandfather passed away, I kept thinking about him, the person I loved and had a very close relationship with, and I needed to tap into that.”
Throughout the filming process, Jonas was moved by the film's ultimate message, which he hopes audiences will relate to as well. “It's okay not to be okay,” Jonas says. “Healing happens naturally over time, so patience is important in the process. And it's a good reminder that life is truly precious and that you are with your loved ones.”
good half ' will be shown in select theaters through Fathom Event Screening on July 23rd and July 25th.
