Community's Jim Rash, who will soon be seen in the long-awaited Community film, directed and wrote a new HBO Max film, Miss You, Love You, that puts the spotlight on the legendary Allison Janney. The movie follows Janney's Diane Patterson, a grieving widow trying to keep it together as she plans her husband's funeral while her estranged son refuses to take the time to visit. Instead, her son sends an assistant in the form of Andrew Rannells' Jamie Simms, a stranger who soon becomes just what she needs.
The Direct caught up with Miss You, Love You star Allison Janney on the red carpet premiere of the HBO Max film, which hits the streaming service on May 29. We discussed how excited she was for the role and how special she feels the project was for her and her career.
Janney made it clear that while she's "had some great roles" in the past, she "[doesn't] get offered roles like ['Miss You, Love You'] in [her] career." Diane Patterson was someone with "a huge story" and "a big journey to go through."
"It was a real challenge," she explained, one that she "was afraid of and daunted by."
Janney's co-star Andrew Rannells described the experience to The Direct as "a really intense 17 days of working, obviously very closely together." Rannells elaborated that the two of them "memorized the entire thing like a play, so that [they] could get on set and do it, which was very exciting."
To read and watch more from The Direct's interviews with the stars and filmmakers of Miss You, Love You, visit the full interviews below. The entire list of talent we spoke with includes Jim Rash (writer & director), Allison Janney (Diane Patterson), Andrew Rannells (Jamie Simms), Suzy Nakamura (Kathy), and Lisa Schurga (Nance).
For more red carpet coverage, check out The Direct's interviews with the cast and filmmakers behind The Sun Never Sets, a romantic comedy that premiered at this year's South by Southwest film festival.
Working With the Legendary Allison Janney for Jim Rash's New Film
"There's Something Gold Every Single Time."
- The Direct: "This is obviously your second collaboration with Allison Janney in a major role. What makes her the perfect lead actress for you?"
Jim Rash: It's all compliments. It's having the power of like an amazing actress who taps into characters, has a likability, and makes even the prickliest characters you know have this thing that you want to lean in on them. And she, with a theater background, was perfect for this. She's one of those people that you, take after take... there's something gold every single time. [It] makes it easy for me, both note-wise and in the editing room, and also a good human being, and makes for a wonderful set.
- The Direct: "I was so glad to see you working with Allison again... So, tell me about your working dynamic with [her]."
Andrew Rannells: I just love her. This was a really intense 17 days of working, obviously very closely together. We learned the whole script... We just memorized the entire thing like a play, so that we could get on set and do it, which was very exciting. We both come from a theater background, so it seemed like that was the way that made the most sense to prepare her for this. And then, right as we were finishing this movie, we got to go to Rome together to do another 'Simple Favor,' which was the complete opposite. Neither one of us really worked that much, and we just kind of got to hang out and grow. So it was really fun...
- The Direct: "This is your second collaboration with Jim as a director. I think you both work really great together. It's very inspired work. So what brought you back for 'Miss You, Love You,' and how is working with Jim like for this project?"
Allison Janney: Well, first of all, the script is extraordinary, and I don't get offered roles like that in my career. I've had some great roles, but this was a huge story of a character with a big journey to go through, and with one other person. It's a lot of talking, a lot of line memorization, a lot of character work. It was a real challenge, and a good one, and one I was afraid of and daunted by, but I thought you [have] to do it. This is good, because I love him so much. And [with] Andrew Rannells at the door. I'd never worked with him, but I knew him personally, and I liked him so much as a person. I knew he had a great theater background... [and] I found [Jim] just really seasoned and comfortable at the job. He's a writer and director, which is also great for just communication. He knows what the script is. It lives inside of him, so whenever we get stuck, he'd help us. So this was a great collaborative experience with everyone.
How 'Miss You, Love You' Explores Grief & Mourning
"It Explores Grief Like It Is..."
- The Direct: "How does this film explore grief in a unique way?"
Suzy Nakamura: Well, there's something about comedy, and specifically Jim Rash's style... The way he approaches comedy. It's like this spoonful of sugar, right? So you don't know you're learning something, exposed to something, or even feeling something because you're laughing. But he doesn't do it in a jokey way. He does it because we laugh at the way humans behave, and that's the perfect way to tell the story, and it's his writing... And personally, I love talking about grief. That's actually how I met Jim. We did a show about grief, and I love that there's material out there about grief, but approached in different ways. But this has got to be my favorite, because it's—are people describing it as a comedy? It's not, but it's funny, like there are funny parts of it. I love it.
Lisa Schurga: Well, I think it explores grief like it is, which is messy. And so in the middle of grief, you laugh, and you cry, and you get furious, and you take it out on people that don't deserve to have it taken out on them. And I feel like Allison Janney is incredible at that, at kind of exploring all those emotions. And you know, if you saw it, it makes you laugh and cry. And it's rich, because he knows how to explore those kinds of emotions, human emotions.
All the red carpet interviews can be viewed below:
