Amazon Studios' Deep Cover film follows three characters in a comedy-thriller that sees them evolve thanks to the classic art of Improv. The movie follows Bryce Dallas Howard (Kat), Nick Mohammed (Hugh), and Orlando Bloom (Marlon)—two improv actors and one wannabe improv performer—who are given the opportunity to utilize their acting skills to go undercover for the police.
Deep Cover stars Bryce Dallas Howard (Kat), Nick Mohammed (Hugh), and Orlando Bloom (Marlon) sat down with The Direct's Russ Milheim to discuss their latest film, and how each of their characters finds their voices and confidence through the act of Improv. Deep Cover, directed by Tom Kingsley, starts streaming on Amazon's Prime Video on June 12, 2025.
Mohammed teased that his character might "Possibly [have] the biggest journey of the three in terms of his confidence," while Howard noted that her character figures out that her improv teacher skills might be "kind of her superpower." As for Bloom, his character Marlon is "an out-of-work actor who's had a dream of being a De Niro" who ultimately "feels redemption" as the story plays out.
When asked how much room there was for actual improv on set in the moment, Howard (who many might know recently from her time in the world of Star Wars) admitted that "the script was really tight, so it was hard to kind of beat the script," while adding that there were a few moments that made it into the final cut where they were able to have some read improv fun.
Cast of Deep Cover on Their Characters' Improv-Fueled Development
Each Character Has Their Own Unique Journey.
- The Direct: "This movie is all about your characters finding their voice and becoming more confident. Can each of you talk about how that is true relative to your respective characters?"
Nick Mohammed: Hugh, absolutely, goes on possibly the biggest journey of the three in terms of his confidence. I mean, he starts on, obviously, not even within the world of acting or improv. He's an office worker who stumbles into these classes run by Kat and enjoys what he sees, but doesn't know that it's going to quickly get so out of control.
But yeah, he goes on a really steep learning curve, and he doesn't always do very well, but by the end, he is changed. He's found his people. And he does sort of stand up for himself in the end, which is great to see. And he's obviously got that very fleeting relationship with Shosh as well, quite an unlikely relationship. So yeah, he does really [have] a bit of an arc there.
Bryce Dallas Howard: Kat realizes that she feels like a failed actor, and she's an improv teacher, and she, through this journey, realizes that that is kind of her superpower, and that this community that's come together is meaningful, and the work that she's doing matters.
Orlando Bloom: I think Marlon is like an out-of-work actor who's had a dream of being a De Niro... He sort of just takes himself very seriously, which is a really funny setup in itself, because I've never done that. No actor has ever done that. But like so that gag is ripe for the picking.
And then he becomes, he transforms into this alter ego of Roach, who is just a crazy, wild northern man who I kind of loosely based on Liam Gallagher and had a lot of fun playing with...
I think ultimately [Marlon] feels redemption at the end, when he goes for a final audition to to get a to get a real part, and a real movie and and the experience of the trio's journey has informed him as a human that has led to, like, a more interesting possibility for a career as an actor.
And I think that's kind of, as actors we all sort of like, it's not really the work, it's how you live in life as you know, it's the experiences that you accumulate over the course of your life that inform you as an artist. It's a great premise.
Bryce Dallas Howard Reveals How Much Actual Improv There Was in the Movie
"The Script Was Really Tight, So It Was Hard to Kind of Beat the Script."
- The Direct: "The movie is all about improv, obviously. But how much actual improv was there in all of these scenes? Did they give you free rein to do a little bit more than maybe usual?"
Bryce Dallas Howard: Absolutely, it was a really organic, like, yes-and kind of environment, and that was really natural to the process, because the script was written by two brilliant improv comedians who actually played the detectives in the movie. Now that said, the script was really tight, so it was hard to kind of beat the script. And ultimately, when you watch the movie, the majority of it is what was written in advance. But there were a number of moments that, you know, I remember with Nick and Orlando and stuff. It's just, it's sort of gold that that worked its way in there.
The full video interview can be seen below:
