Posted in: Exclusive, Interview, Movies | Tagged: interview, Magic Carpet Rides, Nicole DuBois, Tubi

Magic Carpet Rides Star Nicole DuBois on Developing Grounded Romcom

Nicole DuBois (The Shrink Next Door) spoke to Bleeding Cool about her rom-com, Magic Carpet Rides for Tubi, writing, influencing & more.

Nicole DuBois knows how personal experiences make for ideal fodder and material as a comedian. In her latest film Magic Carpet Rides, she also adds her experience as a social media influencer to this romantic comedy. DuBois plays Callie, an anxiety-ridden influencer obsessed with technology and metrics. Her world is flipped upside down when she meets carefree (and phoneless) rebel Leo (Matthew Law) after a…crude chance encounter. The actress, writer, and producer, who's also appeared in AppleTV+'s The Shrink Next Door and FX's You're the Worst, spoke to Bleeding Cool about how her life as an influencer shaped the film, her history with rom-coms, where she puts her foot down on humor, casting, and if she would step into the director's chair.

Magic Carpet Rides: Nicole DuBois' Influencer Romcom

Bleeding Cool: What's the inspiration behind 'Magic Carpet Rides?'
DuBois: The inspiration behind 'Magic Carpet Rides' has two parts. First, the idea of the romcom started in a college short film with my friend Matt [Thompson], who directed the film, and it was initially about a male character. The idea of this guy who has no technology and lives outside of social media meets this girl who's addicted to her phone, and they try to have a romance. So that's the short film. Then fast forward, I was new to this influencer life. I've been an actor and a comedian for years and accidentally became an influencer by starting to post all my stuff on TikTok. The inspiration for the character Callie is like a heightened version of what I could be as an influencer and what I was like experiencing meeting a bunch of people. It's merging those two worlds, and we made Callie a social media influencer. That might have been the piece of information I left out [laughs].

What's Matthew like as a creative partner, and how do you break down your process?
I've known Matt for ten-plus years, and we've been working together since we were children by "children," I mean 18, and it's great. It's nice to write the script with him because we have that closeness and rapport where it's all honest, and the working process is easier when you're not tiptoeing around someone. We are great creative partners, and as a director, I've always loved working with him. Not only is he fantastic with the crew, but he's great with the actors and brings out the best in them. I love working with Matt.

Were there other romcoms, filmmakers, or writers that influenced you in developing this project?
Every romcom ever made probably, because there are things that you expect from watching tons of rom-coms. I always loved the movie, 'How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days' (2003). I watched that 20 times and then recently saw 'Palm Springs' (2020). I was intrigued by that because it's a rom-com, but it's so weird, has so many other elements, it's funny, grounded, and real despite being a completely fake universe. Watching the evolution of romcoms inspired me to want to make what is like a classic romcom falling into some familiar tropes like they hate each other, then they love each other, then hate each other again. They get together, like those classic things, but grounding it in reality and making the jokes a little bit more real to life.

Were there things from the romcom genre you wanted to avoid as far as cliches?
I put my foot down at any cheesy dialog or hallmark moments. Not to shit on Hallmark because parodying Hallmark got me my start on TikTok. I love Hallmark, but I wanted it to feel like you were watching an indie comedy. There is romance, familiar archetypes, but I never wanted anyone to say anything that sounded cheesy. There's one cheesy moment in the movie that I let Matt keep because he loves cheesy. It's like our photos fall into the water and float away. The photos are like drawings we did of each other, and they're bad. At least there's some humor still in it.

Can you break down your chemistry with your castmates and how you built your rapport?
I'm lucky to be able to cast many people I work with and many of my friends. A lot of people are coming on set. There was already the chemistry of working and collaborating on things together before. The roommates…Natasha [Behnam] and I have been friends for years. We were on the college improv team together. Damian [Joseph Quinn], I also met him in college because he auditioned. Damien is like an incredible actor; for some reason, he found himself at the Loyola Marymount University student film auditions. Natasha cast him in her film, and she cast me too because I always made her cast me in all her stuff in college. I did an audition [for her], but we met him in college because he randomly attended these LMU auditions. There are many people in it that I've collected as friends and collaborators along the way. Stacey [Moseley], who played my mom, cast me in her web series years ago. It was the first thing I ever booked in L.A. It's cool to get everyone in it.

How do you feel social media has shaped the romcom today?
It depends. Social media is a big part of our film because Matt Law, who plays Leo, his character, has no technology. He has no social media, and he meets an influencer. We must see some of her social media, but the film has no pop-up bubbles like texting. Everything's practical, like you'll see the phone when you must see it, but it's not like we're living this romcom through this cheesy social media world. We are still seeing the people, and early in the movie, he makes her get rid of her phone.
I see what you're saying there. There is this element to romcoms that can become gimmicky when bubbles are popping up, and you see people texting in their thought bubbles. It's also much a part of life now. It's hard to write a modern story that doesn't incorporate social media because it would be fake, especially when you're writing about 20-somethings.

Was there one takeaway that you've learned about yourself after doing this project?
I was hard on myself during this process because I co-wrote it on top of being a producer on it and starring in it. There's no excuse; like everything you see on screen, I can't blame it on anyone else. I was so nervous, and it was my first time starring in a feature. I was worried I would be so exposed when this came out because it's not like I can be like, "Oh yeah, but that was a dumb line. Thank God! I didn't write it!" I like to think I've gained some confidence now that I've seen it, and it's done. I'm like, "Okay, I'm not a bag of poop up on the screen," but giving myself a little bit more grace on the next one would also help everyone around me because I'm sure I was a crazy person. I was so anxious about the results.

Since you've acted and written, have you considered taking the director's chair?
If you asked me that a month ago, I would have said, "No, I never want to direct. It's the last thing I ever want to do." My brain is switching. I'm writing a Christmas movie now, and it's like a silly elf movie. My brain on this project is switching into the director's chair because I see it so clearly in my head, and I'm so worried nobody else will see it, which is probably untrue. Somebody would see it better than me because I've never directed anything. Maybe it was maybe a month ago; it was a "No." This month it's a potential "Yes."

Cartel Pictures' Magic Carpet Rides, which also stars Courtney Parchman, is now streaming on Tubi.

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