Posted in: Amazon, Exclusive, Interview, Movies, Streaming | Tagged: alison brie, amazon prime video, danny pudi, dave franco, exclusive, interview, Jay Ellis, kiersey clemons, Somebody I Used To Know

Somebody I Used to Know: Alison Brie on Story, Directing & Danny Pudi

Alison Brie talks to Bleeding Cool about her lastest rom-com in Prime Video's "Somebody I Used to Know," Dave Franco, Danny Pudi & more.

When Alison Brie conceived the screenplay of the rom-com Somebody I Used to Know with creative partner, director, and husband Dave Franco, it came in a moment of self-reflection like many others have during the COVID pandemic. In the Amazon Prime Video film, she plays Ally, a workaholic media personality who returns to her hometown and reminisces with her ex, Sean (Jay Ellis), and starts to question everything about the person she's become. Things only get more confusing when she meets Cassidy (Kiersey Clemons), who reminds her of the person she used to be. The Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur star spoke to Bleeding Cool about how the story came to life and if she has any plans to make her directorial theatrical debut and recruit her Community co-star Danny Pudi into the film.

How 'Somebody I Used to Know' Became a Journey of Self-Reflection

Bleeding Cool: How do you break down the creative process between you and Dave [Franco] in the film?
Brie: We start by spitballing ideas, which is easy living at home together. Start with the seed of an idea. Start talking about the themes that we want to do. We wanted to make something in the rom-com space. We started talking about this idea when we were in Dave's hometown of Palo Alto [California], walking around, thinking about what it means to go back to your hometown, seeing people from your past, and how that makes you analyze your own life. We outlined the story, and then when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of writing the script, it was Dave at the computer. It's me pacing around the house. Dave is like, "How would you say this?" I'm acting out the scenes and that part is fun. Since we're both actors, I think writing the dialog is our favorite part, because we get to perform all the scenes together and it's wonderful. I love working with Dave. I'm so happy that we tapped into this new way to collaborate with one another creatively. It's like a whole new facet of our relationship.

Since you've stepped behind the director's chair on TV with 'GLOW' and 'Marvel 616,' have you considered doing your first feature?
It's something I think about. I want to direct a feature one day. It's about finding the right material. I've seen it firsthand. I'm familiar with the amount of time and commitment a director puts into a project. It's not like what I'm acting. Even when I'm a writer and a producer on something, I don't have to be there for the entire post process in a way that I would if I were directing it. It's about finding the right piece of material and trying to decide if it's going to be something that I write or if it's something that someone else has written that I respond to. [I'm] trying to find the right thing at the right moment.

What was it like reuniting with Danny Pudi and the friendship you have since your days on 'Community?'
Definitely. We wrote the role [of Benny] for Danny. I love Danny. He is one of my closest friends. We haven't been on set together since we shot 'Community,' so I thought it would be so fun and it was. Dave and I wanted to capitalize off of Danny and I's personal history. There's stuff you can't fake it's just about an inherent comfortability with a person. Danny and I have the same sense of humor, which is basically like our 'Community' behind-the-scenes sense of humor.

When we were on set together for this, it was exactly the same. We were getting right back into all of our old bits, all of our silly antics and Dave would let the camera roll and we would goof around. A lot of that stuff made it into the movie and I'm so glad because a big part of the film is this nostalgia of going home and seeing these people who really know you. Danny and I just have that relationship. He's like a brother to me.

Letting the audience witness that kind of brings people into the fold. It's like we're telling inside jokes that you're a part of. Also, the character Danny plays, the best friend of Jay Ellis's character, the best friend of my character, and represents the audience's perspective, right? Constantly checking in with [my character] Ally, questioning her behavior in the way the audience might be, wondering what she's up to, why she's doing what she's doing. Danny is an empathetic, kind person, and he brings that element to the character where he's able to ask hard-hitting questions, but not in a judgmental way. He always comes from a place of love, and that's really infused into his character in this.

Somebody I Used to Know is available on Prime Video.

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