Actor Max Rinehart chatted about his new movie “Royally Screwed,” which came out today on the streaming service Passionflix.
In this film, directed by Sophia Kiapos, Rinehart worked opposite Jenny Boyd, Academy Award nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo, and Grant Rosenmeyer, among others.
How was your experience doing the film “Royally Screwed”?
Honestly, any production is about the people you do it with. Doing amateur dramatics or a Hollywood blockbuster, the essential building blocks are the same.
When it’s good it feels like a traveling circus troupe with a group of people with varying lives but sharing one common interest. And certainly this was one of those experiences.
We had people from USA, England, Iran, Greece all striving to make this story as good as possible and sometimes you look around and go wow this is why I do this. This kind of community. Its magic. I feel very lucky to have met and had this shared experience with these people.
We filmed in Bournemouth I had never been there so I was very happily exploring. Beautiful coastline, a couple of nights out in the local club, three levels it had. Couldn’t believe it… it was such a throwback, but it was useful to blow off a bit of steam after a weeks filming.
After one night I introduced some English cuisine to the Americans, a battered sausage. They thought I was insane. It didn’t exactly change their opinion on British food. But I stand by it.
Filming in the palace, so beautiful, the views were extraordinary. To think someone lives there. I was very happy imagining it was me!
What did you like most about your character Nicholas?
This idea of duty that dominates his life I thought was interesting as for me personally that becomes more prevalent as I get older. I like how he changes for his love.
It’s beautiful. But for that impact to really land you have to make him as big an arse as the story allows in the beginning for him to have somewhere to travel to, and for the pay off to be as big as possible for the audience, so that was fun too!
Going from someone who is quite selfish, but then unpacking his trauma, letting someone in and then revealing a sensitivity to this amazing woman he meets, yeah it’s a gift to play.
What was it like working with Jenny and Shohreh?
Shoreh exudes grace and beauty. She is a Queen in real life and I had to stop myself from bowing to her every time I saw her. Sometimes I just had to give in!
I think she appreciated it. When it came to the scenes she is right there with you. Amazing eyes. The story being told though them. I just had to focus on them and let the work happen.
I couldn’t have asked for a better partner than Jenny. It’s hard with these kinds of stories because so much of what you see on camera is the dynamic of the two actors, how much they trust each other, and it’s to her credit I never questioned it once.
If there was tension between the two leads, stress or anxiety, I can’t imagine how much of an obstacle that would be to overcome but here it was easy. We had an openness with each other and most of all she is an excellent actor.
What was it like working with director Sophia Kiapos?
Sophia is why I did this. I spoke to her on the phone after my audition and within 30 seconds I was sold. She imbues such confidence.
Sophia assembled an incredible team both on and off the camera. We agreed with out reservation what we needed to do to make it a good film. Her, Jenny and I were a unit.
We needed to be. We filmed this in 2.5 weeks, which is nothing. The budget was low. But we were very tight which made everything workable.
No matter what happened it was always positive on set and any challenge seemed surmountable. That’s down to her direction, her taste is impeccable, her passion was infectious.
She created a truly collaborative environment. I can’t wait to work with her again. And also to see where her career goes because I’m her number one fan.
What did this screenplay teach you about yourself?
Openness. The value of it. How important it is for change. For growth and also so for experiencing the best of what life has to offer.
How does it feel to be an actor in the digital age? (Now with streaming, technology and social media being so prevalent)
I think there are aspects about it that can be useful, maintaining a network for example, which is important for emerging artists.
With technology there’s potential to just go out and make a film on a shoestring budget but we’re not seeing much of that yet, or if we are I’m not aware of it.
Overall, I don’t think it’s a good thing. Not right now. But that could change.
I also think Social Media doesn’t make anyone a better actor, the way it makes you think but also as a consumer of it, the actor runs the risk of being too exposed. How can you expect to believe an actor in a period drama with a different accent for example, if you’re too close to them.
Then again, if used right I’m sure it can be useful, but to expect artists to be their own brilliant PR managers isn’t something I like.
What it is definitely good for is when you want to take your mind off of things and watch videos of dogs making friends with other animals on Instagram, so there’s that.
What is your advice for young and emerging actors?
Turn off your phone. Get a good side job. Do the work.
What would you like to tell our readers about “Royally Screwed”? (What’s the one thing you want them to get out of it)
This film is a comfort hug, something to watch with your friends or with a loved one or by yourself again and again.
Even better with a bottle of wine and a tub of ice cream. It’s fun, it’s got heart. It’s unapologetically a film of escapism and we need those kinds of films now more than ever. I know that’s what I like right now!
To learn more about actor Max Rinehart, follow him on Instagram.
Read More: “Royally Screwed” review.
