Q&A with Lara Ricote, ‘Jess’

How did you feel when you first read the script for Make That Movie, and what made you want to get involved?

I mean, there was no question in my heart that if I got the chance to be involved in this, that I would say no. Of course, this is a triumphant yes for me. I felt like I knew I was going to do it before I had even read the script, so just being asked was enough.

Of course, I want to be part of anything that Sam does. I get really excited about the possibility that he could put something out into the world, that people would be interested in it, and that it’s going to be exactly the way that he sees it. He’s not making a lot of concessions, this guy; so that’s a very exciting thing to be part of.

What was it like working with Sam? What surprised you most about his creative process once you were actually in it?
He cares so much. I think sometimes it might not feel like that’s the case, because it all seems like it’s coming out of this consistent, endless stream—but he really does care about every little part of it. That surprised me.

I mean, I kind of already knew he was intense about his work, but he also just makes a lot of it. That’s not something you see so often. You usually see people who hone things very carefully.

You know that story about the vase? The teacher says: half the class makes one vase over a whole year, and the other half makes a vase every single day. At the end, they compare whose vase is better. And the ones who made a vase every day, who got all that practice, make amazing work, whereas the others might overthink it.

With Sam, it’s like he’s making a vase every day, but also with the same level of care and reverence as if he were making just one. That’s what’s so crazy. You’d think there’s no way he’s caring deeply about every part of it—but he is. And that’s surprising. 

He has a very specific tone that’s quite hard to define, but incredibly unique. What does that feel like from your side as a performer?

Yeah, it’s cool. I feel very inspired when I watch him, so it was amazing to be around something I have a lot of awe for, while also grounding myself in the fact that I’m bringing something to it too.

That was a process. Over the past year and a half, I’ve kind of gotten used to the idea that maybe I’m an artist—don’t print that…actually, print it, but include that I said don’t print that. 

I think the way I live my life is: try to be intentional but also flow with myself. I think that seems like it's at odds with itself, letting go completely, while also caring deeply, but it isn’t. 

This was one of my first times working in an environment like this, and I had to keep reminding myself: I’m here for a reason, I bring something to this. Because sometimes you look around and think, “Everyone here is awesome, what am I doing here?” But then you realise: well, I am here, so maybe the clue is in the pudding. 

Tell me about your role, and about Make That Movie in general. What’s it like playing Jess and how would describe her?

Yeah, I’m kind of Sam’s helper. I believe in him at all costs.

Jess is someone who’s obsessed with him and his career. There’s even a flashback where we see her younger, with braces, which I got to wear, and now I actually have braces myself, (which turned out to be a dream I didn’t know I had.)

From early on, he’s her favourite director, and then she gets to work with him. He’s completely in his own world. He doesn’t really see the people around him and thinks he does everything himself, even though he relies on the whole team.

There’s an intention in that dynamic: we all feel unseen by him, but we’re also so happy to be around him, which is perfect.

Jess is very quick. If there’s ever holes, she fills them immediately. She’s carrying 19 coffees, running around constantly. And they’re making movies with only five people, when you’d normally need hundreds, so everyone is doing everything.

She has this deep reverence, and that reverence sometimes stops her from seeing that she might be getting exploited but she’s so happy because it’s her dream.

What was it like working with the rest of the cast?

They were perfect. Honestly, such a perfect group of people. They were sweet, funny, and everyone brought something completely different.

Aaron Chen, I love him. I didn’t know him before, but he’s so funny and sincere. He’s care-full. If you say something, he’ll ask you about it later. That’s such a nice quality. He plays Sebastian, whose parents fund everything, so he moves between jobs. He struggles socially, and people push him around. My character kind of hates him, and he’s in love with her, so it’s a really good dynamic.

Helen Bauer has the most energy you’ve ever experienced. She plays Pat, the boom operator. She’s amazing, so funny, and just lovely to be around. She’s always taking care of people.

David Hargreaves, he was about 84 at the time, which is incredible. He plays the cameraman, a real of Shakespearean actor who’s always singing and teaching us songs. Very playful, childlike energy. So amazing to be around.

And Sam: just incredible energy. So funny, cares so much. The whole crew cared about every part of it. It really felt like a bunch of people making something just because it was deeply fun to do so.

I think Sam has a gift for writing things that sit right on a line you can’t quite define but you never feel bad about it. That’s a real gift.

What was the filming process like? Was there room for improvisation?

It was scripted. There was some room for improvisation, you could pitch ideas.

Joe Pelling, the director, is an amazing and funny guy. If you pitched something and made him laugh, you might get to include it.

It felt like a constant collaboration. Sam and Joe worked together really closely, really nicely.  I started pitching more ideas towards the end, it took me a while to feel comfortable. By about week three, I was like, “Oh perfect. This is the most fun thing I can imagine doing.”

Was there a particularly memorable moment while filming?

Yeah, there’s loads. I really like the care home episode; it’s very funny. We were with real the real old people pretending to be in this care home and the there's a really funny storyline where David’s character, Winnie, has what looks like a birthmark on his forehead; he’s got it in a picture of himself, like 30 years before. Then in one scene when we’re in the car, he notices it, peels it off and eats it. We had to shoot it about 10 times, so he kept eating it. It was made of something like berries, but it looked like a scab. It was so funny.

Another moment: in the care home, Winnie has a fight with another old guy: shirts off, swinging metal chains, surrounded by other old people. We’re not even entirely sure what they’re fighting over. I was thinking it was so special to be in the room right now. It was surreal. One of those moments where you think, “What is happening? What is being alive?” I felt so lucky to be part of it.

What do you hope audiences take away from the show?

I hope they laugh and enjoy it.

I also hope they see how special it is that something like this gets made by a big channel; that they support someone with such a unique brain and give him the freedom to create something so unusual. It’s so cool that they’re given him a free pass to make something in this particular way. It was so cool that he got to work with Ollie Cambridge on the stories, he’s an amazing producer that I got to work with on Break Clause which is another Channel 4 series, which I am so excited about. They made something very good. It’s really well done. It’s funny, but also moving in parts.

I think there’s something about caring deeply about stupid stuff. If you care enough, you can make anything meaningful. It’s funny, it’s like a kind of empathy, maybe a silly one, but it’s empathy nonetheless.

I hope people immerse themselves in the world Sam’s created for us. We’re so lucky.

Finally, can you describe your own movie idea?

Okay, so there’s this horse that lives in a town, and everyone thinks it’s the only horse that exists.

A family nearby starts visiting it every day, building a relationship with it, and they begin to think it can feel human emotions. Eventually, they bring it into their house even though it’s impractical.

They live together over the course of many years. At one point, the horse kicks the son in the stomach, and he ends up in hospital for years. While he’s in the hospital the army comes to draft him, but they can’t cause he’s in the hospital so this is seen as a blessing. So the horse is let back in the house. When the son returns, they rebuild their relationship with the horse.

It’s a long, sentimental movie…maybe three to four hours.