Small Talk Amongst The Stars
On Which Actors In The Summer’s Biggest Movies Had The Best & Worst On Set Rapport?
Folks, there’s no denying it: the stars have been all over the silver screen this summer. They didn’t just appear there, though. No, no, no. Before storming our screens, the stars were on set. And when you have so many stars together on, bet your bottom dollar they’re gabbing it up. On location, in the studios, between takes, during lunch, at the crafty trailer, in the make-up trailer and on transpo vans, the industry’s biggest megastars, most cherished character actors and Simu Liu have been making small talk with each other.
While I’ve felt mostly lukewarm-to-fine about the 2023 summer blockbusters, I’ve been in a near constant state of bemusement thinking about the behind-the-scenes social orders on these shoots. By my official count, both Barbie and Oppenheimer have no less than 8 objectively A-list celebrities in each film with huge supporting casts of various B-listers, C-listers and niche performers. That’s a whole lot of ego and particularity to manage in one place. In this sense, the stars are truly just like us. They too, must navigate the minefield of workplace interpersonal dynamics. Except instead of avoiding some slighty-off normie who makes 60k a year in IT, they’re running for cover when they realize Casey Affleck’s coming their way.
It all has me wondering: Which stars on this summer’s biggest movies had the best and worst on set rapport?
Of course everyone has their own metrics for what constitutes good and bad rapport. But in case you’re wondering how I came to these definitive conclusions, here are the metrics by which I judged these hypothetical pairings:
Overall chat compatibility. Maintaining a strong doing-bits-to-getting-serious ratio. Equitable talking-to-listening time. Ease of conversation obviously important but equally crucial to not force something along when a quick moment of silence/phone check break might suffice.
Uniqueness. Each talker’s bringing some real juice to the table. I presume most of the actors in these movies possess their fair share of juicy gossip so you’ve gotta be bringing a bit more than a few good celeb stories. Important to note strong rapport is often, but not always, built through unlikely pairings…
Environmental Vibe. Is this the kind of conversation/duo others gravitate towards? Or are people actively move away because the conversators are being loud / annoying as hell / unaware of anything else in the immediate area? Is it welcoming or hostile to the outside world?
Intangibles. You can’t ignore the obvious. If Matt Damon’s in the area, you’re gonna wanna chew the fat with him more than say David Dastmalchian. Also, if you’re in the same area as David Dastmalchian…RUN! The man’s a damn freak! But also, yeah, you know, sometimes you just get a good vibe from a relative rando (ahem, Macon Blair) and you gotta follow that.
~BARBIE~
NOTABLE RAPPORT
Jamie Demetriou - Will Ferrell
Demetriou gets biggest laugh of the whole movie with his “choir of young fathers” improv, so probably a lot of mutual respect here. Meeting of the generational comedic minds, in my opinion.
Kate McKinnon - Will Ferrell
Not unique but you gotta respect a pair on set who can kill time going back-and-forth with Lorne Michaels stories.
Dua Lipa - John Cena
The human equivalent of Citizens United. Two sentient corporations / brands trying to communicate. I don’t think this was the worst rapport, if only for sheer novelty factor. I like to imagine John Cena talks to everyone on set like they’re Mo Deen.
WORST RAPPORT
Simu Liu - Ryan Gosling
Could just as easily put Issa Rae or Michael Cera - both majorly chill-seeming actors - in the Gosling spot here, but since Gosling seems to have had least fun making this thing (in spite of his great performance), he gets the distinction. I’ll say, I had this one pegged as worst rapport long before the video of Gosling clearly hating Liu’s entire being came out. Gosling’s innocent here, though. This is really a distinction for Simu Liu. Hard to imagine anyone having a good conversation with this man. He’s one of Hollywood’s most juiceless actors. How you got that six pack and still have negative sex appeal, bruv? Knew he was corny since his ass popped up on Selling Sunset! Lame since he called Marty racist for thinking Marvel movies suck! Ooooh, you just know this lame was running around set asking for selfies. Feels safe to assume Gosling was simultaneously the most openly annoyed AND apple of Liu’s clout-chasing eye.
BEST RAPPORT
Margot Robbie - Rhea Perlman
Gut-feeling on this one. Feels difficult to not be charmed by Robbie and/or Perlman. Don’t think they’re a pair that’s going particularly deep, but a hoot to be around. I suspect Margot Robbie vibes hard with funny Jewish women.
~ASTEROID CITY~
NOTABLE RAPPORT
Tilda Swinton - Jarvis Cocker
Never seen them in the same place. Can’t rule out Jarvis is a Tilda character.
Adrien Brody - Willem Defoe
Almost put this down as Best Rapport… Hear me out. Brody seems like a bit of a pill, sure, but I think Defoe, with his Wooster Group bonafides, brings out the best in him. Might be impossible to have bad rapport with Willem Defoe. On a lot of sets this could be a cursed energy but this pair really works in the context of an Anderson production. The pair you wanna go to the bar with when you wrap.
WORST RAPPORT
Maya Hawke - Steve Carell
Carell gives airs of “way-too-serious 50-year-old at the open mic with some late night sets under his belt who can’t believes he has to spend his nights amidst 20-somethings just because he wants to keep fine tuning his craft.” Can’t imagine he’s really bringing the charm with a Julliard drop out, multi-hyphenate nepo baby.
BEST RAPPORT
Tom Hanks - Bob Balaban
Can you believe they’ve never been in a feature film together before this?! Pure joy!
~MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING~
WORST RAPPORT
Tom Cruise - The Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Crew
BEST(ISH) RAPPORT
Ving Rhames - Rebecca Ferguson
I don’t think there are actually any good rapports to be had on a Tom Cruise set. Seems like a uniquely miserable experience. I imagine these two have some good inside jokes or something about Cruise being a psycho, but that’s not saying much.
~OPPENHEIMER~
NOTABLE RAPPORT
Josh Peck - Benny Safdie
Josh Peck - Kenneth Branagh
Josh Peck’s a real wild card. I don’t think he’s Simu Liu-level annoying but child-actor-turned-podcaster (or vlogger or influencer or whatever he is - I don’t really know why he has millions of followers) isn’t a particularly promising career arc. Still, I think pure weirdo factor of these pairings makes them the kinda conversations you stand near while pretending to check your phone. What topics are they hitting? I could imagine Safdie having a million questions about The Amanda Show. As for Branagh, I imagine he’d openly be a dick to Peck (who probably wouldn’t realize Branagh’s being a dick to him) and I think that’s fun.
Macon Blair - Christopher Nolan
As a rule, director can’t win best on-set rapport. Too busy! Nevertheless, it’d be delightful to hear these two chopping it up about Jeremy Saulnier movies.
Josh Hartnett - Matt Damon
Seems fun to me!!
WORST RAPPORT
Rami Malek - Robert Downey Jr.
The chat compatibility and environmental vibes might be worst of the entire summer slate. Sends chills down my spine imagining Downey Jr. motor-mouthing about any and every topic from his dream cars to why he never got in trouble for doing blackface in Tropic Thunder while Malek just stares into the abyss with those weird squirrel eyes. I’ve never successfully watched a whole Malek interview. Just trying to watch him converse is a struggle. At least when Downey Jr. gives PAs an ear-hammering about whatever he’s on about that minute you understand the power dynamic and why it’s happening.
BEST RAPPORT
Matt Damon - David Krumholtz
Impeccable vibes. Impossible to have a bad rapport with Damon, possibly the most charming man in Hollywood. Krumholtz a straight up mensch. This is a slam dunk pairing. Bit-to-sincerity ratio unparalleled. MVP pairing!! The inverse of Malek - Downey Jr. Someone give these men a buddy comedy!