Andrew Barth Feldman reveals how his new murder mystery series, Foul Play, prepared him for the improvisation in No Hard Feelings. The comedy follows Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence), an Uber driver desperate for cash when facing bankruptcy. She accepts an unusual job posting on Craigslist and is hired to help Percy (Feldman), an academically gifted but socially inept teenager, break out of his shell before he goes to college.
During an interview for Feldman’s new murder mystery series, Foul Play, he discussed his upcoming comedy, No Hard Feelings. He reveals how Foul Play boosted his confidence in his improvisational skills while working with improv legends. Feldman explains how this was “indispensable” going into No Hard Feelings because improvisation was a huge part of making that movie as well. Check out Feldman’s full quote below:
I was improvising a bunch on No Hard Feelings. I think doing Foul Play, really did bring me so much confidence in being able to do that and learning from these legendary improvisers. I learned so much as an actor, let alone as the person having to make a lot of the calls behind the scenes. To be on that set, learning from these people in real time, was really a remarkable education that I provided for myself. Going into No Hard Feelings, that kind of freedom, especially [with] something that we can cut later.
Foul Play, we can’t cut, we can’t go back. [On] No Hard Feelings we could. So, there was no excuse to not try everything and improvise a bunch and just seeing stuff in the movie now. So many of my and our improvisations have made it into the [final] cut of the movie and even in the trailer. Things that our director was throwing at us on the day are in that trailer. So, being able to work on the fly and change things based on what somebody’s throwing at you, that was indispensable.
No Hard Feelings Leans Into Improvisational Comedy
Foul Play gave Feldman experience with comedic improvisation across multiple genres, stories, and characters. The quick thinking and different dynamics within the series seem to be instrumental in helping Feldman prepare for the over-the-top comedy in No Hard Feelings. Playing an awkward teenager who blossoms out of his shell with the help of Maddie.
No Hard Feelings, which seems to harken back to the 2000s raunchy comedies, pokes fun at the helicopter parents of today and how they insert themselves into every aspect of their kids’ lives. Percy likely would have evolved past his awkwardness when it comes to finding friends organically in college, but based on the trailer, all the teenage rebellion he missed out on comes out with the help of Maddie. The improvisation helps the dynamic between Percy and Maddie feel more organic as they likely grow closer over the course of the movie.
Feldman plays off Lawrence, who has earned acclaim for both her dramatic and comedic work. Foul Play seems to have been an improvisational boot camp for Feldman, helping him be confident in his abilities when working with Lawrence and director Gene Stupnitsky. The abundant improvisation in No Hard Feelings likely elevates the comedy and brings authenticity to the relationships that grow throughout the movie.
