Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin are currently earning raves for their new film, A Real Pain, with the former also serving as the film’s director. The pair showcase an easygoing chemistry in the film, playing mismatched cousins, and it looks like some of that chemistry started back in 2009 when Culkin auditioned for the great 2009 comedy Adventureland. The actor didn’t land a part in the film, but he left a lasting impression on Eisenberg when he got a bit touchy during the audition.
During an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Eisenberg shared the odd experience of meeting Culkin for the first time back when Kieran auditioned for a role in Adventureland. Eisenberg had already been cast in the movie as James Brennan, and Culkin was auditioning for a role that required the actor to punch Eisenberg in the testicles every five minutes. As the audition went on, let’s just say that Culkin did a bit more than was asked of him. Eisenberg explained:
“Kieran’s character was a character who was supposed to punch me in the balls every five minutes, and he did that in the scene and then he grabbed my breasts and he squeezed and turned them. And the director [Greg Mottola] said, ‘Oh! Stop! Oh! Oh! Stop!’ and Kieran didn’t hear. And so he just was squeezing them.”
The experience didn’t rub Eisenberg the wrong way (well, literally it did), and it actually reminded him why he would be a good choice for A Real Pain because he was comfortable enough to go there in a random audition. The actor jokingly went on to say that he subconsciously thought back to Culkin because he “tortured” him in the past.
“I was just thinking, ‘This guy is a genius. Because he was so comfortable in his own skin. He was so good, too, as an actor. He’s so good and brazen to do that in an audition. And so when I was thinking aboutt who to cast in [A Real Pain], somebody brought him up to me, and I was unconsciously realizing, ‘That guy is perfect.’ And I didn’t realize that why he was perfect is because he has tortured me in the past.”
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Jesse Eisenberg & Kieran Culkin Are Earning Raves for A Real Pain
While Matt Bush would go on to land that part that Culkin auditioned for in Adventureland, his pairing with Eisenberg in A Real Pain has garnered both of them stellar reviews. In addition to directing the film, Eisenberg also wrote the movie that sees him playing David, the cousin of Culkin’s Benji. The two reunite to honor their grandmother by going on a tour through Poland, but tensions resurface during the trip due to their complicated family history.
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A Real Pain Review: The Feel-Sad Comedy of the Year
Kieran Culkin gives one of the year’s best performances in Jessie Eisenberg’s sophomore directorial film, which spotlights complex cousin dynamics.
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and has registered a 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes with solid notices for Eisenberg’s direction and script, while Culkin has been lauded for what most call a scene-stealing turn in the film. Culkin recently earned an Outstanding Supporting Performance nomination at the Gotham Awards, and some critics believe he has a potential shot at an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor should the film continue to gain momentum.
As for Adventureland, the 2009 romantic comedy has become a bit of a cult classic, despite only earning $17.2 million globally at the time of its release. Budgeted at $9.8 million, the film follows a recent college graduate played by Eisenberg who takes a job at a local amusement park to save for a trip to Europe. In addition to Eisenberg, the film also stars Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, and Margarita Levieva.
A Real Pain
is currently playing in limited release.
Mismatched cousins David and Benji tour Poland to honor their grandmother. Their adventure becomes complicated as old tensions resurface while exploring their family history.
- Cast
- Jesse Eisenberg , Kieran Culkin , Will Sharpe , Jennifer Grey , Kurt Egyiawan , Liza Sadovy , Daniel Oreskes , Ellora Torchia , Jakub Gąsowski , Krzysztof Jaszczak , Piotr Czarniecki , Marek Kasprzyk
- Runtime
- 90 Minutes