Wang says playing an awkward teenager with intense anxiety came naturally to him. While, of course, he wanted to preserve the humor, he also made sure scenes dealing with mental health were approached with authenticity.
“I mostly just showed up and was myself,” Wang says. “Making it real meant that I derived most of the quirks, the tics, and the personality for the character from pieces of me.”
Authenticity is a throughline across the production, including Ropp’s decision to give Brian a roller backpack. Wang shares that he also used one in high school without realizing it was considered “embarrassing,” while Ropp admits he had one too before ditching it after being made fun of; though he still questions why the bag has such a reputation.
“So, I didn’t understand why everyone was like, ‘This is a really great detail to show. This is really funny,’” Ropp says. “I was like, ‘Why? Why is that funny? It’s efficient.’”
Wang’s character wheels his bookbag into English class as he pursues an inappropriate crush on his teacher. Morales, who has previously played educators, including in Language Lessons, which screened at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival and won the Audience Award, portrays a very different kind of teacher here.
“I had so many scenes with Ben, who’s an incredible actor and scene partner and so fun to play off of,” Morales says. “It’s always fun when someone’s obsessed with you and loves you because then you get to go home feeling that way. Although, this particular situation was very inappropriate, and I was glad to shut it down.”
