Chris Rock says he originally planned to stay behind the camera on his new film, “Misty Green,” and picture Donald Glover in his role.
Rock wrote and directed the comedy-drama, which stars Rosalind Eleazar as Misty Green, a fading actress trying to make a comeback. Rock plays Jordan, a director. He told Variety he decided to act “at the last minute.” “It was a self-imposed ‘F–k being on camera,’” he said.
“I was actually imagining Donald Glover. He’s really hard to get. But I love him. We’re talking about another thing.”
The cast also includes Adam Driver, Daniel Kaluuya, Anna Kendrick and Topher Grace. Rock said getting most of them was easy. “Everybody else was like, ‘I can’t wait to do this movie!’” he said.
Kaluuya, who plays Misty’s brother, was the exception. “Daniel was kind of retired,” Rock said. “I had to beg him.” He said he went to Kaluuya’s hotel and “definitely tap-danced.”
Kaluuya knew Eleazar from British theater, Rock said, and was the only one who really knew how good she was. “That’s what got him excited, more than anything.”
Driver and Kendrick were big fans of Rock’s 2014 film “Top Five.” Rock said Driver liked it so much that he called every “six to eight months” to ask what Rock was working on. “And this time I happened to be working on something,” Rock said.
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