The Actors
Genre: Drama
Director: Alex Conn
Writer: Alex Conn
Cast: James McAvoy, Gillian Jacobs, Alia Shawkat, Krysten Ritter, JB Smoove, Odessa Young
Plot: The film begins with an audition for an Off Broadway Play. The year is 2017. Chloe (Gillian Jacobs) who is in the audition is trying her hardest to give a great performance but for some reason or another she is not connecting with the casting director
Chloe goes out of the audition into the New York City streets lighting a cigarette where she sees a marquee with Peter Lansing (James McAvoy), her ex boyfriend from high school on it. Chloe calls Peter not expecting to get anything. Peter surprisingly picks up the phone. Peter suggests that they should go get dinner sometime. Chloe says that she has been a big fan of all his acting. Chloe congratulates Peter on the play and Chloe says she always knew that Peter was more talented than her. Peter says last night was my last night on the play. Peter says that Chloe actually did great in the high school plays. She was often the lead even as a junior which is rare. Chloe jokingly says Peter was the lead in both the fall play and spring musical in sophomore year and got like 3 Metro awards.Peter says Chloe got two nominations. Chloe made. Everybody knew that Peter Lansing was going to go to Broadway.
Chloe has card night with the girls. Pretty much all of them she’s been friends with since high school. Chloe mentions she talked to Peter and that he has the same phone number that he had in high school. The girls swoon. One of the girls, Gabriella (Alia Shawkat) asks Chloe if she’s still into him. Gabriella mentions that in college she was crying her eyes out when he dumped up to be in some touring production of Rent. Chloe says that I still remember that night. Chloe says it’s just crazy that he’s a star. Chloe mentions that he has a Tony Award. Janie (Krysten Ritter), who is another girl in the gang, says sometimes you can’t reach that. Janie says that she majored in economics because she could easily get a job out of college. Janie works at Goldman Sachs. Janie says she could probably get Chloe a job at Goldman because she has an economics major to make her parents happy. Gabriella jokes that Janie has the best job and makes the most money out of any of them.
It is 7 am and Chloe is late for her shift at the donut shop. She gets into her uniform and also finds an eviction notice. Chloe is told by her boss that she is late and she is fired. But on the bright side Peter texts her.
Peter brings Chloe to his apartment. see the Tony award on the shelf. Chloe says this is a beautiful place and admires the Tony Award and congratulates him on it. Peter says thank you it’s my most prized possession. Peter says that we’ve talked a lot about me how about we talk about you. Chloe says what about me. Peter says tell me your story. Chloe says that she’s a now out of work actress and she just got fired and is now being evicted from her apartment. Peter offers Chloe a chance to stay in his apartment. He has a guest room. Chloe is reluctant but accepts the offer. Chloe asks Peter what it’s like to be Broadway’s biggest star. Peter says it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be. Chloe says that’s what all stars say. Peter says it’s true though.
Peter is with his friend Tyrone (JB Smoove). Peter asks Tyrone how he is and Tyrone says the stand up comedy is going pretty well. He got an offer from Netflix to do a special. It will be filmed at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles. Peter congratulates him. Tyrone asks Peter how he is. Peter says he has been talking to Chloe, the girl he dated in high school. Tyrone says’’ the girl you broke up with to go on tour for your first show’’. Peter corrects him and says that Chloe broke up with him. Peter says it was her parents they didn’t want her following around some guy around the country doing a show. Peter says Chloe’s parents probably thought he’d be addicted to heroin or something. Tyrone says good luck but don’t be surprised if it goes south. Tyrone says that these kind of relationships are hard because you and Chloe are two different people and you’ve changed a lot since high school.
Peter asks Chloe on a date. The date is to Tyrone’s comedy gig. Tyrone is his character “Joseph Mallory”. Tyrone talks about how his ex fiancé and him wanted to have children but right before the sex Tyrone found out she was cheating on him. Tyrone has a common motto he asks the audience. “If the bitch going lie don’t multiply”
After the gig Peter, Chloe and Tyrone have drinks. Chloe asks how he came up with the Joseph Mallory character. He just came up with the whitest name he could. He thought that would be funny with my black ass with a white as fuck name. Tyrone also says he came up with his motto” if the bitch going lie don’t multiply’’ while smoking weed in his childhood home. When they are walking home Peter says to Chloe that she is going to help her get a role in a big time Broadway play. Chloe says wow and thanks Peter. They kiss. That night they have very passionate intercourse.
Chloe goes to the location where she meets with the casting director and the casting director asks her to read a bit from the play and she does and she does a great job. Chloe calls Peter and he congratulates her on the great job. Chloe says thank you and she asks if he wants to hang out. Peter says I’m busy right now but maybe tomorrow.
Peter is in the strip club with Tyrone. Peter says I know one of the strippers. I could probably get one of the strippers to come hang out in their hotel. Tyrone asks aren’t you dating Chloe? Peter responds by saying it’s kind of a friends with benefits type of deal. Tyrone asks if Chloe knows this and Peter responds by saying yes she does know that.
We then cut to Chloe talking with her girlfriends about how magical everything has been. How good the sex was. We then cut to Peter in a hotel room having sex with the stripper in the hotel room who is named Caramel (Odessa Young) very passionately.
The next day Chloe is talking with Peter. Peter has great news Chloe got a great gig. Chloe kisses Peter.Chloe and Peter have sex but in Peter’s mind he is envisioning having sex with Caramel.
Peter, Tyrone and Chloe are smoking weed. They then play Never Going To Give You Up on their Sonos player. Tyrone says ‘’we just fucking rickrolled ourselves hallejuah’’
Peter walks Chloe home and Peter is acting a little mean. Peter says he senses some eyes on Tyrone. Peter threatens Chloe that if she leaves him that she will be never see her Broadway dreams and that she will not get the part. Chloe and Peter have sex but Chloe is visibly not enjoying it. Peter leaves and Chloe cries.
The film then reveals it is October 2017 by having the Harvey Weinstein allegations. There is a girls card game night with all of Chloe’s girlfriends who we met earlier on in the film. Chloe and Peter go talk and they have coffee and Peter says that she got the part but the director is a personal friend so if the breakup happens she will be replaced. Chloe is both happy and scared. Chloe thinks about her dreams of being a Broadway star and how they are finally coming true.
Peter and Tyrone go to a strip club and Tyrone tells Peter that he shouldn’t be here because he’s in a relationship. Peter says that he always sees Chloe looking at other men’s private parts. Tyrone is surprised. Peter says that the attraction is pretty much gone and he’s doing so much for her because he feels bad and his image is good for.
It is revealed on tv that Peter Lansing cheated on his ex wife and his ex wife is writing a tell all on Peter’s abusive behavior and multiple women who had sex with Peter tell creepy stories. Peter talks to Chloe and Peter says it’s all bullshit and he won’t be ousted like Harvey Weinstein and his lawyers are all over it. Peter keeps repeating he’s not Harvey Weinstein. My ex is crazy. Chloe doesn’t believe him and leaves.
Caramel also breaks up with Peter Lansing in a very profane argument. Caramel cries and says to never fucking talk to me again and storms out of the apartment.
Chloe goes to Janie’s apartment and balls her eyes out. Janie is comforting Chloe. Chloe describes the bad side of the relationship with Peter. Janie dries her eyes out. Chloe says that I’ll never make my dreams as an actress come true. Janie says that’s something that a lot of us have to realize. Janie describes how she’s not a Tony Award winning actress she just liked to play on a high school stage. Janie says she can get Chloe a job interview at Goldman Sachs tomorrow.
Chloe and Janie are about to take the train to the interview. Peter tries to get Chloe back but fails. Janie also calls him a loser. They both walk in opposite directions but before they cry and wish each other best of luck in life. Chloe runs into Caramel on the street and they have a conversation where Caramel tells her story to Janie and they hug.
The film ends with Chloe at an interview for a job at Goldman Sachs. She mentions the fact that she has an economics degree and graduated top of her class at Tufts University. She walks out of that interview feeling happy. Chloe is asked by the interviewer why she has only brief experience in economics before she was 26 which was she interned at Morgan Stanley in her junior year of college then it’s all retail and restaurant jobs. Chloe says that both her parents worked on Wall Street. Chloe talks about the romance of sales jobs and acting. She said before recently she was committed to acting. The interviewer asks why she stopped and Chloe says a personal reason. We then hear Gary Jules’ cover of Mad World as the credits roll. youtu.be/ZUtAe5PUKtE
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