The last few weeks have been pretty rough for Kevin Hart, with the comedian getting, then losing, the Academy Award hosting job. Now he’s back doing what he does best: starring in movies. This time around, he’s getting a little serious. Deco’s Chris Van Vliet talked with the stars of “The Upside.”
We’re used to Kevin Hart making jokes about being short or getting made fun of by The Rock. In “The Upside,” he plays the most serious version of himself we’ve ever seen — and dare I say, we like it!
Kevin Hart (as Dell): “Don’t your arms work?”
Bryan Cranston (as Phillip): “They don’t.”
Kevin Hart (as Dell): “You can move your mouth.”
Bryan Cranston (as Phillip): “As can you.”
In “The Upside,” we meet Phillip, a super rich but super grumpy quadriplegic, played by Bryan Cranston, who’s in need of a caretaker.
Chris Van Vliet: “So much of acting, Bryan, is reacting. How difficult was it for you to act when you could only act from here up?”
Bryan Cranston: “That’s all I do, anyway. Yeah, I have this little speakerphone, I phone it in.” (laughs)
Bryan Cranston (as Phillip): “I need assistance.”
Kevin Hart (as Dell): “How much does it pay? Hell yeah, man, hell yeah!”
He decides to hire Kevin Hart’s character, Dell, who is fresh out of jail and on parole. Despite being from completely different worlds, they end up working together pretty well.
Chris Van Vliet: “A lot of the movie talks about the differences between you guys, but I think that your characters have a lot in common. What kind of commonalities do you think they have?”
Kevin Hart: “That’s a good question. They’re naturally good people. You’re dealing with two good hearts that have kind of been broken in some degree.”
As the movie goes on, the two develop an unlikely friendship and show each other that life is worth living to the fullest.
Bryan Cranston (as Phillip): “Just relax!”
Kevin Hart (as Dell): “I am relaxed! This is me being relaxed!”
Chris Van Vliet: “Your characters are able to find the upside in the situations that they’re in, and I’m wondering if you can help me find the upside in some everyday common things that happen, like sitting in traffic. What’s the upside there?”
Bryan Cranston: “The upside to that is that you can actually have time, then, to look at the people and criticize everyone you see around you.”
Kevin Hart: “That’s very true, especially depending on what you drive. ‘Look at that. I would never drive that.'”
I tried to ask about another situation, but apparently Kevin didn’t follow.
Chris Van Vliet: “What about the upside to being stuck in a middle seat on an airplane?”
Bryan Cranston: (laughs) “Pretend that you find yourself in that situation.”
Kevin Hart: “I don’t understand. What does he mean?”
Bryan Cranston: “Well, see, when people have to fly commercial airlines, there are some seats that are actually next to other people who you don’t know.”
Chris Van Vliet: “Yeah, strangers.”
Kevin Hart: “There’s other people?”
Bryan Cranston: “There’s other people you don’t know on the plane with you. See, that’s what he’s talking about.”
Kevin Hart: “Whoa!”
“The Upside” opens in theaters Friday — but don’t get used to seeing this serious side of Kevin Hart. His next two movies are “The Secret Life of Pets 2” and “Jumanji 2.”
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.