Ghost Thriller Reveals Family Secrets Through Haunting Supernatural Lens

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Back in 2013, when I was still relatively unknown, Steven Soderbergh gave me my big break by casting me as Tom Cleary, a sneaky ambulance driver, in his period medical drama series, “The Knick.” Fast forward to a decade later, amidst a SAG-AFTRA strike and my run on Broadway in 2023, Soderbergh reached out to me again. This time, he offered me the opportunity of a lifetime – a significant role in his innovative supernatural thriller titled “Presence.” Remarkably, Soderbergh had secured an interim agreement to film this self-funded project during the strike, and Neon later bought the rights for a whopping $5 million at Sundance.

As a gamer, I’ve just finished watching David Koepp’s screenplay brought to life by Soderbergh in his 34th film. This story revolves around the Payne family, who have moved into a new home after a tragic accident involving Chloe’s (Callina Liang) best friend. Life throws more curveballs our way, and as the patriarch, I, Chris, am struggling to keep my family united. The fifth main character in this tale is an enigmatic ghostly presence that offers me some much-needed support. The entire film is seen through the eyes of this spectral being, giving it a peculiar, almost voyeuristic feel as if we’re secretly listening in on this troubled family’s affairs.

Working the camera continuously as directed by Soderbergh, Sullivan initially found the unorthodox setup quite challenging.

On the first day of filming, it took an end-of-day panic and the following morning’s determination to watch the footage, as Steven doesn’t use monitors on set. After peeking at a few snippets, I finally grasped what was going on, making it a technical challenge due to its uniqueness – something that likely won’t happen again.”

Or, more colloquially:

“I didn’t quite get the hang of things on the first day of shooting because Steven doesn’t have monitors on set. It took a little panic attack and checking out the footage the next morning to figure it all out. It was a new experience, one I probably won’t have again.

Delightfully, Presence does not blatantly provide solutions to all the questions it raises, but instead offers clues that enable the audience to figure things out themselves, a trait that Sullivan admires.

Sullivan expresses his preference for the horror-thriller genre, stating that its viewers often face some condescension. He notes that these films frequently go overboard in explaining themselves, presumably out of fear that the audience might lose interest or struggle to understand certain aspects. Sullivan suggests this may stem from overreliance on feedback cards following test screenings. However, he praises David Koepp for handling this delicately by maintaining a level of ambiguity, thereby empowering the audience to interpret events in their own way. In essence, Koepp prioritized making the audience feel involved and collaborative in the viewing experience over providing exhaustive explanations.

In the latest chat with THR, Sullivan shares some behind-the-scenes insights about his modest role in Better Call Saul.

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Firstly, is everything alright with you and yours amid the wildfires? 

Indeed, the poor air quality has been causing respiratory issues for our little ones, yet we feel secure here. Mainly, we’re pondering over ways to support everyone among our friends who have unfortunately lost their homes during this difficult time.

It’s heartening to know your family has been mostly unscathed, and while I struggle to find the right words, let me ask about your journey to where you are now. After dedicating six years to “This Is Us,” did you intentionally steer clear of another long-term role to have more flexibility for various opportunities? Or was it more spontaneous?

The sequence of events wasn’t planned out in advance. To put it straight, on the day after we finished filming “This Is Us,” I drove to the Fox lot for a costume fitting for another series’ pilot that ultimately didn’t get made. Occasionally, such coincidences are orchestrated deliberately, but this time, I was engaged in a Broadway play [The Thanksgiving Play] during a strike’s end when Steven Soderbergh contacted me. After our conversation, we met at his office, and that was the start. I jumped right into action.

Prior to the pivotal year of 2016, during which you starred in two shows that significantly shaped pop culture – “This Is Us” and “Stranger Things”, you were a recurring character on Steven Soderbergh’s highly acclaimed series, “The Knick”. Given your previous collaboration with him, did you still feel taken aback when he reached out about “Presence”?

It’s never less than a pleasure to receive a message from Steven Soderbergh, even though I might not be surprised given our professional connection. He’s undeniably one of the greats in our field.

Could it be that the father’s name in David Koepp’s screenplay brought to mind your name, as your character is named Chris as well, and perhaps this reminded Soderbergh of a personal connection?

To be completely honest, I’ve never found myself in such a peculiar situation before. I wasn’t comfortable putting you on the spot by asking if this game character, who shares my name, was created with me in mind. It felt awkward to even imagine someone having to say no, but here’s something unexpected – this is the first time I’ve ever played a character that bears my own name. And yes, it was quite strange.

In the role of a family patriarch, you find yourself leading a household that’s recently moved into a new home. It appears that your on-screen son Chris has a particular fondness for his daughter Chloe, while your wife Rebecca seems to be more attached to their athletic son Tyler. Can you share your thoughts on these relationship dynamics?

Indeed, the role seemed quite intriguing to me, with an unusual twist. Typically, the patriarchal figure isn’t the one who expresses emotions freely, but this role required a deeper emotional connection between Lucy and myself. We had engaging discussions about these conventional roles, our plans to portray them, her vision for her character, and how it would impact my performance and vice versa. This dynamic felt fresh, especially since it showed a father being emotionally supportive towards his daughter while challenging his son to become a better person. It was an unusual, yet compelling character depiction.

Were you perhaps wondering if anyone specifically discussed the legal issue that seems to be approaching the family, or did you and Lucy independently formulate your own interpretation of it instead?

In our conversations, there was some ambiguity about it, but Steven’s response was essentially: “It doesn’t make a difference. It’s not crucial.” As an enthusiast of horror-thriller movies, I find that these films often treat their audience with a hint of condescension. They tend to overexplain the plot out of fear of losing viewers or assuming they won’t grasp certain concepts. This is likely due to the feedback received from test audiences and the subsequent analysis of audience feedback cards. However, David Koepp handled this delicately by leaving room for interpretation, enabling the audience to craft their own narrative journey. It’s less about providing all the answers and more about making the audience feel like active participants in this shared experience, given the unique perspective from which the story unfolds.

The angle in question is associated with an ethereal presence that not only watches over, but also occasionally acts on our behalf. Initially, I thought the film was primarily shot using drone footage. However, it turns out that Soderbergh filmed the entire production using a Sony A7 camera stabilized at all times, while wearing slippers. Did you find it took a moment to adjust to such an unconventional filming setup?

The angle you see is connected to a mysterious entity that monitors and sometimes acts for us. I mistakenly believed the movie was mostly filmed with drones. In fact, Soderbergh shot the entire production using a Sony A7 camera, which he kept stabilized throughout, while wearing slippers. Did it take you a brief moment to get accustomed to that unusual filming technique?

Or:

The angle we see is connected to some spectral presence that monitors and even interacts on our behalf. I thought the movie was primarily drone footage, but in reality, Soderbergh filmed the entire thing using a Sony A7 camera with stabilization, while wearing slippers. Did it take you a moment to adjust to this unconventional filming style?

Absolutely, I get it now. Reviewing the script gave me a technical grasp of the project, but it wasn’t until the first day of filming that I fully grasped the unique aspects of this production. Unlike typical filmmaking, there was no additional footage (coverage), no lens changes, and no lighting adjustments. This was quite different from what you’d normally see on a movie set, which, given my past work with Steven, wasn’t entirely unexpected. However, it was the theatrical quality of these scenes that made it stand out.

On the first day, I experienced a moment of apprehension as I realized that there would be no editing since there was no coverage. Everything would be captured from a single perspective. This realization led to a mini panic attack at the end of the day, prompting me to request to review the footage the next morning because Steven doesn’t use monitors on set. Instead, he relies solely on what the camera shows and whoever is focusing for him.

So, I felt the need to see some playback to understand how a 14 millimeter lens was framing the space so that I could adapt to this distinctive shooting style. After getting a few brief glimpses, I understood the approach better, saying, “Ah, I see what’s going on here.

I needed to be reminded several times about my position during the family argument scene on the back deck. To the best of my knowledge, I wasn’t visible in the camera frame at all as I was positioned quite far off to one side. Steven explained that I had a significant role in this scene, saying “No, you have to stay still because you are going to be the main focus.” This was a new and confusing experience for me since it was my first time dealing with such technical considerations, and I doubt it’ll happen again.

Did they manage to complete the filming and editing within 11 days? I was wondering if you got a chance to see a preliminary version of it before leaving for home?

Of course, I realized there was still much work left undone, so I didn’t ask for a link. During our time on The Knick, Steven would occasionally share with us his favorite scene rough cuts, which was always thrilling.

Did the cast swap ghost stories during filming?

Absolutely! Callina, Eddy, and West (specifically, Mulholland) shared some intriguing tales about their stay at our hotel, and we collectively thought the place might have been a bit spooky, hinting at it being possibly haunted. It’s certainly an old building, showing its age in terms of structure. There’s a butler’s pantry, living quarters for servants, and even a separate staircase for them. In such vintage houses, you often find a second staircase adjacent to the main one, right within the kitchen area. The entire house had an eerie, labyrinthine feel to it, adding to the peculiar atmosphere. To be honest, I’ve encountered a few inexplicable events throughout my life, and finding explanations for them is always more exciting when you embrace the unknown. My childhood favorite TV show was The X-Files, so I guess I’ve been prepared for such experiences.

This interview seems to be following the theme of “The X-Files”. If I were asked to recite the line, “It wouldn’t kill you to stand up for her…one time,” from a particular argument scene in that series, I might emphasize it more than necessary. It can be challenging to differentiate between what I know and what my character knows when delivering such lines. Did you give thought to how you would perform that line?

At the time, I might not have pondered much about it, but when I encountered that particular line in the script, it struck a chord with me. The closest I came to analyzing it was during my reading of the script. I said to myself, “Alright, I mustn’t overthink this moment. It’s just a shared moment between a father and son, let it be that for now, and the rest will unfold naturally.

The presence here evoked similar feelings to what Soderbergh was delving into with Michael Douglas’ daughter in Traffic. As a dad of two little ones, did this topic resonate more profoundly now compared to if you had encountered it a decade ago?

Absolutely. With a son and a daughter now, there’s an entirely fresh dimension of things to worry about, which makes the experiences distinctly unique.

Let me shift our focus to a significant role that could greatly shape your future impact. It’s one that holds deep sentiment for many, including myself, and it involves “Mike Bearmantraut,” the fact-checker on the Better Call Saul Insider Podcast.

(Sullivan, expecting to hear something else, laughs heartily.) You know Mike, huh?

Have you and Chris McCaleb, the editor and podcast host/producer of Saul, not known each other for a long time? Were you classmates in college?

Absolutely! Our friendship dates back a long way, and during that time, he guided me in my early days as a theater actor, helping me prepare for my first professional role. In our post-college years when we were both struggling to find work, we collaborated on several short films. We’ve spent countless hours together, and I recently attended his wedding just a few months ago. Our bond remains strong, and he is truly one of the best friends I have.

For those unfamiliar, there was a large teddy bear at the Better Call Saul office, which they affectionately named Mike Bearmantraut after Jonathan Banks’ character, Mike Ehrmantraut. It seems someone, possibly Chris, came up with an ingenious plan to have you personify this bear as a fact-checker character on their official podcast.

Absolutely, it was indeed Chris who played a significant role in creating and hosting the show. Since he was deeply immersed in both cooking and scriptwriting, his contributions were so extensive that at times, the podcast participants would forget names of people involved. To lighten up the situation, they started playfully asking “Mike,” a fictional character, questions like “Hey Mike, do you remember? What was the name of that actor who had that brief scene in the show?” Chris McCaleb then came up with the idea to have me (an assistant) record lines after the podcast episodes were recorded. He would send me lines of dialogue to record, and these snippets would be subtly incorporated into the podcast later on.

Given my extensive experience in editing numerous podcasts, I find this task quite laborious. Was the final product often put together at the last moment in many instances?

Absolutely! Whenever he needed lines, no matter where I was, I’d hide in a closet with my iPhone and record a quick voice note for him right away.

It was mostly an ADR-type role, but you also attended one of the recordings in person, right? 

Indeed, during the final stages, I managed to join one of the closing episodes. I’m unsure about Bob Odenkirk’s feelings towards it. It seemed uncertain whether he fully grasped the situation, yet I proceeded with my part regardless.

Have I heard anything about playing Mike Bearmantraut again for the podcast connected with Vince Gilligan’s forthcoming Apple TV+ series yet?

I haven’t done it yet. I need to check with Chris McCaleb to see if he’s managing it. If he’s viewing this, I’m available. Mike is all set and prepared.

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Presence is now playing in movie theaters.

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2025-01-27 23:25