What Comes Around’s Amy Redford Talks Casting Summer Phoenix and Casey Affleck’s Son: No ‘Favors’
04.08.2023 - 15:05
/ usmagazine.com
Amy Redford opened up about casting Summer Phoenix‘s son Indiana — whom she shares with ex Casey Affleck — alongside his mother in IFC Films’ What Comes Around.
“I did nobody any favors,” the director, 52, exclusively told Us Weekly during a joint interview with star Grace Van Dien, ahead of the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike. “We auditioned people and we auditioned him. It was [Indiana’s] heart-forward sort of portrayal of a young teenage boy that was a counterbalance to Jesse [Kyle Gallner] that we needed so much.”
She continued: “Of course it’s great that everybody had a bit of a shorthand with the schedule that we had. That was a bonus, but it was all on the merit of what they brought to the table for sure.”
Van Dien, 26, for her part, praised Phoenix, 44, for her support on and off screen.
“Summer is amazing. I love her so much. She invited me to come stay with her while we were filming [and] I think it was easy [playing her daughter],” the actress shared with Us. “I don’t have a great relationship with my mom. So, I feel like when I have parts [with characters] that have moms, it’s an easy fit in the slot for me. She’s just a really fun person to be around. This is probably the easiest project I’ve ever been a part of just in terms of getting along with everyone.”
What Comes Around, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2022, focuses on the challenges that arise for Beth (Phoenix) after her daughter, Anna (Van Dien), starts talking to an older man named Eric (Gallner) online. Indiana, meanwhile, plays Anna’s friend who has a crush on her.
Redford brought writer Scott Organ‘s vision to life after he penned the play The Thing With Feathers, which served as an inspiration for