Chrissy Metz, Marcel Ruiz, & John Smith on the Crazy True Story of Breakthrough

Hey, what's up guys? We're hanging out in the Young Hollywood Studio with Marcel, John, and Chrissy.

Hey.

Hey, guys.

The dream team, right?

Yeah.

We're a trifecta.

Saw this movie last night. It's so amazing. It's such a good tearjerker. A great true story. It's a feel-good movie. I loved this film. Yeah. You guys did a great job.

Well, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, John. So much. I have to ask you first, what did you think about the film?

Chrissy is Chrissy and then Marcel is Marcel. Which means they're awesome.

Thank you.

And all seriousness, they did amazing. I mean, when the first time me and um, my mom and my pastor saw it, the original three, we didn't know what to expect going in like at all. But, you know, when I saw Chrissy cry for the first time in the film, I lost it cuz I could see my mom. She portrayed my mom perfectly. And when I first saw Marcel cast as me, I knew he'd be perfect. And so seeing the film now and that it's done and that it's coming out, I couldn't be more happier.

Yeah. What did you think of that scene? You're so good in this scene when you're crying over Marcel's body, saying, you know, breathe life back into my son. And you really screamed it. I was like, she nailed that scene. I mean, what did you think about that, too? Just I mean, it's just so powerful. It's like the most powerful scene, I think, in the film really. That that mother stepping out in faith, going, Holy Spirit, please save my son. It just it sets the tone for the whole film, I think, you know.

Yeah, absolutely. Just seeing how, you know, it proves even today how a mother's love is just so powerful.

Yeah. Did you guys all work together with the real family on how to portray these characters?

No, it was sort of two weeks into filming where we first ever met. Um, Jason and, of course, Joyce and John. And, of course, it was like a magical, emotional experience, but yeah, I mean, it's powerful. And, you know, we're actors, but this is their life. And this is going to be in history as the portrayal of their life and this incredible story. And so, yeah, there's a little bit of responsibility that goes into that, for sure.

You guys did a great job.

Thank you.

What would you say was the hardest scene to shoot?

For me, it was the first scene which I was praying over, you know, John over Marcel. Yeah. Um, also I didn't really know Marcel, and I thought if I'm going to if I'm going to

You're grabbing a speed. You're grabbing a speed.

I'm like and I literally said to him, I was like, hey, uh, if Viola Davis snot bubble on you or whatever that happens, whatever's going to happen. Which it did. Whatever's going to happen. You got to be real. Listen, in the real and the moment this it's it is what it is. I mean, it's such an important beginning of the story. It really pushes along what the journey really is about, but that for me was was challenging.

I mean, for me, there's so many important scenes in this movie that that I mean, to pick one is actually very hard, but but yeah, I mean, for me, it was also the first scene that I shot, which I don't know if they did that on purpose. They they made our first scenes the hardest, which was awesome because it it really got us into the character and

Wait, what was the first scene for you? You laying on the table?

So for me, my my first scene was actually the lake scene on the ice.

On the ice. Okay.

So I feel like that that prepped me and and got me into the character much more than it prepared me to to know what was going to come in these next two months of filming and and really understand the story and what John had to go through because that was cold that day. And I was suffering and struggling and when I realized that I couldn't imagine what John had to go through.

Was it hard because he has to play, you know, the typical son with his mom. Was it hard not to laugh when Chrissy's like dancing next to you in the car? You got your headphones in trying to ignore your mom.

The hardest was having to be mean to her. He says that in front of all y'all. Yeah. Cuz I had to be mean to her. Like like I had to be that like teenage guy that is like, no, mom, stop embarrassing me. And we're like best friends, but like in between takes we'd be laughing. Marcel taught me how to rap a little bit.

She knew how to rap on her own. Let's do it. We're not going to do that here because

Yeah.

She loves Post Malone. No, well, I do. I do. I do. Um, anyhow, uh, but it was really fun to like have some levity in between takes because, you know, the content is so emotional and it's so important and yeah, Marcel trying to teach me to be cool. I'm still working on it, folks. But, yeah.

John, we have to talk about literally, you died and came back to life. It must be crazy for you because you were just in a coma for all of this. Then you wake up and everyone's cheering for you, they're making a movie, they're doing all this and that. It must be a weird feeling, just overall the whole thing, right?

Yes, I I'm very tired. But uh, it is it it's it's different because I'm just a Saint Louis boy out here in L. A. Um, trying to pick up on things that we find out about two years after you guys just started doing it. So it's it's definitely different, but it is a huge blessing to be here. Um, it's a huge blessing to have this film. And it's also it's incredible to know these two wonderful people and you know, to be able more importantly to have a friendship, you know, it's it's for me and for our fam my family specifically. Breakthrough, yes, is a film and it will come out, but for us, this is a relationship built for the long run.

It's very heartwarming. Um, I have to mention two things I didn't know about the movie that I didn't know until after I saw you were on the soundtrack. Like I looked it up on YouTube, like, that's her voice. You're amazing.

Thank you. Thank you. Diane Warren wrote a song, I'm standing with you. Um inspired by the incredible first responder ceremony where everyone stands up in the church who was instrumental in John's healing. And she was so inspired that she wrote the song and I get to sing it. Um, uh, yeah, the title track of the soundtrack, so it's

Very good. Thank you. And one more thing, Steph Curry was an executive producer on this film.

He sure is.

I know I know John loves basketball, and I love basketball too, and it's always been a dream of mine to to be able to play basketball in a film. And just meeting John like instantly, I knew he was as competitive as I was. So I could very much relate to him and and talk trash with John. But I mean, when they told me about Steph Curry producing this film, I like literally like started shouting and screaming and started like like running around and Roxana, the director was like, are you okay? Like, and you were like, okay. I would be like, she was like, I would be like that if that was Adele or something. Right, I totally get it. Totally. She's going to be here. But it was amazing. And I've met him already. He's such a humble guy and he's the perfect person to be part of this project because that's what this project is about about, you know, spreading this this beautiful story and this uh, family coming together the power of a mother's love is really strong for for the cast and the community and for Steph. So, I'm really excited that he's part of it.

Absolutely.

Yeah. It's a good Mother's Day movie to see too, right?

That too, folks. That too. We're just plugging it.

Yeah. Thank you guys so much. Thanks for coming in and congrats on all your success.

Thank you.

Thank you for having us.