'Ruby Sparks' Stars Paul Dano & Chris Messina Bring the Love

do I really get to keep this?

Yes, of course.

Second time in here. Okay. If you come back, we'll give you a we'll give you a commemorative Young Hollywood pillow. What's up guys? Nikki Novak here in the Young Hollywood studio with Paul Dano and Chris Messina, stars of Ruby Sparks. How are you guys?

Good. How are you doing?

Good. The last time you were in here, you would talked about working with De Niro and the first thing he did to you when you got on set was give you a big bear hug.

That's right.

Did he pay it forward with you?

He didn't, no. He was he's he's was very mean to me when I was first met him.

Really? Why? Why are you mean? He gave you a bear hug?

Yeah, it was very disarming, gentle. I'll show you. It's like it's like this. Yeah, it's really nice. Should I just leave? That's really nice. He's a good hugger.

He's a great hugger. He was bragging about it last time. I wish I knew that when we were shooting the movie because I would have tried to got get more of those on set, but what are you going to do?

This is the true and impossible story of my very great love, Ruby Sparks.

You see this and think it's magic.

Hi, Ruby.

Hi. But falling in love is an act of magic. You don't know Jack about women.

I know Ruby. I wrote her.

Just don't tell me how it ends, okay?

I won't. I promise.

Well you play brothers. So you're obviously very close.

We do.

So you're obviously very close.

We look a lot alike.

You do. You do.

We don't. When when I For movie-making purposes, it all works. I when I read the script, uh it was somebody said you should read the script, it's great and I I said I'd love to read it and they said you'll be playing Paul Dano's brother and and I said I don't look anything like Paul Dano. And then I auditioned for it and um I heard they might be interested in me, but they didn't think I look like Paul Dano. And so then someone said I should dye my hair and light my eyebrows and I dyed my hair and light my eyebrows and I still didn't look like Paul Dano.

Wow.

I will say Chris came in and he was the only person who brought um love to the table. The part he plays is very funny and he's brilliant in it, but um you gotta we had to have that and even though we didn't look anything alike, he was the only person who felt like a brother.

Have you tried writing more? Write something about her and see if it comes true. If it does, it's a miracle. That was insane. You manifest a woman with your mind. You can make her do anything you want. For men everywhere, tell me you're not going to let that go to waste.

I know your real-life girlfriend, Zoe, cause I wrote it.

So did she didn't make you audition, did she?

No, she didn't. I just I just had to pleasure her for a few years and then and then you get the part then she wrote a script.

It's the Hollywood casting couch.

That's right.

Come to life.

That's right.

Well, I know you're a writer in the film and you sort of pen your dream girl and she comes to life. Real life 10 seconds each, your dream girl. Go. Describe your dream girl.

You.

Wow. Half a second. There you go. I can't beat that. You take yours. It can be her too.

She's her?

No, it's Zoe.

Oh, it's Zoe. You want to you have to you have to say that.

I have to say it, but I want to say it. It's true.

No, he feels it. And so working together, is it good working together? Does it does it

Look, it was not without its challenges. Um I think work was actually really good and I hope there was an intimacy and chemistry that we could bring to the characters and it was really fun for us to day dream about trying to go make a film that we could be proud of, but uh, definitely after a 14-hour day, going home together

Right, there was you know, there was little domestic quibbles every now and again. Just leave me alone for a little while.

And you're working with your little Miss Sunshine directors. You can take that home with you. Well, you had your security blanket in the film, so that could be your security blanket, the Young Hollywood pillow.

Yeah. do I really get to keep this?

Yes, of course. Second time in here. Yes, okay. If you come back, we'll give you a we'll give you a commemorative Young Hollywood pillow.

Yeah.

Wow.

Yeah.

Wow. Now it looks like I can see how things were on set now. Just trying to.

Okay, I'm sorry. Yeah. I heard you do a Julia Child.

I do a mean Julia Child.

You calling are you I'm calling you a, yeah. Julie and Julia, one of my favorite movies.

Thank you. But I do a mean Meryl Streep playing Julia.

This is Nikki playing Meryl playing Julia. But not a mean. She's not. No. No. Ooh, ooh, I do. I really, really do. It's really good.

I just heard crickets.

I liked it.

How was it?

I liked it. It was very good. I I didn't I couldn't Yeah, I couldn't tell the difference between

No one takes on Meryl like like you. Young Hollywood studio takes on Meryl. So I know your character in the movie, you hate the word genius. And both of you've worked with such luminaries in the business, who would you describe as genius?

Ah, it's it it's still a a sensitive word, I I think. Um, just because I I think actually what part of our film is about is how we create an idea of somebody and we're maybe not seeing the real thing and I often think you put that word onto somebody and I don't really know if it does them any good, even though you mean it as a compliment. But I I feel uh, really lucky. I've worked with some some people who I really admire. Um, who are I'll just say, I don't want to use the word genius, but are very, very good at what they do and Um, I think a lot of people involved in this film actually, I I feel that way about.

I said I like that was well said. I mean, you know, you Danny uh Daniel Day-Lewis, Robert De Niro, you have a great list of uh amazing actors, but you know what? I and I'm not just saying this because I'm sitting next to him and and I'm not just saying this because it's this movie, but you know, I think Paul and Zoe are are incredible, incredible actors and uh their work ethic and the way they go about it and their devotion to to going deeper uh is been was an a great experience for me. So, you know, I I I got to work with great people and I think Paul Dano is the top of my list.

Totally agree. He's blushing.

Yeah, I can come on. Come on. Give me that pillow. Let's hug again. No. Thank you.

Such a happy cast.

It's a good Yeah, yeah, we really like each other.

On that note, thanks guys for coming.

Thanks for having us.

Congrats on the movie. That was a great Julia Child too.

Thank you. We're never doing it again.