Today marks the release of Paramount Pictures and writer/director John Krasinski’s IF. To celebrate we’re bringing you a special Q&A with one of the film’s two lead human actors, Cailey Fleming. You’ll know Cailey as the sword-wielding Judith Grimes on the AMC horror-drama television series The Walking Dead but this new role is miles away from that post-apocalyptic future.
IF is about a girl (Fleming) who discovers that she can see everyone’s imaginary friends — and what she does with that superpower — as she embarks on a magical adventure to reconnect forgotten IFs with their kids.
In our five-star review of the film Matt says “IF is an absolute delight to experience. John Krasinski has crafted a pure, beautiful and endearing story that plays across all your emotions! With perfect casting in both the lead roles and the voices for the flurry of Imaginary Friends littered throughout. The movie flawlessly navigates through the hearts of all the viewers and makes you believe in Imaginary Friends again, even for a little bit.”
Before diving in to the Q&A why not watch the film’s final trailer one more time:
Tell us about the relationship between your character, Bea, and Ryan Reynolds’ Cal. Who is she and why do they connect?
“Bea is a young girl who goes through a tough time and has to deal with those emotions. She discovers the superpower that she has, which is that she can see everyone’s IFs. And Cal is the only other person who can see them. So they strike up this unexpected friendship and go on this adventure throughout the movie to try and connect these IFs with new kids, since their old kids have grown up. They’re an amazing team.”
What makes them such a good team?
“I think it’s because they’re very similar, but also very different. Ryan’s character is obviously very witty – I mean, it’s Ryan. But at the end of the day, they both want the same thing, which is to help these IFs.”
What are IFs?
“IFs are imaginary friends. That’s what it stands for. And they are basically a reflection of your mind. Every IF is different, they’re completely customized to you. And kids create them based off what they need. John [Krasinski] explains it really well. He says, like, if you’re getting bullied at school, then maybe you would create an IF that’s big, to protect you or give you a hug, things like that. I think it’s special in that way as it reflects every child’s brain. And that makes IFs 10 times more special than they already are. I mean, you have to love a big purple monster!”
What were your funniest moments with Ryan, on set?
“I don’t know how I kept a straight face. When you do see me have a straight face in the movie, just know that it was nearly impossible. That was probably the only take that I didn’t laugh. The IF interviews scene [in which Bea, Cal and Lewis audition various IFs to see which kids they could possibly pair with] was my favorite. That’s the hardest I’ve ever laughed in my life. If I would have had a drink, it would have come out of my nose. I was falling off my chair. And it’s all because I had Ryan sitting right next to me. I would be dying laughing and he just wouldn’t break character because he’s so professional. Not me, clearly.”
Who are your favorite IFs in the movie, and why?
“My favorite is Lewis, the teddy bear [played by the late, great Louis Gossett Jr.]. His story is so sweet. And you’ll see that in the film. He’s a warm, cute, cuddly teddy bear. Obviously, Blue [played by Steve Carell] is going to be everybody’s favorite – he’s this eight-foot-tall purple monster who looks like he would give the best hugs. And then there’s Keith. Keith is invisible. He’s pretty awesome.”
John says that Ryan insisted you were Number One on the call sheet and in the credits. How did it feel when he did that?
“I almost feel like that’s not real. I’ve never been the lead in anything before. So I got so lucky that my first time doing it was with this cast and this crew, having Ryan and John beside me. They definitely helped guide me through it. It’s a big role to take on, being the lead. But they know how it feels because they went through the same thing. I was very lucky I had them.”
What are John and Ryan like on set?
“They’re both super sweet and hilarious. They both work so hard. I know everybody says that but, seriously, it’s true. I wish everybody could see them in action. It’s kind of incredible, John directing and acting and writing the film. It’s like, ‘Wow, how do you even do that?’ And then you have Ryan, who produced the film too, and starred in it. And they do that all while having a family at home. I don’t know how they juggle it all with such grace, but they do.”
To help you and Ryan react to the IFs, John would act out with puppets on set. What was that process like for you?
“To be honest, I think John had a lot of fun with that. There was this one character in particular, called Cosmo, who is literally just a shadow with eyeballs in a trench coat and top hat. John had a lot of fun torturing Ryan with Cosmo. And I had a lot of fun sitting there watching it and laughing my butt off. It was so fun every day on set, the crew would always be cracking up laughing.”
In what ways was John torturing Ryan with Cosmo?
“For different puppets John would move in different ways. If he had Blue, he’d move in a slow, lumbering kind of way. But Cosmo was very physical. Cosmo is hilarious. He gets all up in your personal space. And he’s all over Ryan in the movie. John had a lot of fun playing that.”
Emily Blunt, John’s wife, has gone on record saying you’re one of the best actresses she’s ever seen. How does that feel?
“Emily is so sweet. She’s incredibly talented. That’s the biggest honor to me, to be complimented by her. Emily did come to visit the set a few times. She’s super busy with a million different things, but she was so supportive of us and everything that we did – and is obviously very supportive of John. Every time she was on set, it would be like a little refresher. I’d give her a hug, then go film. It would make my day.”
You’ve worked in different movie universes before, like the Star Wars universe and Marvel’s MCU. How does the John Krasinski Cinematic Universe compare?
“Well, it’s very different! [Laughs] I don’t even think you could compare it to anything I’ve done in the past. Obviously, The Walking Dead was very dark. Loki was superheroes. And this is a really fun, heartfelt family movie. So unique and original. John wrote it and came up with the idea himself. I just feel lucky he chose me. I think about that all the time. He could have picked anybody. Out of everyone in the world, he chose me. I get overwhelmed whenever I think about that.”
John says he wanted to make this movie for his daughters. Have you met them?
“Yes, I’m lucky enough to know them. John talked about how he made A Quiet Place. And obviously that’s not a kid-friendly movie! I think he wanted to create something special for his kids. And he did that with IF. I’m really excited for them to see it.”
Tell us about the big musical sequence in the movie. What was that like to shoot?
“Yes, there is a dance. Originally, I wasn’t going to be in that scene, which is crazy to me! I’ve been dancing since I was one. It’s always been my dream to dance in a movie. So, Mandy Moore, our choreographer, taught me this little piece of the choreography in the office one day. It was very sloppy because I just learned it, but she videoed it and showed it to John. And he didn’t know I could dance! He saw that video and texted me, all in capitals: ‘OH MY GOSH! YOU CAN DANCE??’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ve been dancing since I was one!’ And he had no clue. So then he put me in the scene and I got my dream come true. It has to be one of my favorite scenes in the film. I think everyone’s going to love it.”
The scene sees you dancing with a load of IFs. How did you shoot it?
“There were probably around 10 dancers in motion capture suits dancing with us. And there are two IFs who are knights. They are in the back [of the shot] and the knights were actually there, in full armour, doing this whole dance sequence. It would be me and them dancing on this humongous stage. I was so nervous. And John was like, ‘Just do it. You can do it.’ I had so much fun after that, getting all the nerves out and dancing with these knights in full armour. I mean, come on!”
What’s the best text message you’ve ever had from John Krasinski?
“That’s hard. He gives out compliments all the time, which is very sweet and kind of him. But I got to hear a little snippet of the live recording of the music that we have for the movie. I wasn’t able to be there with them [when they recorded it] so he sent me a little video of it. I listened to it and started tearing up, because it is so beautiful. It completely elevates it.”
Where were you when you got that text?
“I was in Disneyland, eating dinner and riding roller coasters and he was at this live recording, with the composer. I was on cloud nine already because I was in Disneyland and then I got that text, and my day was made!”
How do you think it will feel when you get to see the finished film?
“I’m still in denial a bit that it’s real, even though we shot it! I’ve seen the trailer and poster and everything. But I think I won’t really believe it’s real until I see it myself. Which is kind of crazy. I can’t believe it’s, like, actually a thing. But it is and it’s so magical. It’ll have a place in my heart forever.”
Did you have an imaginary friend as a kid?
“I didn’t. But out of all the ones in this movie, I think my favorite is Lewis. He’s so cute, very wise, intelligent, and softly spoken. He’s kind of like the leader of all the IFs. You’ll get to know more about his story in the movie. It’s super special to me.”
When you look back on this film in 10 years’ time, what do you think your most vivid memory of it will be?
“I loved all of it. But I can say that any time we filmed in Coney Island it was on a whole other level. Obviously, shooting on location makes it a lot more difficult because of the weather. But I think a lot of the heart of this movie is in Coney Island. There are a lot of special scenes there. I could really feel the magic.”
What can families expect from IF?
“Whenever I watch a movie, I rate it based on how it makes me feel. I like to feel good and inspired or refreshed after watching a film. My hope is that people will walk out of the theater feeling differently than when they walked in. I hope that they learn from it and revisit their childlike imagination. I hope it places a spark in people’s minds. And I really want people to be smiling when they walk out. That’s really all I can ask for. One of the beautiful things about the movie is that the audience grows along with Bea, goes on this journey with her and all the IFs. The feeling of the start of this movie is completely different to how it feels at the end.”
