On December 5, the IndieWire Honors Winter 2024 ceremony will have fun the creators and stars accountable for crafting a few of the 12 months’s greatest movies. Curated and chosen by IndieWire’s editorial group, IndieWire Honors is a celebration of the filmmakers, artisans, and performers behind movies nicely price toasting. We’re showcasing their work with new interviews main as much as the Los Angeles occasion.
Sean Baker is known for his fashionable fairy tales, from “Tangerine” and “The Florida Mission” to his current Palme d’Or winner, “Anora.” In his newest and best movie, the author/director conjures up a vibrant romance between a witty New York stripper (Mikey Madison) and a Russian oligarch (Mark Eydelshteyn). The crucial darling has since turn out to be an awards frontrunner with vital Oscar buzz.
That atypical Cinderella story may earn Baker some lengthy overdue credit score with the Academy, however the business has acknowledged the facility of his films in different methods for years. Simon Rex stated he nonetheless feels the “life-changing” affect of his magical expertise starring in Baker’s “Purple Rocket” from 2021. The actor will host our upcoming IndieWire Honors ceremony on December 5 in Los Angeles.
“It’s been this unbelievably robust time within the business currently and I’m grateful that I’ve been working quite a bit,” stated Rex, citing a number of upcoming initiatives. “I attribute all of it to ‘Purple Rocket,’ actually. With that film, it felt like everyone within the business noticed me immediately doing a Sean Baker venture and began arriving with direct presents. It’s been very nice.”
Rex stated Baker reignited his potential as a Hollywood actor after the multi-hyphenate expertise steered too far into music and his rapper persona, Dust Nasty. Having missed scads of auditions in Los Angeles whereas opening for the Purple Sizzling Chili Peppers in Europe, the previous MTV host felt resigned to his performing profession having stalled.
“I might’ve been advantageous if it ended there,” stated Rex. “I might’ve been like, ‘Hey, I did higher than 99 p.c of folks that come to Hollywood.’ However then, after ‘Purple Rocket,’ individuals for the primary time in my life noticed me in a unique mild and so they revered me. I’ve by no means had that earlier than. It was at all times, ‘Oh, he’s humorous and may slip on a banana peel — however is he a actual actor?’”
In “Purple Rocket,” Rex performs Mikey Saber: a retired porn actor who returns to his Texas hometown with an inescapable tendency towards havoc. Mike has a allure that’s lovable and certain rooted in Rex’s jack-of-all-trades background. As an actor, he rose to fame on a gentle stream of sitcoms and “Scary Film” sequels. And 15 years in the past, he even sat driver’s aspect within the viral music video for Kesha’s “TiK ToK.”
“America loves a comeback,” Rex stated. “We like to see individuals blow up, disappear, and are available again — virtually prefer it’s the hero’s journey or one thing.”
When casting “Purple Rocket,” Baker was unconventional in each sense. The filmmaker had Rex (then residing full-time within the distant desert of Joshua Tree) self-tape out of the blue, he stated, after which requested the actor to not inform his administration when capturing began. The fairy godfather act gave Rex not simply a chance to show himself in a drama, however the confidence to return to the craft. That second may not have come had Rex’s different performing work been steadier — or his impulse to self-promote stronger.
“The entire thing was a cheerful accident, a type of uncommon, unicorn, once-in-a-lifetime issues simply occurs,” stated Rex. “If I had not disappeared and never labored for therefore lengthy, Sean by no means would’ve employed me. There have been loads of large actors that wished to be in ‘Purple Rocket,’ however Sean likes out-of-the-box casting. So it labored out for me, simply not by design.”
Noting that Baker’s major objective was at all times to win the Palme d’Or (which, once more, he now has), Rex remains to be rooting for the director to win Finest Image on the Oscars. Rex and “Anora” star Mikey Madison solely met briefly through the movie’s premiere in Los Angeles, he stated, however he’s following the press marketing campaign carefully. Rex gained Finest Male Lead on the Impartial Spirit Awards in 2022 and recalled Baker telling him then that the Academy wasn’t prone to acknowledge “Purple Rocket” as a result of it included male nudity.
“He stated, ‘The festivals and the Indie Spirits are going to like ‘Purple Rocket’ after which the Academy Awards are going to run the opposite method,’” Rex stated. “And so they did. Now, I believe they’ll embrace ‘Anora’ greater than ‘Purple Rocket,’ but it surely’ll be attention-grabbing to see. I’m simply hoping Sean will get some nominations and a few wins as a result of the film deserves it.”
Rex continued, “I’ve already seen it 3 times. It’s my favourite film of the 12 months. Possibly I’m being biased, but it surely’s simply so good and each time — each time he makes a film — Sean retains getting higher. And now, persons are speaking about him not simply in Hollywood however in every single place. It feels prefer it’s simply his time.”
This summer season, Rex appeared in theaters for Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut “Blink Twice.” He has a slate of upcoming movie and TV initiatives scheduled for 2025, together with gigs that see him co-starring with Bryan Cranston, Allison Janney, Kate Mara, Vince Vaughn, Al Pacino, and extra. Waiting for the upcoming awards season, Rex spoke extremely of “The Substance” and “Emilia Pérez.” At IndieWire Honors, Rex will assist have fun the latter by presenting the Highlight Award to actress and musician Selena Gomez.
“There are solely so many seats on the Hollywood desk that you may sit at,” stated Rex. “I’m simply pleased to have mine again.” Solely subsequent week, after all, he’ll be standing at a podium.