Anna Kendrick’s critical smash-hit directorial debut,Woman of the Hour, finally drops on Netflix this week. Her film finds a fresh, modern way to tell a so-called “serial killer” story. Adored by her cast of fellow actors, the widely anticipated film has been described as expertlydirectedby Kendrick, storytelling with a powerful foundation to explore violence and misogyny in American society.
Woman of the Hourexplores the true stories of the victims surrounding “The Dating Game Killer.” In 1978,Rodney Alcala(Daniel Zovatto) appeared on the iconic TV program,The Dating Game, winning a date withChery Bradshaw(played by Kendrick), who had no idea Alcala had already murdered five women. The film co-starsTony Hale(ofVeep,Arrested Development,andInside Out 2fame) as Ed Burke, the unpleasant host ofThe Dating Game.
Collider’sSteve Weintraubsat down with Hale to talk aboutWoman of the Hour. They discuss Hale’s role, inspired by a true person. They also dug deeper, discussing Hale’s early side roles inThe Sopranos,Dawson’s Creek, andSex and the City, and commercial acting work as “the goofy guy who’s not all there.” Check out the full conversation in the video above or in the transcript below
Director Anna Kendrick Knew How To Captain Her Ship
“It’s almost like she knew what we were gonna ask.”
COLLIDER: Congrats on this movie!
TONY HALE: Thank You.
Anna did a fantastic job.
HALE: She did a great job. Anamazingjob.
Honestly, it does not feel like someone’s first film.
Not even a little.
HALE: No, no, no. Not to blow smoke, but it’s worth it because every actor wants to feel like someone’s captaining the ship. Even though we’re like, “I want freedom.” No, we need to know that somebody is captaining the ship, that they know what they want so they can convey that to us.She was always spot-on with exactly what she wanted.It did not come with an arrogance. It did not come with an entitlement, which I think sucks creative energy out of a space. She was so open, of like, “Hey, let’s tell the story, and do it together.” It was just a real free environment.
What was she actually like giving you direction? Obviously, she’s worked with so many talented directors and she’s an actor. How was she conveying what she needed?
HALE: That’s a great question. It’s from the perspective that, it’s almost like she knew what we were gonna ask. It’s kind of like, “You’re probably thinking this, ‘Where’s the camera here? What’s going on? What am I needing right now?'" And I’m like, [laughs], “Yeah! Yeah, that’s exactly it.“She gave the answer to the question that we were already gonna ask, which was nice.She also knows that we are needy artists, that we’re like, “Was that right? Is that what you want?” The encouragement and the guidance. But guidance in a way that is simple, but is on point. It’s not vague. She just knew the game, which was great.
The Female Perspective of ‘Woman of the Hour’
One of the things I really enjoyed about the film is the way she doesn’t focus on the gruesome details. It’s very much told from the perspective of the women. Can you talk about that?
HALE: I play this character, Ed Burke, who is really detached and not a nice guy and a part of a culture that was incredibly, and continues to be, demoralizing and objectifying to women. [Kendrick] parallels that with the story of Rodney Alcala, who had left a string of victims.You heard these victims’ stories — you also heard their voices muted and the culture playing into that.But you’re right; it’s not glorifying the serial killer. It’s not putting that person on a pedestal. If anything, it’s kind of a B-story. Rodney is what he left in his path, their stories, and what was going on in the culture at the time.
I would like to think that I’m not a fan of social media the way some people are. I’m not a fan of having cameras everywhere in society.Butthe one good thing is, I would like to think a monster like this couldn’t exist in today’s day and age.
HALE: Yeah, same, same. I’m a kid of the ’70s and I remember the show. I remember watching it, but I didn’t have enough of a memory to know how much I saw of it. But just the fact that this guy got on the show isbafflingto me. It’s heartbreaking because it’s the seven or eight stories that were actually documented, but they think it was like 130. You just go, “How did that happen?” And you’re right. There’s so much more focus and attention on what’s going on because of media, and you would hope that it wouldn’t happen today.
Tony Hale Talks About Working on Iconic Series
I’m gonna throw a curveball now.
HALE: Oh, snap!
Very early in your career, you did an episode ofThe Sopranos,Dawson’s Creek, andSex and the Cityin the same year.
HALE: Was that the same year? Really?
I did a little research. What was that like? Those three projects very early in the career?
HALE: I was living in New York; this was the late ’90s.Sex and the City, and I would say maybeDawson’s Creek,also, they were reallythe hotshows, and I was doing commercials at the time. My type was “not all there,” so I was always just a goofy guy, which I was loving. Then I remember getting these roles. I was a nurse oncologist onThe Sopranos, and then I was a photographer’s assistant onSex and the City. I was a doctor onDawson’s Creek.
I was so stoked to be playing them. I don’t even know if any of my characters had names, but I was so stoked to be on those sets and so nervous, Steve. I was so nervous. I remember onSopranos, I was a nurse oncologist, Uncle Junior, and I had to give him chemo. When I get nervous, sometimes my hands will shake. I was like, “I’m gonna be the shaking nurse giving chemo to Uncle Junior, a gangster.” Thankfully, I didn’t, but I was petrified and excited at the same time.
Anna Kendrick Has a Date with a Killer In ‘Woman of the Hour’s Latest Trailer
Kendrick also celebrates her feature-length directorial debut with the Netflix film.
The key thing landing those roles early in the career is, it had to be a boost to your ego. Like, “Oh, what I’m doing is working!”
HALE: I would like to say it was a boost to my ego. [Laughs] Man, I was always just like, “Is this okay?” Which has played into my career, but I was nervous. “Is this all right? Is that right? Is this gonna happen again?”
Nothing’s changed since then toWoman of the Hour?
HALE: ToWoman of the Hour. [Laughs]
“Am I doing it right?”
HALE: “Am I doing it right? Is that right? Is this guy a douche enough?” Soon after that, I think, is when I bookedArrested Development, andthen I came out to LA.
Tony Hale Teases More From Pixar’s World of ‘Inside Out’
I also have to touch on, of course,Dream Productions: From The World of Inside Out.
HALE: Oh! Which I have not seen.
Well, I haven’t seen it either yet. It comes out in December on Disney+. Are they mini-episodes? What do you know?
HALE: I don’t know. I don’t know. I should know, Pixar, and I apologize. I should know. I think I remember doingToy Storyand doingForky Asks A Question. I think they’re episodes.
I could be wrong, of course, and anyone watching this should not take this as fact, but I wanna say there are mini-interviews or mini-episodes of each character. Like there’s one on Fear. But I could be so wrong about this.
HALE: You, I think, know more than I do. Because I remember recording them a couple of years ago, and I was in Rome doingThe Decameron.
As what you would do.
HALE: [Laughs] Exactly. I don’t think I was very focused, so I don’t remember much. I was too stuffed with pasta.
Tony Hale Loves His Beautiful New Film ‘Sketch’
“We describe it likeInside OutmeetsJurassic Park.”
I’m just about out of time. All I heard was good things aboutSketch.
HALE: Oh, dude!
Perri, who did the interview with you, just raved about it.
HALE: Yes! I didn’t see you that day at Collider. Were you there?
I was there, but got there later. I was doing half the interviews, and I arrived later.For people that don’t know anything about [Sketch], what can you tell people about it?
HALE: Well, speaking ofInside Out, we describe it likeInside OutmeetsJurassic Park, Steven Spielberg.It’s about a little girl who is drawing out her grief, and they come to life.Seth Worley directed it, and it’s such a beautiful movie. I really can’t wait for people to see it.
Woman of the Hourhits Netflix on Friday, October 18
Woman of the Hour
Cheryl Bradshaw, a single woman looking for a suitor on a hit 1970s TV show, chooses charming bachelor Rodney Alcala, unaware that, behind the man’s gentle facade, he hides a deadly secret.
