John Krasinski directs and stars in his latest film, “The Hollars” which arrives in theaters Friday.
Although it might sound challenging to carry off both tasks, Krasinski told CNN it was “easy.”
“It sounds crazy. But in this one, it was actually very easy and bizarrely helpful to be acting in the scenes because I think there’s a real disconnect when you call cut and you have to review the tape and then come and give your actors notes.”
“The Hollars” is a family drama about a mother, played by Margo Martindale, who discovers she has a brain tumor. Krasinski, 36, plays her son, John Hollar, who drops his life in New York to race home to her bedside in the small town he left behind.
“He’s fantastic. He’s the ideal director,” Martindale told CNN. “I love being directed by actors too and John is one of the best directors I’ve worked with. He knows what he wants. He’s not wishy-washy.”
Krasinski admitted that he borrowed a few directing ideas for the project.
“One of the greatest things about being an actor is you get to see all these great directors work and I stole everything,” he joked. “One of the biggest things I stole was from people like George Clooney and Sam Mendes, who always say the best idea has to go on screen no matter who says it. So anytime these guys had ideas, or thought things could be better or more powerful, I was all ears.”