By Francesca Halliwell
LONDON, Nov 5 (Reuters) – Actor and filmmaker Jordan Firstman wanted his directorial debut, “Club Kid”, to reveal a side of himself audiences had not seen before.
“In my real life, I’m very sensitive. I’m very emotional,” he told Reuters. “I wanted to wear my heart on my sleeve and make a movie that reflected that.”
In “Club Kid”, Firstman stars as Peter, an underground club promoter whose life is transformed by the discovery he has a 10-year-old son, Arlo, who needs to be looked after.
The film, which also stars supermodel-turned-actor Cara Delevingne and Mexican actor Diego Calva, follows Peter, a character kind but flawed and burdened by low self-esteem, as he learns to care for others.
Firstman rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic with a series of satirical impression videos. He later played a brash social media influencer in “Rotting in the Sun”, and an irritable celebrity stylist in “I Love LA”.
Peter offered a contrast to some of those previous roles.
“I had played sometimes just harder characters with more of a shell up,” Firstman said, adding that he considered himself “a pretty caring person” in real life.
“Yeah, sometimes,” said Reggie Absolom, who plays Arlo in the movie.
“Club Kid” emerged as one of the unexpected breakout titles at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and earned a seven-minute standing ovation.
“Nothing could have prepared me for that week,” Firstman said of the film’s reception. “When the screening happened, I just remember every joke was hitting. You were hearing sniffles in the audience, and I was like, ‘Okay, something’s happening.'”
After Cannes, the film screened at festivals including Toronto and New York. Firstman said that he and Absolom bonded quickly during production and grew even closer while travelling together to promote the film.
For 14-year-old Absolom, making his feature-film debut, the on-set experience was formative.
“I think he taught me everything that needed to be taught to me,” Absolom said. “I feel like I was a better actor by the end.”
“Club Kid” opens in US cinemas on Friday.
(Reporting by Francesca Halliwell; editing by Barbara Lewis)
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