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Q&A Josh Radnor

Josh Radnor’s directorial debut, Happythankyoumoreplease (opening Friday, April 1), tracks six people trying to shed the cynicism and find love. Radnor not only directed, but he wrote and stars as intimacy-challenged Sam, the guy who tries to help a young foster child who’s been left on the subway. The star of TV’s How I Met Your Mother talked to NOW about directing, the challenges of multiple storylines and why he’s fine with making an upbeat pic.

You juggle three couples’ storylines, which is hard enough. How did you figure out how to manage the plot element with the lost boy?

I did find myself saying, “Oh, he’s got the kid at home, we’ve got to get back to him.” But I decided, “It’s my movie, I can do whatever I want.” And its messiness is part of its charm. There’s a line in the movie: “Every five years you realize what an asshole you were five years ago.” In five years I might look back and cringe but right now I stand by it.”

Why give Annie the immune deficiency disorder alopecia universalis?

For one thing, the disorder doesn’t affect anything but her appearance. She’s entirely healthy except that she has no hair on her body. It does affect her sense of self in the world, and I thought that was important. Annie’s self loathing, self-critical and will seek out experiences that confirm her impression of herself.

As Annie and in the upcoming Bang Bang Club, Malin Akerman’s really moving away from her studio blonde persona.

Akerman has made a commitment to do that and to explore other roles. She fought for the role and convinced me she could do it. When I cast her I had no idea she’d be as luminous and heartbreaking as she is in the movie. I think it’s a great performance.

How’d you score Richard Jenkins to play the small role of the book publisher?

That was amazing. It was the first day of shooting on my first film and I’m shooting Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins. We have the same agent. It was a lucky thing.

What did you learn about what actors want from a director?

Pablo Schreiber (who plays Charlie) told me that what every actor wants is for the director to have a clear vision of what he wants and for the actor to feel like he’s contributing fully to that vision. Even Jenkins was completely egoless. He just said to me, “Tell me if I’m screwing this up.”

You appeared on Broadway in The Graduate with Kathleen Turner and Alicia Silverstone. Will you ever return to the stage?

“Theatre is my first love. It’s the thing I always want to return to – if it’s in your blood your have to. It’s almost like going back to basic training. In film, you’re often acting from the neck up or the torso up. Theatre engages all of you – not just physically – and it feels like a more immersive experience.

There’s a really breezy tone to the movie. Did you ever think about giving it a little more of an edge?

It’s okay to lend a story some carbonation. This movie is a litmus test for your cycnicism. If you go with it, you’re a less cynical person, but some people distrust something positive or they feel like it’s not sophisticated. I wrote a piece for the Huffington Post called Why I Chose Happythankyoumoreplease over Sadscrewyougetlost. Check it out.

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