LaRoy, Texas tells the story of Ray (John Magaro) who, broke and depressed, is mistaken for a dangerous hitman and given an envelope of cash. Along with his P.I. friend Skip (Steve Zahn), he must escape the actual hitman to make it out of LaRoy alive.
Last week, we got to sit down with star/executive producer John Magaro (The Umbrella Academy, The Many Saints of Newark) and writer/director Shane Atkinson (Poms) to discuss their collaboration on this must-see action-thriller.
We started by asking the duo what drew them to a story about loveable losers in a movie which, at times, embraces black comedy while dealing with some pretty heavy themes.
"I'm interested in stories about people who are in over their heads and struggling to keep up with things," Shane says. "I think I feel that way from day to day and that's my life to some degree. There's something about a loveable loser doing his best and failing that just interests me."
John adds, "A lot of the things I've done have been outcast stories and I think I respond to that. I'm not gonna lie, I wasn't the most popular kid growing up. The girls weren't knocking down my door in high school [Laughs] so I think that feeling is something that's ever-present in me."
"The story of the outcast or not the kings, queens, and alphas of society is something I find much more interesting than the stories of the beautiful people who have everything," he continues. "I find a lot of those stories hard to watch because I'm like, 'Well, what's wrong with your life? You have everything!' I find these kinds of characters resonate with me more, personally."
You can watch the full interview below and hear from John and Shane about some of the biggest scenes in LaRoy, Texas, what they enjoyed about the mix of tones, casting Dylan Baker, and whether John has ever been mistaken for another celebrity.
0:18 - What attracted them both to the characters in LaRoy, Texas
2:11 - Shane on combining a variety of genres to tell this unique story
3:16 - John on the challenges of shooting a harrowing scene in a gun store
6:10 - Inserting humour into the movie and the standout toilet scene
7:44 - What John enjoyed about the contrast between the darker and humourous moments
10:36 - Shane on why he cast Dylan Baker as an unassuming hitman
13:38 - John on his fun dynamic with Steve Zahn
15:11 - John on whether he's ever been involved with a case of mistaken identity
LaRoy, Texas arrives in theaters and on Demand on April 12