From acclaimed filmmakers, Josh and Benny Safdie comes a whirlwind thriller about Howard Ratner [Adam Sandler], a jeweler always looking for his next big come up.
While struggling to pay back gambling debts, Howard finds himself placing high stake bets that could be the answer to all his problems. In the meantime, Howard must find a way to balance his family, mistress [Julia Fox], reluctant customer [Kevin Garnett] and business while keeping the loan sharks at bay. The Knockturnal spoke exclusively with breakout actress Julia Fox and former NBA player, Kevin Garnett about filming on set, lucky charms and future plans in Hollywood. Check it out below.
The Knockturnal: Uncut Gems I believe is both your first feature films, so what was your first reaction when you found out that you got the role and would be working with this incredible cast?
Julia Fox: I mean I was just in disbelief. I was like, oh my God, I hope this isn’t a dream and I wake up and it’s not true. Because they had been talking to me about it for like five years, and then they did Heaven Knows What and then they did Good Time, so I was just kinda like, I don’t know, I don’t think they’re ever going to make this movie. But I was not really trying to be an actress anyway and I had other things going on and I definitely didn’t understand the magnitude of the movie I think until I got to set the first day and there were like two hundred people and like a crane and machines and I was like, oh my goodness, I need to perform, like I cannot mess this up.
Kevin Garnett: You felt the pressure?
Julia Fox: Oh, big time. I got to set, and I was like, what if I tricked all these people into thinking I can act and then they yell “action” and I just don’t know what I’m doing. Um so, yeah after the first day I definitely felt a lot better and confident.
The Knockturnal: And Kevin in the movie you play yourself, so how much of the character is actually who you are or was it just a fabrication of yourself?
Kevin Garnett: It’s versions, it’s versions. I definitely would have come to a jewelry store with a bunch of people, turned the jewelry store to like, hours. Music’s going, next thing you know, water, champagne, they done locked the doors, we in here. I’ve definitely done that before, it has some very, very parallels to it.
The Knockturnal: Yeah, I mean the movie is quite anxiety inducing, in a good way, but you definitely feel frantic while watching it. Was it as frantic to film?
Kevin Garnett: Just long. To the actors or anybody trying to get into cinematography, it’s real work. You gotta prepare, you gotta be on your…the thing that I like about this is that everybody brought it but you had a standard that Adam [Sandler] was setting, that you didn’t want to let that down and you felt that you know, is that facts?
Julia Fox: Yeah, totally yeah, absolutely.
Kevin Garnett: Everybody was bringing it and it was long nights, early mornings, longer nights but everybody was bringing it.
Julia Fox: Yeah and it was fun because you know there were like actors on set but then there were also regular people that were all like characters in real life so there was a lot of personalities, there was always something going on. There was always one guy that wanted to beat up the other guy, like there was just so much going on and it was hilarious. It was like there was acting, but then there was like a whole nother scene happening backstage, so you could choose what you wanted to go watch. So, it was equally entertaining.
The Knockturnal: So, it was a little frantic?
Julia Fox: Oh yeah, yeah. I think so.
Kevin Garnett: A little bit.
The Knockturnal: Well in the movie, Kevin feels like this uncut opal is his lucky charm. Do you guys have a lucky charm in real life?
Kevin Garnett: Well I used to put a two-dollar bill in my shoe and that was kinda like my lil lucky thing and I felt like, when I didn’t play with it, I was different. I played with a rubber band and when it would, you know, just yeah, yeah, I was a player who had superstitions and really believed in them. And it worked!
The Knockturnal: This is your first big movie; do you think you’ll be working again on the big screen?
Julia Fox: Yeah, yeah I think I finally found my calling after years of trying all these different things and being successful in them, you know they just weren’t fulfilling in the way that I had hoped they were going into it and really think that film, it just clicked you know and even though I didn’t ever, you know, set out to be an actress, it kind of found me and I think that’s like what destiny is. Like whatever you’re meant to do will find you even if you avoid it. So yeah, I definitely want to act more. I want to write, direct, produce and I want to be in Hollywood.