For a film about a young woman's juggle between her professional job within the Presidency and her chaotic family, Ella McCay's quiet, masculinity-focused subplot is the perfect complement that will quietly capture your attention. And Leicestershire-born new(ish)comer Spike Fearn is at the heart of it.
Most people are familiar with James L Brooks: even if you don’t know his name exactly or his face, you'll certainly know his most famous (co-)creation, The Simpsons. Responsible for heart-warming Oscar winners As Good As It Gets and Terms of Endearment, he's now he’s back with a brand new film, Ella McCay, starring a hit cast of Emma Mackey, Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Harrelson, and stealthy scene-stealer Spike Fearn.
Mackey — perhaps confusingly, given the closeness of her name — stars in the title role, playing an ambitious politician in a fictional US state whose career progression is hampered by the conflicting dramas in her personal and family life, revolving around her husband (played by Jack Lowden), father (Woody Harrelson), and aunt (Jamie Lee Curtis). Gloriously messy, heartbreakingly relevant, Ella McCay is a deeply moving story done with the lightest of touch. And among its emotional waves, Fearn shines as one to watch.
Ahead of the film’s launch on 12th December, we chatted to Spike Fearn, who plays Casey - Ella’s younger and slightly, erm, less ambitious brother, to hear about what it was like behind the scenes on set.
1. Filming was as magical as you’d expect
In the same way kids write their Christmas list to Santa, we sort of hope that actors write one about who they’d want to work with in the future. And we’d bet that Jamie Lee Curtis and Woody Harrelson would be right in the primo spots for more than one actor.
Whilst Fearn's scenes with Mackay (and his solo scene toward the end of the film) was our stand-out, there's not one scene in the film that doesn't hit the mark. Jamie Lee Curtis as the matriarch, Woody Harrelson as the feckless father, and Emma Mackey giving an (we'll keep saying it) Oscar-worthy portrayal of the titular Ella. It turns out that getting to work with them was just as magical as it comes across onscreen.
“You know, Emma Mackey is wonderful. I think she leads this movie so well, and just everyone, everybody so, so great,” Fearn explained.
“I loved that. I just love being there, honestly. You know, it was a movie that I thought about for a whole year after doing it, you know, constantly thinking about it and just excited for people to see it, you know? I wanted to see it.”
2. Spike Fearn found out he’d got the role at James L Brooks’ house
Florence Pugh found out about her Oscar nom in the middle of the night, King Princess found out about Mamdani's election success mid-gig, Fearn found out he'd got the role... at the director's house.
“I went to James's house in LA, and everybody was there, and we were having food together, and he pulled me into a part of his garden. He was like, ‘Look, I want to let you know that you know that you have the job,’" Fearn reminisced.
The question is, how quickly did he ring his nearest and dearest - or did he do the whole Hollywood-play-it-cool-thing?
"It was probably, like, my mum, my dad, probably my sister, who I told. You know what,” he laughed.
“I probably told my sister first, and then she probably told my mum and dad. She's like, kind of my proxy, you can't really tell her a secret. My parents would find out everything from my sister.”
3. As much as the film’s about women, masculinity’s just as prominent
Behind the leading story of Ella is a quieter, beautifully portrayed storyline of Casey — Ella’s brother. Seemingly fine and coping, you’ll first meet Casey around a year after his break-up with Susan (Ayo Edibiri). It’s a familiar story — a brother not returning his sister’s calls, a sister refusing to let him go radio silent. It’s a beautiful depiction of the male loneliness epidemic, and heartbreakingly relatable for so many. It may not win them an Oscar, but if we had our way, it would be in the conversation.
“I think a lot of young men go through that, you know?" says Fearn.
"And I think there's this big thing, that we're [men] supposed to hold things in, sometimes, and I think Casey's kind of doing that a little bit - pushing everyone away. But then I think if you have good people around you, you know, like his sister, Ella, then they can help you snap out of it.”
“I’ve definitely been Casey at one point,” Fearn revealed, chatting further about his portrayal of agrophobia and anxiety. When we asked what advice he’d give other guys to help one another, it was simple.
“Just talk - talk to each other. Friends are like family, really. Your friends are just as close as your family are most of the time - especially for me, my friends from home, yeah, I love them all a lot,” he smiled.
“Just keep talking and keep laughing. I'm not a specialist, and I don't know, I'm not trying to give the world advice,” Fearn hastened to add.
“But if you have good people around you, keep checking in on each other and keep laughing together... Have a pint.”
4. Having Emma Mackey as a sister was great - but he knows which actor he’d add to that family
It’s a pretty good billing, getting Emma Mackey as your on screen-sister, but if Fearn had to bring an extra family member into that dynamic, he’d pick an old friend: “Ooh, I’d pick Stacy Martin, the actress. Stacy Martin - I worked with her and I think she's brilliant. She and Emma are close. And I think that would be a very nice, yeah, that'd be very nice. That's what I'd say.”
- Ella McCay releases in UK cinemas on 12th December.
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