Zach Braff On Working With Florence Pugh & Morgan Freeman | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

let's talk about a good person because I. watched this last night and you did an. amazing job and you have you wrote this. yeah you uh directed it I don't want to. give away too much but it is a it is a. heavy movie in places uh in in but it. has to be I mean you're talking about uh. the the main character who's played by. Florence Pugh goes through this. incredible uh very intense situation. early in the film that uh that. reverberates throughout the rest of the.

movie but I mean the cast Morgan Freeman. yeah I mean he's pretty extraordinary uh. I I just was. I how do you get Morgan Freeman to do. your movie well um I'll start with that. I had made a studio sort of heist film. uh it was a remake of going in style. with with him him Michael Keaton and. Alan Arkin and so we had a relationship. um but I I never thought he was even a. possibility because this was a little. tiny budget Indy and Morgan doesn't. usually do those. um.

um so I wrote the movie for Florence. um we were in a relationship and I just. think she's the most incredible young. actress on the planet I was I I was and. am in awe of her and um. and and I was dealing with a lot of. grief. um. um so which I can talk about more if you. want but but I'll just circle back to. Morgan I wrote this piece it was about. it I wanted to mix uh the story of grief. with humor because I don't want anything. that's too modern I mean yes there's a.

lot of drama in the film but there's a. lot of humor as well yes there is yeah. and um and so I it was real it became. real and I said I'm just gonna start. with i and there was a character of a. senior citizen who I wanted to be some. great acting Legend and I thought well. why don't I this is crazy he's never. gonna do it because we can't afford to. pay him the Morgan Freeman amount of. money. um but I do know him and I know he likes. me so let me try and um I remember. Florence we were in my My Den and my. phone rang and the times Morgan and I.

have communicated it's never been over a. phone call it's always been a very Curt. text but my phone rang and she held it. up and it said Morgan Freeman wow and uh. I was like. and I picked it up and he said I see. myself on every page of the script oh. wow that's fantastic and that's when um. my life changed again and he said um he. goes I don't normally do uh this but. meaning attach myself to a movie that. wasn't even really fully set up yet um.

but but I'm with you and then of course. we were we were on our way to being made. it's so crazy because I mean that's an. amazing story in and of itself but also. Morgan Freeman has the most next to like. James Earl Jones the most iconic voice. yeah uh and especially voice over voice. yeah he used to be my uh voicemail. message. um because he lost him. when we were when we were making going. in style uh he uh he lost a bet to me. and my prize was that he was my outgoing.

voicemail what was the map what was the. message like hello this is Morgan. Freeman Zach can't come to the phone. Zach can't come to the phone he's with. Andy Dufresne. I guess I just miss my friend I miss my. friends. because hope is a thing that you have to. hang on to uh it'd be great if it just. kept going and going and going the.

penguin must sit on the eggs. wait we're doing we're doing that now. he does have the most beautiful voice oh. my god well I mean he's fantastic and uh. I mean God Florence Pugh is incandescent. she's uh she's Next Level yeah and and. uh you and also there's Molly Shannon as. well Molly Shannon uh playing the mom is. is terrific and you know what I what.

what I like is I'm drawn to stories. where. everybody's vulnerable and everybody's. flawed I think we all have our own stuff. and and not me I would accept you yeah. I'm gonna check with what we know of you. that's I think you have a skewed view. but I anyway all right I wanted to uh I. feel no one everyone has their flaws and.

everyone is battling what they're. battling. um I wanted to make a movie about. um grief and standing back up from grief. um but not have it be so modern and and. depressing that you just don't want to. watch it so in order to do that I. thought of times in my life that have. been so dark but then someone and I'm. sure at least you because I know your. personality can agree that someone then. finally says something funny and you. have this release where you're like. that's God yes the experience of Joy or. laughter is much more powerful if the.

pressure's built up yeah so uh when it's. finally released it it I think that's. the trick yeah so that's what I was. trying to do is because I felt that in. life at some of the darkest times in my. life someone says something funny and. you just all belly laugh because you. just you've got nowhere else to go but. up and. um and I wanted to sort of put that into. the film that just when when when shit's. getting real and people are are things. are really um Grim there's a there's a. comedic release is there uh you know.

because I'm thinking. again I'm trying to put myself in in. your place which is impossible but if if. I say cut and then I have to go up and. give Morgan Freeman a note you know what. I mean I just it feels like it would be. you yes you are uh you are you have. earned the right you're a a proven. director and you've this you're the. writer director of this film and you've. you've earned the right but still it's.

Morgan Freeman well you must flash back. too I remembered when I was working at. Chili's. with Morgan Freeman with Morgan Freeman. but it was his chilies he was the. manager. um it's funny you say that well first of. all Morgan really only would prefer to. do one take of every single thing oh wow. um but as a director that's hugely. impossible because you know there's. multiple Morgan Freeman is truly almost. always perfect but you know there's. there's a there's a background person. that crossed in the wrong spot or the.

camera was out of focus so you often are. in the position as a filmmaker of saying. okay that was an awesome take one we're. gonna go again and then you would hear. why. oh my god. wow and then I'd be like Morgan you were. awesome. um we can do better with the camera and. also can we change those blinds and can. you not cross when when that you know. you're directing the movie like you. normally do yeah but but part of it is. like he's he's very um he teases like. that he's very um.

he's like but that's his that's his Vibe. but I mean a little bit of it is like. let's keep moving but he knows I'm gonna. do more than one take and in terms of. directing thing I would say the best. analogy I can use with someone like him. or someone like Florence Pugh is you're. not. you're not teaching you're not teaching. or telling them how to act right you're. having a comment it's analogous to a. conductor who has a genius first. violinist I I can't play the violin like. that person can. but I can say I need to hear.

the bassoon's a little more so if that. section can you quiet down do you know. what I mean yeah so I'm not going to him. and being like bro what are you doing. Morgan. Jesus Morgan. what the hell was that I'm going in and. engaging in a conversation going do you. think that maybe in this scene it should. be more X because later we're gonna do y. right and then he uh and then more often. than not he's like right that's good. let's do that let's do that so if I had.

gone up to him and said hey Morgan it's. called acting that would have been. horrible let's give it a try. shall we that wouldn't have worked. she was directing career ever Governor. Brian was a movie director for it says. here. yeah but one take you wouldn't even you. didn't even you wouldn't even got in the. wow. oh no oh I know it would have happened. suddenly he's not there. some people are packing up equipment.