Nine perfect Stranger debut on August 18 on Hulu
New Jersey-born Bobby Cannavale has found the lengthy eight-episode shoot of Nine Perfect Strangers, filming in the Australian state of New South Wales, to be quite a change from his critically lauded turns in Showtime’s Nurse Jackie or HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. The noises of a busy hospital he could take, saying his lines while shooting a Tommy gun wasn’t an issue, but filming amidst the sounds of the vocal fauna that live in rural New South Wales presented a whole new kind of challenge.
“Acting between the birds was not easy,” Cannavale recalled. “It was just a reminder that we were in a completely different landscape and in a different world altogether. And the birds always started when the director yelled, ‘action.’ I’d opened my mouth and in mid-sentence, I’d hear this relentless sound. ‘Caw. Caw.’ I’d have to start the dialogue all over again.”
Fortunately, Cannavale is in the company of a very high-end acting ensemble, including Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy, Regina Hall, Asher Keddie, Michael Shannon, Luke Evans, Samara Weaving, Manny Jacinto, Tiffany Boone, Grace Van Patten, and Melvin Gregg.
Based on The New York Times best-selling book by author Liane Moriarty, adapted by David E. Kelly and John Henry Butterworth, Nine Perfect Strangers, directed by John Levine, focuses on nine troubled souls arriving at a Northern California wellness center, Tranquillum House, all seeking healing and transformation. Watching over them during this 10-day retreat is the resort’s director, Masha (Kidman), a Russian guru who is overcoming a tragedy in her own life. These nine “perfect” strangers have no idea what is about to hit them.
”One of the big pluses for me is working with Melissa McCarthy,” Cannavale avows.
For Cannavale, life on the Nine Perfect Strangers set has been particularly rewarding due to the bonding of the cast members. In particular, The chemistry between his character of the washed-up football player Tony and former best-selling author Frances (McCarthy) who have come to Tranquillum House in a last-ditch effort to reclaim their lives. Within the very real traumas and dilemmas that are faced by all, a gentle, hesitant rom-com develops between Frances and Tony.
“Yeah, this is our fourth project together, adds McCarthy, drolly. “We strongly dislike each other.”
“That’s right,” says Cannavale. “Melissa likes to talk to me about how much she wants to hit me in the face. She also likes to call me a jerk. I don’t know why specifically, but I know when I do crack her up she just goes, ‘You’re a jerk’.”
Cannavale exudes casual confidence, sitting at this virtual press conference, seated between McCarthy and Kidman. This is impressive since he launched his acting career with no training at all. Born in Union City, his father is of Italian descent and his mother is Cuban. His parents divorced when he was thirteen and his mother moved to Puerto Rico, where he lived for two years before settling in Margate, Florida. He was kicked out of high school his senior year and made the decision to return to New Jersey. He wanted to be close to New York because he had decided to become an actor.
“And I did,” he shrugs. He started on stage but gained early film experience in Night Falls on Manhattan (1996), directed by Sidney Lumet and The Bone Collector (1999), starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. Cannavale became well known in the industry when he starred for two seasons on NBC’s Third Watch (2005).
“For me, I know the chemistry works because Bobby is so funny and he’s such a skilled and amazing actor,” says McCarthy. “He’s so present and you never quite know which way he’s going to go with a scene. He’s not going to give you a hint but then he’s there. And it’s perfect. When you have that kind of comfort level with somebody, you just go with it.”
“Yeah, I feel the same way,” says Cannavale. “It’s really serendipitous. I do know that Melissa is really well-prepared. We don’t do a lot of talking about it. We’re just there together. And we usually get through a couple of takes pretty easily, and then we have fun, and usually have the time to be able to have a couple of takes for ourselves. Yeah, I mean most of the time it just feels effortless. There’s just so much going on in there and it’s a thrill to be able to get to work with somebody like that.”
Through this dialogue between Cannavale and McCarthy, Kidman has been expressionless. Then she chimes in, deadpan, “Can I say that kiss under the tree–it’s probably giving it away–but their kiss under the tree…the best kiss on TV this year.”
The first three episodes of Nine perfect Stranger debut on August 18 on Hulu and the remaining five premiere weekly on Wednesdays.