ComingSoon Editor-in-Chief Tyler Treese spoke with Popular Theory stars Cheryl Hines and Sophia Reid-Ganzert and director Ali Scher about the family comedy movie. The trio spoke about working together and how their own lives relate to the film. Popular Theory is set to release in theaters on Friday, February 9.
“12-year-old Erwin is a genius, far smarter than any of her high school classmates,” reads the movie‘s synopsis. “But Erwin’s genius has come at a price: isolation. She doesn’t have any friends and even her sister thinks she’s a social leper. Determined to win the State Science Fair, she teams up with classmate Winston, a fellow outcast and chemistry guru, to create a popularity chemical which they add into sticks of chewing gum.”
Tyler Treese: Cheryl, Aunt Tammy because she clearly has her heart in the right place and wants to help out. But it’s very funny to see someone in a parental role being like, “You need to study less.” What did you like most about the character?
Cheryl Hines: Well, that, I did really enjoy because I think parents sometimes get it a little bit wrong. When I was on the softball team in high school, my mom would come to the game and say, “Oh, you look so beautiful out there.” Like, “No, there are sports involved. It doesn’t matter how you look. Never mind.” So, I love that Aunt Tammy is really concerned about Erwin’s emotional growth more than science.
I think it’s one of those times when your parent, your aunt — whoever’s bringing you up — gets it a little bit wrong. I think it’s just funny to hear somebody say, “No more science.” [Laughs]. It’s just funny to me. It was really well-written. I love that Aunt Tammy is sometimes focused on the wrong things.
Sophia, you’re playing this genius character in the film. How was it delivering all the lines with a lot of the science jargon? That must have been a challenge.
Sophia Reid-Ganzert: Sometimes, it would be hard and, at the beginning, I was really trying to actually understand what I would be saying. Like, I’d look it up, and I’d be like, “Oh, okay, that, that makes more sense now.” But near the end, I was like, “Oh my gosh, I can’t do this anymore.” It was so interesting because she’s my age, and I’m just starting to work on what an atom is, and she’s talking about particle accelerators. I’m like, “Well, what is that?” It was really interesting, but I actually learned a lot from it as well. So, thank you! [Laughs].
Ali, I just love the core concept of the film. During the science project, to try to use science to gain popularity for these kids — what did you like most about that core conceit?
Ali Scher: Yeah, I grew up loving science and words in general and getting made fun of it for a lot. I wanted to capture that time in my life, but even more than that, even more the story and the popularity of all of that, I wanted to capture this idea of connection and the idea that you don’t need a ton of people to be happy.
You don’t need a giant group of friends, but you do need someone who gets you. I think that’s something that everybody can relate to. Everybody looks around today and they’re like, “I wish I had more friends.” Or on social media — “I don’t have enough followers or enough likes,” but it’s like we forget to step back and be like, “Is there that one person that gets us?” Because that’s the most valuable thing that we have — that connection.
The ending of the film really ties that together with the science theme nicely. Cheryl, your character is the wildest hairstylist I’ve ever seen. How was it filming those scenes?
Cheryl Hines: I loved it because I used to be a hairstylist. I went to beauty school and I worked in a salon, so it just made me so happy to be able to do that in a film. [Laughs].
That’s fun. Do you view cosmetology as like an art like your character does?
Cheryl Hines: No, sadly I don’t. But I think that’s maybe a good idea. I need to get some mannequin heads in my office and start coming up with some good hairdos. [Laughs].
Sophia, you have so many great scenes with Lincoln Lambert, who plays another child prodigy named Winston. How was it working with him? You two are really the driving force behind the narrative here?
Sophia Reid-Ganzert: Oh my gosh. It was so much fun to film with Lincoln. The second we met each other, we hit it off instantly. Every single day on set was so much fun. It honestly didn’t even feel like work. It just felt like we got to hang out, you know? It was really hard during scenes not to just call him Lincoln. Or when we weren’t even on set, it was hard not to call him Winston. It was just such a great experience. We still talk almost every day, now. It was really a joy to work with him.
Ali Scher: I have so much footage on my phone of the two of them dancing and singing and making instrumentals with his mouth while she sings. They were the cutest.
Ali, how was it working with so many talented young actors? I imagine it’s so energizing to be on set with so many young talents.
Ali Scher: I love working with kids. I think it’s easier, in a lot of ways, than working with adults — Cheryl being one of the mega exceptions, because she was a dream to work with, but when you’re working with kids, it’s like … what is acting if it’s not make-believe right? And who out there knows make-believe better than kids?
As adults, we’re all just trying to return … adult actors are just trying to return back to that place where they’re able to tap into that idea of seeing this magical world around them, but kids, they’re still there. It’s just so fun. I’m a big casting director. I spend a lot of time on casting. I did my internships and casting these kids was so much fun. I don’t know, I have so many good casting stories. [Laugh].
Sophia, the film has so many fun little scenes. I was curious you had a particular favorite one to film?
Sophia Reid-Ganzert: Maybe the scene where Winston and Erwin are fighting [about] where to put the Erlenmeyer flask and they’re going back and forth. That was really fun because that was one of my audition scenes, and then it was one of the chemistry read scenes. When we finally got to film it together in the room, it was so fun because I was like, “Wow, we’re like actually doing this now.” I think, to me, that’s when actually being in the film kind of felt real. I was like, “Wow, we’re actually filming the scene in-person. Whoa.” So that was really fun.
Cheryl, since Curb Your Enthusiasm’s coming into an end, it’s very rare we see a show like that. How bizarre is it that this constant chapter of your life is coming to an end? It’s been so great the entire run.
Cheryl Hines: It is really strange. I mean, it’s been part of my adult life. It’s hard. Also, honestly, after every season, Larry would say, even from the first season, “I think this is it. I don’t think we do anymore.” [Laughs]. So I never thought we were going to do more than one season. Every season we did, I felt so grateful and thankful. I was like, “Okay, I really have to enjoy this one.” And then, 25 years later, for him to say, “No” … it’s like a boyfriend. It’s like breaking up with a boyfriend over and over again until finally it sticks and you’re like, “Oh no, it’s sticking!”” [Laughs]. It’s a little sad.
A lot of people don’t know that Curb began with a special before the series kicked off in 1999. What stood out about working with Larry the very first time then?
Cheryl Hines: He was just very … sort of honest. I don’t know if that makes sense, but because the show is all improvised — and he did that intentionally because he doesn’t like to be acting. He, himself, as an actor, doesn’t like to have a script because he says — and I’m only quoting him — “When you’re acting and the other actor’s talking, the whole time you’re thinking, ‘Oh, you’ve got to say my line when they’re done talking.'” Well, actually, that’s not how every actor does it, but okay. [Laughs]. So for him, he wanted it to be improvised so it would be genuine and honest and in the moment. That was what struck me at the beginning, just, “Wow, this is really a fun way to work.”
