The Family McMullen’s Tracee Ellis Ross and Juliana Canfield Tease Third Movie | Interview
ComingSoon Senior Editor Brandon Schreur spoke to The Family McMullen’s Tracee Ellis Ross and Juliana Canfield about the new ensemble comedy sequel movie. The two of them discussed how they got involved with the project, a potential third movie that they’ve already started planning, and more.
“30 years after Edward Burns’ The Brothers McMullen wowed critics and audiences – winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival – with its exploration of the lives and struggles of three Irish American brothers from Long Island, New York, the family returns in the long-awaited follow-up The Family McMullen,” the official synopsis reads. “The new film tracks the romantic entanglements of a now 50-something Barry McMullen (Burns) and his 20-something kids, as well as his brother Patrick (Michael McGlone) and widowed sister-in-law Molly (Connie Britton), each facing unexpected romantic hurdles of their own.”
The Family McMullen is now streaming on HBO Max.
Brandon Schreur: Tracee, I want to start with you. This is a sequel to The Brothers McMullen, and that movie was coming out just right around the same time that you were getting started in Hollywood, right?
Tracee Ellis Ross: Well, I don’t know if it was when I was getting started in Hollywood, but it made a huge impact on me. I went to Angelika Theater, and I saw that movie in a theater. And it made a huge impact on my life. Number one, it was the first time I really understood what an independent film could be. Number two, that family, even though I’m not an Irish Catholic McMullen, I identified with the family dynamics of multiple siblings and everything that happens with that. Also, the journey around love. And the third thing was that Ed Burns and Barry became, like, my prototype for what I wanted to find in life.
Now, that didn’t happen, but all these years later, to come full circle and then be offered, and written for, to play Barry’s love interest was like, ‘Ahh!! So exciting!’
Oh, I’m sure. And that’s what I was going to ask, too, just because that movie has been around for 30 years. It sounds like you saw it shortly after it came out. I’m sure it probably never occurred to you that you were going to be starring in the sequel. At what point did that kind of click, and what was your reaction after it was like, ‘Oh, they are making a sequel to this, and I get to be in it?’
Tracee Ellis Ross: I mean, the truth is, when I first received the script, I was offered a role in the Family McMullen sequel. The sort of next chapter of The Brothers McMullen. And I was like, ‘How do I fit in that story? What role do I play? Are there some family members that have dropped out?’
Then, when I heard it was the love interest, I became even more intrigued. The love interest of Barry, it was just very exciting to me. But, you know, Juliana keeps saying this in a really wonderful way, and I’ll credit her with saying this, but saying that the golden age of rom-com was what she grew up in, and also what she grew up in. And rom-coms have kind of disappeared from the vernacular of what we do in movies, and even in television. It’s one of the most, for me, delightful genres of movies. I love that Ed was able to figure out how to combine a holiday treasure of a movie and the family dynamics of the McMullens into a rom-com that is generational and brings in all different kinds of love and all different kinds of people. I was charmed to be a part of it, not only because of the history, but also because of what the experience was and being able to work with Ed Burns.
Totally. I’ll say, I watched that first movie — I don’t know how many years ago, a while ago — and I heard there was a sequel, and I was like, ‘I don’t know what a sequel to this looks like.’ But, like you said, tapping into the rom-com of it all and making it a Christmas movie, I thought that was a perfect blend. I thought it worked perfectly.
Tracee Ellis Ross: I agree.
Juliana, I am such a fan of yours. I will forever kick myself if I don’t say that I love Succession so much and that it’s probably my favorite show ever.
Juliana Canfield: It’s a really good show, thank you so much. I love being a part of it. And I feel like my part is small enough in that show where I can say that it’s so fantastic without sounding like I have an ego problem.
Oh, sure. But you’re also so great. Me and my friends were talking every week, like, ‘Jess did this! Jess did that!’
Juliana Canfield: Oh, I love that!
But I wanted to ask a little bit about how you got involved with this, too. When you got the script for The Family McMullen, what stood out to you the most and made you want to be part of this project?
Juliana Canfield: The thing that made me want to be part of this project, I have two words for you, and they are Ed and Burns. I worked with him many, many years ago on what was like my first significant TV job. Ed Burns was playing a cop or detective, and I was his right-hand woman. And we really got on. I really looked up to him. We were in bad weather, shooting overnights situation in rural Georgia, so we really bonded. We’ve been trying to work together for many, many years, and the stars have never aligned. But I knew he was just the loveliest person to be around because he was making me smile and laugh in truly horrendous meteorological conditions.
But when we did that job, we were sitting at dinner one night. And he said, ‘Do you know an actor named Pico Alexander?’ And I said, ‘No, I don’t. What a great name, but no.’ But he was like, ‘You kind of remind me of him. And I think the two of you would be really good together in a rom-com.’ And I was like, ‘Okay, well, write it, buddy. I’ll do it if you make it.’ And here we are all these years later. He completely forgot about that conversation.
There’s something about Ed — he has this charmed life that feels like it has a tinge of storybook to it. There’s something very magical about how coincidences and associations happen in his life. I think he made a movie that has that same magic in it. To get to live in the magic of Ed Burns’ life was just enough for me. Then, the script — everything Tracee already said. He’s also just a lightning rod for good people, so I knew it would be a lovely time. And it really was when making this movie.
Sure. And that magic totally translates, and that jumps into what I wanted to ask you next. This next question is for both of you. When I was watching this this morning, I was having so much fun, and I kept thinking that filming it had to have been so much fun with such a huge ensemble cast. Along with the two of you, you’ve got Ed, like you said, and Connie Britton, and so many very talented people. Do you guys have any particular memories or moments that stood out on set that were so much fun to you that you can share?
Tracee Ellis Ross: I think one of the best moments — Juliana, am I correct? — was when we shot the Thanksgiving dinner with everybody.
Juliana Canfield: Oh, yeah. Heaven.
Tracee Ellis Ross: It was Heaven, and it was kind of crazy to be walked through all the nostalgia. They were all telling stories about, like, how they had gotten the role. Connie read it in a backstage, and it was her first audition ever. They were all telling the stories of how it all happened and the things they remembered from the original set. That was a special day.
Juliana Canfield: Yeah. And because we were all at that table the whole day; dinner scenes can often feel so stilted. And when I watch movies —
Tracee Ellis Ross: As an actor, you can, like, see it.
Juliana Canfield: Yeah. Like, they’re telling fake jokes, that’s a fake laugh, and they don’t like each other. But we had a really funny, fun time. I felt like familiar dynamics were emerging authentically after we would cut.
Tracee Ellis Ross: Yeah, that was a special one, I have to say. And, also, for me, as a fan of the original, just like sitting there listening to all of them was kind of crazy.
For sure. Again, it all totally translates, I was having a blast watching it. I kept feeling jealous just being like, ‘Man, I bet this was such a fun set to be on.’
Juliana Canfield: I also will say, I loved doing the dance. That was another big day. We worked really hard on that dance, and we had a lot of rehearsals with our wonderful choreographer Natalie. That was an extremely fun day. I love it when you have a little project in a movie, like something you have to learn how to do. And that was a very fun day.
Totally. One last question for both of you again. It’s been 30 years since The Brothers McMullen came out. I talked to Ed earlier, and it sounded like he had no idea there was going to be a sequel until just a couple of years ago. Do you guys think this is the kind of movie you could come back to? Hopefully, it doesn’t take 30 years again, but at some point in the future to revisit these characters?
Tracee Ellis Ross: Oh yeah!
Juliana Canfield: We’ve been talking about it.
Tracee Ellis Ross: We’ve discussed it. We know exactly where they’re going. We’ve got the whole thing mapped out.
Juliana Canfield: But we can’t talk about it, yet, with the public.
Tracee Ellis Ross: Yeah, we can’t talk about it with the public. But, between scenes and takes, that’s what we were doing. We were all, as a concerted and collective effort, coming up with, not only what we wanted the story to be, but where, exactly, we wanted to shoot it.
Juliana Canfield: And it’s going to be somewhere fabulous. That’s all I’m going to say.
You’ve got me excited. I can’t wait to see it, now.
Tracee Ellis Ross: We’re excited, too!
Juliana Canfield: We’re really excited. My bags are packed. I’m ready.
Thanks to Tracee Ellis Ross and Juliana Canfield for taking the time to discuss The Family McMullen.
Source: Comingsoon.net