It’s one of Matthew McConaughey’s most memorable scenes, a moment that showcases both his remarkable acting and has since become a popular meme. Yet, the famous “tape scene” in Interstellar wasn’t heavily rehearsed, nor did it require multiple takes. McConaughey delivered that powerful emotional reaction in a single take, without any prior rehearsal.
For those unfamiliar with the scene, it shows McConaughey on a time-warping deep space mission, watching 23 years’ worth of video messages from his children on Earth as they grow up and start families of their own. Casey Affleck portrays adult Tom Cooper, McConaughey’s son, who eventually takes over his father’s farm. A young Timothée Chalamet appears as the 15-year-old version of Tom, while Jessica Chastain plays adult Murphy “Murph” Cooper, Joseph’s daughter.
As McConaughey watches the tapes, he breaks down, overcome with emotion and sobbing at times. It remains one of the most unforgettable moments in Christopher Nolan’s epic sci-fi film, and McConaughey is frequently asked about it in interviews. He has previously mentioned that he nailed the scene in a single take, but in a recent interview with Vanity Fair, McConaughey shared more about his approach and how he requested Christopher Nolan to shoot the scene without any rehearsal.
I remember we shot it, it was a Monday morning, and it was the first scene up. And I’d gotten good rest that weekend, and I had had a pretty humble good weekend. I think it was with my family,
he recalled.
He went on to describe how the moment unfolded on set. “I remember we got in, and Nolan was gonna set up some wides. They were about to play the tape. ‘Let’s rehearse the tape.’” At that point, McConaughey waved the crew off, insisting they start filming right away.
All of a sudden things came over, and cameras were there and we played the tape. And again, this is that first take. That’s the one we use.
McConaughey then explained his approach to the scene and why it felt so authentic. “I didn’t have to go to a place,” he said.
When Casey Affleck and Chastain come on as older, and the way they’re… The gap, the dread of having to miss that in my own life with my own kids, I just reacted, which is what I’ve learned I like to do if you’ve got scenes like that.
Because everything after take one is acting for real. We can improve as actors, we can improve stuff in take two, I can too. But everything after take one — if you’re fully relaxed, and just reacting — everything after take one is acting. I didn’t wanna know what was coming. And that’s just me relaxing, and then what happened… happened.
In the Variety video, McConaughey reflects on many of his most iconic roles, and it’s definitely worth watching for fans of his work. His recollections of portraying Rust Cohle in True Detective are particularly engaging.
Interstellar, on the other hand, continues to spark discussion 11 years after its release — and audiences are still debating THAT ending.
Source: Vanity Fair