Jake Johnson Likes to Play the Hollywood Game, Especially When It Changes

If you had been bored sufficient — a stultifying job, residing with Mom after a foul breakup — you, too, may climb right into a mysterious limo carrying Andy Samberg. You may even contemplate the provide: outwit assassins for 30 days and win $1 million.

It’s a threat that Tommy, performed by Jake Johnson, is keen to absorb “Self Reliance,” the darkish comedy on Hulu that he additionally wrote and directed.

Johnson, 45, was antsy through the pandemic when he determined the time for this challenge was now.

“When you get on this roller coaster, you don’t know how long you’re going to be allowed to play while you’re here,” he mentioned in a video interview from the studio he constructed for podcasts and Zoom calls in his Pasadena, Calif., dwelling. “You should take chances and experiment. And if you have a relationship with an audience, you should be presenting new options.”

Johnson is greatest generally known as an actor in motion pictures and tv, significantly the sitcom “New Girl,” which ran for seven seasons and is without doubt one of the causes Anna Kendrick and Samberg agreed to come back aboard “Self Reliance.”

“Having somebody as funny as him start the movie, it sets the tone in the way that I want this movie to be viewed,” Johnson mentioned earlier than speaking about shedding at chess, carpentry mishaps and out-of-this-world eating places. “And that is: sit back, have a glass of wine or smoke a joint or whatever you like to do and enjoy it. It’s a ride.”

These are edited excerpts from the dialog.

1

My Twin Daughters

When I had children, they develop into such a dominant a part of my life. They rework day by day, each thought. So the thought of residing with out them — I don’t even know what residing is.

2

New Projects

I get loads of self-worth from staying busy. Right now it’s the podcast I’m most enthusiastic about. Our present known as “We Are Here to Help,” and Gareth Reynolds and I attempt to assist callers. We simply had one the place an grownup girl’s mom and stepfather kiss her on the lips after they say goodbye.

3

Learning Carpentry

This studio was a grasp closet. I mentioned to my spouse, “What if I knock that bookcase out and build the walls out and turn that into the closet and turn this into an office?” I discovered this nice carpenter who is healthier than me in order that I can watch him work. All of that will get actually thrilling, and I spend all my time fascinated with it. I did some drywalling, sanded all the things down, the plaster went all over the place. I used to be like, “I have to learn a new technique.”

4

Chess

I performed with my Uncle Eddie after I was youthful, and Eddie was an outdated hustler who used to con me. Then Mike Cera challenged me on Chess.com and simply embarrassed me. I’ve obtained an 8-year-old nephew who’s a little bit of a prodigy and within the feedback part talks trash whereas poorly spelling phrases. That is as humiliating because it will get — to have any individual say, “You suck, Uncle Jake,” spelled fallacious whereas checkmating me.

5

Walking and Talking

I’ve obtained a bunch of various buddies who I’ll take random hikes with. We stand up to Griffith Park or go round Pasadena, simply two hours to work up a sweat and chat — listening to the place they’re at and their perspective. I’d slightly be strolling up a hill than sitting round consuming a sandwich with any individual.

6

Changing Hollywood

Newness I discover actually thrilling. When there’s a brand new part and all people’s panicking and going, “It’s all Marvel movies” or no matter, I’m like, “Now there’s a big change to the game and a lot of us are going to fall off the cliff and die. But there’s movies to be made if you want to keep playing.”

7

Giant Leaps

Right now my daughters are studying division and multiplication, and we’re doing loads of it at dwelling. There are tears and there are fights, after which there’s development. They take a soar ahead, and abruptly they’re each crushing one thing and I don’t know the way they obtained there. That stuff will get me by means of loads of days.

8

Late-Night Screen Time

When all people goes to sleep, there’s a number of hours the place all the things is quiet and you’ll simply flip round and watch no matter you wish to watch. And that chunk of time — what my buddy Steve Berg would all the time name “the getting weird time” — I find it irresistible.

9

Coffee With My Wife

We have espresso on the similar time within the morning. We get in some actually wild discussions and we’ll be like, what is going on? And I’ll be like, “We’re drinking straight concentrate. We are drugged right now, my dear.”

10

Hidden Gems

We’ll drive to deep Alhambra or someplace within the San Gabriel Valley, discover some loopy little hole-in-the-wall store the place the menu’s not even in English. Then you get some dish and each occasionally you’ll take that first chew and also you’re like, “Holy [expletive], in what galaxy … ?”