Ben Stiller tells USA TODAY's Marco della Cava what it was like working with kids and animals on his new Hulu movie "Nutcrackers."
The old Hollywood warning is clear: Never work with children or animals, because both will easily upstage any star.
"Yeah, so doing this movie was the opposite of that - it was do work with children as well as animals," says Ben Stiller of his new feel-good holiday movie, "Nutcrackers" (streaming Friday on Hulu).
But before the veteran actor ("Meet the Fockers"), director ("Tropic Thunder") and producer ("Severance") can continue, one of those kid co-stars, Ulysses Janson, 11, interjects.
"Yeah, they should be saying, 'Never work with adults,' " says Janson, who goes by Uli.
Stiller shoots him a very Ben Stiller look, wide-eyed. "I think you got something there, kid."
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And so it goes for the next 20 minutes: effortless banter mixed with good-natured ribbing between the 58-year-old actor and two of his four young co-stars, who also include Homer Janson, 13, and twins Arlo and Atlas, 8.
That easy camaraderie leaps off the screen in "Nutcrackers," a heartwarming vision from director David Gordon Green (2018's "Halloween" reboot) that tells the story of career-obsessed Michael (Stiller), who has to watch over his four rowdy and suddenly parentless nephews as they await news of their foster care placement.
The antics of the real-life brothers inspired Hulu's new holiday movie 'Nutcrackers'
The unique gift of "Nutcrackers" is that Green met the four Janson brothers while visiting an old college friend who had moved to her family's farm outside Wilmington, Ohio. Hanging out with her kooky and talented kids made the director think he essentially had a movie ready to roll, actors and farm location already locked in.
Recalls Stiller: "David called me and said, 'Hey, I've got this holiday movie idea with these boys who live on a farm but have never acted, and we're going to grab some 35-mm cameras and rock and roll. It starts in eight weeks, are you in?"
He admits that after reading the script, his first question "as a cynic was, is he doing some sort of parody of a holiday movie? But he wasn't."
Stiller was intrigued, in part thanks to his deep affection for a range of classic holiday fare.
"I never thought, 'Oh, I need to do a holiday movie,' no, but I do love them, from those Rankin/Bass animations ("Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer") to 'It's a Wonderful Life,' 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles,' 'Polar Express,' all movies that just get you in the spirit of things," he says. "I also loved that this felt so organic - it wasn't some big studio production."
The Janson brothers went from acting neophytes to savvy pros, Ben Stiller says
The four Jansons took to filming like ducks to water, Stiller says, no doubt put at ease by the fact that their familiar family farm also served as the film's location.
"I mean, these guys live in that house you see, so they'd yell cut, but the cats and guinea pigs and dogs and goats, they're all still there just wandering around," Stiller says. "Sometimes things would be happening and you didn't even know if the cameras were rolling."
Homer Janson says he and his brothers were concerned that once shooting was scheduled, the quartet would have to spend hours cleaning up the homestead. But the opposite was true, to their delight. "It's supposed to look like four boys have been living on their own in the place, so we made sure it did," Homer says with a laugh.
It wasn't long before the boys got the hang of moviemaking, from the perks ("That would be the free breakfast burritos every morning," Uli Janson says with glee) to the lingo.
"At first, we'd say, 'Step on your mark,' and they'd be like, 'What's a mark?' " Stiller says. "And then by the end, they're like, 'That's a 30-mm lens, and he's going to do coverage and get an over-the-shoulder (shot).' "
Next up for the ballet-dancing Janson brothers? A performance of 'Nutcracker'
Is more acting in the works for the Brothers Janson, who also, as "Nutcrackers" leverages to the hilt, are skilled ballet dancers?
"Well, we're actually practicing for a performance of the real 'Nutcracker' now, which will take place in the same local theater that you see in the movie," Homer Janson says.
Stiller leans forward. "But I am their manager now," he says with mock seriousness. "I own their life rights; their parents sold them to me. You guys are OK with that, right?"
Home and Uli smile. Stiller feels like an old friend. The best part about working with him?
"Ben is so nice, he's so amazing ..." Uli says. "Keep going, please, keep going," Stiller deadpans.
OK, so what's their favorite Ben Stiller movie?
"Well, Homer watched 'Alex the Lion' like 15 times," Uli says, but Homer quickly corrects him: "You mean 'Madagascar.' "
Stiller voiced the lion in that animated hit. He's quick on the draw. "Right, but it should have been called 'Alex the Lion,' no question. Good point, Uli."
For Homer, Stiller's best includes "Tropic Thunder" and "Zoolander." But he'll soon be adding another film to that list after working with the star.
"The whole experience was so nice, working with Ben," he says.
Stiller may be flattered, but again, he just can't resist going for a comedic jab.
"Well, yeah, at first," he says, shrugging. "But later, guys, admit it, things got rough there, we weren't talking anymore. Stuff like, 'Hey, why does Uli have a bigger trailer than me?' "
Stiller shoots his long-haired co-star a hard stare. "Uli, man, I feel like success got to you."
