Having proven himself successful as a stand-up comedian, Nate Bargatze hopes to capture audiences’ attention with his first film.
Bargatze, one of the world’s best-selling comedians, makes his debut with The breadwinnerwhich Sony will release in theaters on Friday. Mandy Moore, Colin Jost, Zach Cherry, Martin Herlihy, Kumail Nanjiani and Will Forte also star in director Eric Abel’s film, which centers on a father (Bargazzi) who cares for his three daughters while his wife (Moore) pursues a career opportunity.
During a conversation with Hollywood ReporterBargatze talks about having a horse on set, suggesting theater owners should offer discounted tickets to the movie, the latest update on his planned theme park and what he feels looking back on hosting the Emmys last year.
When you were working on the script, did you incorporate your real-life daughter’s personality into your character’s three daughters?
They each had a little piece of her inside of them. Charlotte — the youngest [in the movie] This is very outgoing and can start dancing and was very funny – we see a lot of that in my daughter when she is at home with us. This was my first film, and it was great because it wasn’t too far removed from my situation and what you would expect.
How much time did the horse spend in the group?
The horse was in for a decent sum. You might think he wouldn’t be there for days, but he was there. I rode the horse. The horse was great. He can act better than I can. My daughter is obsessed with horses too, so it was fun for her to get off, and she got to ride the horse. In the movie, a horse walks through the front door, and the horse was in these people’s house. You might say, “Well, they’ll never let us take a horse home.” We asked them, and their response was, “Yes, we don’t care.” It was a real home, and that family was amazing.
The film has a talented supporting cast. Did you know that Camille can bounce his photos?
I had a guess. It was a lot of fun with Camille because we started out together in Chicago. I moved from Nashville to Chicago to start comedy, so I’ve known Camille from the beginning. It was a big deal to have him in the movie because he’s done movies, and to have a friend that I’ve known for 20 years and just… [being] Lots of advice I could get from him. It felt very much like everyone was rooting for each other. With the crew and the cast, it was a very positive feeling, and it was very exciting to come in and see what we were going to do.
Bad father comedy was a staple, dating back to Three men and a child Being the highest-grossing film of 1987. Were there obstacles to showing this type of comedy in theaters today?
The big leap forward was just my stand-up career and the number of people who came to the shows. Obviously when you make a presentation, it gets you a little bit further. These are a lot of things I talk about in my standup, so it was something we knew that resonated. It wasn’t just this stupid father who didn’t know how to do anything. He was just trying to be very relatable, and the movie was a love letter to mothers and shows how much they do.
What made you suggest that theater owners offer discounted tickets to your film?
I want The breadwinner To be a movie that everyone can watch. Families, grandparents, kids – everyone. Growing up, when my parents would take us to the movies, I remember it felt like something you could do without having to worry about it costing a fortune. Hence the “NET rate”. I thought maybe we could make it a little easier for families to come out together. I suggested it, and the theaters were immediately very supportive. They were as excited about it as I was. I hope “Nate Rate” will allow families and friends to come out together and watch the movie in theaters.
How do you feel about your experience hosting the Emmys last year, and is there any talk of you returning?
I didn’t talk to them about coming back at all. But I enjoyed it. We tried something very different. I loved doing this inaugural sketch with George Washington. Also, with what we did with Boys and Girls Club, I wasn’t trying to take away from any of the actors or anything like that, but the people who watched it at home, they made it fun. Look, I was never going to let these kids not get any money, but it made it a game for the viewers at home, and they enjoyed it. I thought you’d be interacting with more presenters, but you’re really just working. Walton Goggins, I could barely say hello to him. You might say, “I wanted to talk to him for a moment,” but you’re too busy. If I did it again, I’d probably let them do what they wanted: “You’ll do it any way you want. Go here.” [the allotted time]!
Are there any updates on the planned Nashville theme park at Netland?
We are far along. We’re narrowing down the location, and we have some land. Hopefully we can announce more things later this year, but it’s very much real and happening, and everything is moving forward with it. So far we’re working on creating what the park will look like, as well as just the rides and experience. When I finish the tour, it will be nice to be able to sit there and just focus on the theme park.
How do you hope to continue to build your voice in film?
I want to keep making comedies and then see where we can go, if we can do some action and any other genre. I want to really live within the PG and PG-13 range and continue to build that trust with the audience. When they go out and see that Nateland is connected to something, they can really know what to expect.
