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Hes the main guy?
he asks in disbelief.
Woliner agreed, but on the condition that he could tell the story his way.
The shows cast would appear in both elements, with footage spliced together to form the final product.
And if any of this sounds confusing, television networks unsurprisingly raised similar objections.
On paper, few actors would describePaul T. Goldmanas their dream project.
How these actors were pitched on this project varied depending on when they came aboard.
It was a real battle, Wallace says.
It certainly wasnt for the money, he says with a laugh.
(Its the worst!
Finkelman declares with conviction.
I mean, Im having kind of a fun time, Grillo replies.)
Grillo remembers the time he and Finkelman spent together fondly.
Hes very Forrest Gumplike, he says.
Naturally, these fascinating interactions spilled over into moments that werent caught on-camera.
The two have maintained a friendly texting relationship since.
He texted me when he saw the shows billboard on Sunset Boulevard, she says.
He tells me about his life in Florida and the alligators.
Hes the sweetest guy.
What you see is what you get, and thats a beautiful thing in this world.
I texted Jason later, Pais says, and I was like, We should have filmed that.
Jason said, In a year from now, well take another picture of the picture of the picture.
Everything about it is so endlessly meta.
Contending with Finkelman as a first-time creative presented its own unique set of challenges for the actors.
I wanted it to look like,Well, anyone would have been taken by her, McGraw remembers.
He was like, No, there were red flags all over the place.
I found it funny, Regal recalls.
But theres something human about seeing another human being saying, I dont like this person.
Can we get rid of him?
Hed been bitten a little bit by the fame bug, Stanley says he realized while filming this scene.
Were not making fun of this guy, right?
McGraw remembers asking Woliner at the outset of their first phone call.
No, were trying to tell his story, he responded.
But its also the story of him trying to find what he needs.
Think about how hard it is to get anyone tolistento your problems.
So what is it about Finkelman that allowed him to transform himself into one of the rare few?
Was it will, tenacity, and the law of manifestation?
Was he fucking with all of us all along?
