Nicolas Cage and Julianne Nicholson in “Dream Scenario”.Photo:A24
A24
Julianne Nicholsonbrought personal experience to her trippy new movieDream Scenario.
The A24 comedy, from Norwegian writer-director Kristoffer Borgli, starsNicolas Cageas an ordinary man who for no discernible reason begins appearing in multiple people’s dreams.
“I do have scary acting dreams,” Nicholson, 52, tells PEOPLE when asked whether her own snoozes helped her prepare to play Janet, wife to Cage’s hapless Paul.
“Mostly I have recurring anxiety dreams [where I’m] right about to go on stage,” she recalls, “or about to film a scene, and you don’t know what the scene is!”
That “worst-case scenario” that plays out in her head while asleep speaks to deeper fears most performers can relate to, says the Emmy-winningMare of Easttownstar. “I guess it’s just fear of not being prepared, not doing your work, not giving enough.”
Nicholson has given more than enough as an actor, from solid work inLaw & Order: Criminal Intent,Masters of Sexand more on the small screen to scene-stealing performances on the big screen, including last year’sBlondeandWeird: The Al Yankovic Story.
The Massachusetts-born actress and former model will next appear in A24’sJanet Planetand is currently filming the BBC seriesDope Girlsin London, where she lives with her husband, actorJonathan Cake, and their teenaged son and daughter.
Julianne Nicholson in 2022.Matt Baron/Shutterstock
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DidDream Scenariocause her to have any dreams featuring Cage, as in the movie itself? “I guess daydreaming about him,” she says with a laugh. “He definitely pops up in my mind regularly.”
That was true “every day, face to face” on the set ofDream Scenario, she adds; even when playing a meek biology professor, Cage can keep costars on their toes. “It’s very exciting to know that you have to pay attention.”
Cage’sGolden Globe-nominatedperformance as Paul works because the ensuing “wackiness,” as Nicholson calls it, stems from his and Janet’s “normal working longterm relationship.”
Nicolas Cage in “Dream Scenario”.Courtesy of TIFF
Courtesy of TIFF
Nicholson remains in awe of Cage’s ability to reinvent himself from project to project throughout a longcareer.
PlayingDream Scenario’s unassuming family man — particularly after playing a mysterious kidnapper in the thrillerSympathy for the Devil, a wacky Dracula inRenfieldand himself inThe Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent— is “just the name of the game for him,” she says.
“He takes the work so seriously, but he still has a sense of humor about himself, and I find that a very charming combination.”
At the Toronto International Film Festival premiere ofDream Scenarioin September, Cage also reflected on his own dreams.
“I always like it when my father shows up,” the Oscar winner toldPEOPLEof the late August Coppola. “I haven’t seen him in person since he passed on. So when he shows up, that’s always a good thing.”
Dream Scenario, costarring Tim Meadows, Dylan Gelula and Dylan Baker, is out now.
source: people.com
