Summary
The Girl In The Poolfollows Tom, whose life is turned upside down on his birthday. Tom’s mistress visits him before his family returns home, but when he discovers her body, he panics and decides to hide the body. When his wife throws him a surprise birthday party his home is filled with family and friends. As he desperately tries to hide his secret, everything begins to unravel Tom will do whatever it takes to try to save his picture-perfect life.
Freddie Prinze Jr. (I Know What You Did Last Summer,Star Wars: Rebels) and Monica Potter (Saw,Parenthood) reunite as co-stars inThe Girl In The Pooltwenty-three years afterHead Over Heels. Director Dakota Gorman helmed the project based on a screenplay penned by Jackson Reid Williams. The Girl In The Pool leans into the psychological aspects of the suspense thriller and murder mystery genres, with Prinze delivering a captivating performance as his character devolves into panic and chaos throughout the night.
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Screen Rantinterviewed Freddie Prinze Jr.and Monica Potter about their new thrillerThe Girl In The Pool. They discussed reuniting as co-stars more than twenty years later and Prinze explained how his ability to be vulnerable has grown. Potter praised the director and Prinze also touches on whether he would reprise Kanan Jarrus and his thoughts on John Cena’s retirement.
Freddie Prinze Jr. Praises Monica Potter: “We Didn’t Have To Develop Any Chemistry”
Prinze and Potter explained that the chemistry between them was one of the easiest parts ofThe Girl In The Poolbecause they didn’t have to develop it. They already naturally had the chemistry from working together before and due to their friendship. They also revealed what drew each of them to the project.
Freddie Prinze Jr.: The easiest thing was having Monica here because we didn’t have to develop any chemistry. We already had chemistry, so those were the easiest scenes to execute in the movie. But as far as working together in the past, it’s so weird. We found out earlier today, it’s been 23 years since we worked together, and we weren’t completely isolated. It’s not like we never spoke in between that timeframe, but Monica said that it felt like just another day on set. It felt exactly the same as the first movie, and it totally did. And I didn’t even think about that until you said it, Monica.
Monica Potter: Well, it was almost like we woke up and then we were a little older and then different ending to a different movie in one location without models. But Kevin Pollak.
Freddie Prinze Jr.: I didn’t get any supermodels this time. That’s messed up.
Monica Potter: I know. I still keep in touch. But yeah, I had the weirdest dream. It was like we were older and then we were doing a different movie. If you told our, I don’t even know how old I was then, but can’t do the math in my head. 23 years. So I’m 53. Go for it.
Monica Potter: Almost 30.
Freddie Prinze Jr.: There you go. 29.
Monica Potter: Yeah. And then I don’t even know what I’m saying, but it is fun just seeing him and being around him and now his family. It was so much fun.
Freddy, tell us a little bit about Tom and what attracted you to the project.
Freddie Prinze Jr.: Well, he was the opposite of every role I’ve ever played in my career. Every character I make makes the right decisions, ends up with the right person, would never cheat, wouldn’t do any of those things. So that’s what made it attractive. The cool thing about this guy is I’d never seen a more beta personality character on film in a script before where every choice was dictated by a compliment or criticism from someone else.
I disagreed with every single choice the guy made in the script when I read it, and that made me fall in love with it. Like the alpha personalities, calling the cops, the Omega personalities, figuring out who the hell did this before anything goes on. The beta personality is like, Look what’s happening to me right now. It’s a selfish thing and he’s super insecure, and everything about him was horrible. And so it just made me love him more and more.
That third act where he gets a chance to actually be vulnerable and be honest for the first time is only when everything’s been kicked to sh-t. That’s the first moment in the movie where he really kind of opens up and lets his guard down, which was one of the more challenging, but the more fun scenes to play.
Can you talk about the role of Kristen and the themes that drew you to the project?
Monica Potter: Well, the theme that drew me or themes was Freddy, that’s it. I didn’t even read the script. My kids came. I said, Should I do it? And they said, It’s Freddy Say Yes. So I read the script. I’m still reading it, but I read it page by page. It was the running joke on set. What page are you on? 12. It was just that. I just showed up and I wanted Freddy to show his talent because I don’t think he’s ever been seen in this light before. His work is phenomenal.
Being Vulnerable On Camera In The Girl In The Pool “Is A Tricky Thing”
Prinze revealed that the third act is where he was really able to bring his style into the role of Tom. While the first two acts were “real clean” for him in the third act he needed to tap into his vulnerability in order to win the audience over after showing Tom making so many bad decisions throughout the movie.
Freddie Prinze Jr.: Yeah, as far as what I could bring, my personality is all third act stuff. The first two acts were real clean for me. It was very much on the page. Dakota put a lot of work into this script, a lot of hard work into this script to make this character someone that you would hate, but for whatever reason you would relate to. You might not respect him, but you’ll relate to. It all plays into that third act. That’s where I kind of had to bring what people like most about me out. And I had to be vulnerable enough to do it.
Being vulnerable on camera is a tricky thing. I’ve been able to do it to certain levels in my twenties, but it got much easier once I got older, once I had children, once I saw how important it was to be vulnerable in front of your children so that they can have a three dimensional vision of their father. Things like that. All of a sudden my acting started getting better and I started seeing how I could apply that into my work.
So that third act is really all about just vulnerability and earning the audience trust in one scene, in one scene, because all he is done so far is lie. So you just get one shot to get ‘em back. Whether the family agrees or not, the audience has to. And so that was the most challenging scene for me, the one I put the most thought into.
Monica, I love the director Dakota Gorman. I think she’s absolutely amazing in this film. Can you talk about working with her as a collaborator and what her directing style added to this film?
Monica Potter: She’s magical. She just is. We had such a shorthand because both of us, it was like we would stand there. And it’s hard for me sometimes to get words out because I feel like the nuns at school would say, Ms Brokaw, that’s my maiden name, You don’t think. And I’m like, I know, because I feel everything. And I would start crying.
So working with a director like that where she’s kind of doing both, well, she does both, but she would just walk up to me and go, Okay, in this one, I go, got it. And she would come back. It was like having a twin. I know twins do that when they’re growing up. They have a certain conversations. Yeah, just going, yeah. Okay, got it. I don’t know. It was amazing. She’s awesome. Amazing talent.
Thoughts On Returning To Kanan In Star Wars: “It Dilutes The Character A Little Bit”
Prinze played Kanan Jarrus inStar Wars: Rebelsand later reprised the role for a brief moment inThe Rise of Skywalker. He revealed if he would ever want to reprise Kanan again or play a different character in Star Wars. He also shared why it took some convincing for him to return toThe Rise of Skywalker.
Freddie Prinze Jr.: I feel like every time Kanan gets put out there, since the cartoon, it dilutes the character a little bit. I wasn’t even crazy about doing the voiceover in the last movie, and it took a couple of phone calls to convince me to do so. Because I didn’t think Kanan was that powerful to be a Force ghost that would communicate from the past.
So, no, my answer is no. I wouldn’t do Star Wars, and I wouldn’t want to play a different character. I don’t like that. I don’t like it when other actors do it either. I don’t want you playing two superheroes; play one. It’s weird otherwise, right? Not that you can’t do it. You’re capable of doing it. I just want to see you as this guy or that guy. I wouldn’t want to play a different one.
Do you believe in Joe Hendry? John Cena just recently announced his retirement. What are your thoughts on that?
I do believe in Joe Hendry. He does exist. John was not a fan of mine when I worked there. By the time I left, I had earned some respect with him. I always respected John. I knew how important he was to the wrestling business, and the burden that he carried during the PG era was one that other men could have carried but chose not to. And he took that square on those broad ass shoulders that he has.
So his contribution, I was never one of the guys that screamed Cena sucks. I was never one of the guys that booed him. I never wrote a sign that said, if Cena wins, we’ll Riot. And you, Cowards never rioted once. So those signs were bs. But yeah, he didn’t like me, but I liked him and I thought he had a great contribution to the wrestling business and this would be his last year wrestling. And I hope people appreciate him the way he should be appreciated.
About The Girl In The Pool
On his birthday, Tom’s life collapses when his mistress is found dead in his pool. Terrified of the consequences, and desperate to protect his family, he conceals the truth, triggering a chaotic night that threatens to unravel his perfect life.
The Girl In The Pooldebuts in theaters and on demand on July 26.
