Scoot McNairy Discusses Speak No Evil and Upcoming Projects

S coot McNairy had so far filmed quite popular projects, such as Halt and Catch Fire and Killing Them Softly. Now he does it again with the movie Speak No Evil. It is a psychological horror-thriller in which the actor co-starred for the second time with his former co-star Mackenzie Davis, bringing new twists in the narrative as the film has an end which differently finishes everything-that was actually something what caught McNairy's interest.

McNairy's first project with Davis was on AMC's Halt and Catch Fire, where they played computer geniuses like siblings. The couple have a troublesome marriage in the movie Speak No Evil. Speaking to interviewers, McNairy mentioned that in the film, they made the awkward transition from playing computer whiz siblings to playing the slightly troubled married couple Ben and Louise Dalton, as they did in the series. "It started a little slow because we were used to each other in a different way; it was almost like we were having trouble shaking it," McNairy said of the transitional awkwardness. "But really, thanks to Rosemarie, it went really smooth."

"When you work with someone for so long, the dynamics of that relationship can influence your new roles," McNairy tells The Hollywood Reporter. "But Mackenzie is really professional, and we caught up quickly. It was a blessing working with her again to bring some existing chemistry into this different context."

James Watkins directs the movie, a remake of Christian Tafdrup's 2022 Danish film. The Daltons may have dreamed of some quaint English county jaunt, but somehow nothing ever comes to pass. Well, that was the situation with the original Danish version, which ends on a decidedly bleak note. Not so with Watkins' remade version: more hopeful is the tone here. "The ending, the original ending, just didn't sit well with me personally," admits McNairy. "I'd love to see the parents make a fight or an effort to help their child. So when I get the chance to remake that film with the opportunity to change the ending for myself, that would be really exciting."

McNairy's comment about the different ending said it all in terms of his wanting to see an ending that reflected his ideals as a father, which is what brought him to such interpretation. "Being a father of two, I felt strongly about seeing some form of resolution or action from the parents," he notes.

This year, McNairy is scheduled to make a number of appearances in major productions. Talking about his role in Marielle Heller-directed, starring Amy Adams in the TIFF galas Nightbitch, he explains having "a certain respect" for the actress he admires and was excited to be part of this project. "Amy is a beast of an actor," he says. "I was thrilled to be part of a project with such a talented cast and director."

In A Complete Unknown, which James Mangold is writing and directing as a Bob Dylan biopic, McNairy stars alongside Timothée Chalamet's Dylan as Woody Guthrie. He looks forward to seeing what the latter would do with the character: "A Bob Dylan biopic? That's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he said. "I'm excited for the world to see Timothée's exquisite performance."

McNairy shared further about his opinion on his early movies, such as Killing Them Softly and A Quiet Place Part II. Speaking about his experience with Ben Mendelsohn, he declared that he had such a blast working with him and would love to do this again someday. On A Quiet Place Part II, he described work as "a privilege to get to work with John Krasinski on a franchise I love."

On his experience in Blonde, where he is making a recreation of this iconic scene for The Seven Year Itch, McNairy summarized it all as surreal and exhilarating. "Every moment of that experience was surreal. Being at the same location and seeing Ana de Armas portray Marilyn Monroe so brilliantly was incredible. An honor to be part of such a controversial and iconic film."

Such a diverse cast and evidently a love for exploring different roles keeps McNairy aesthetically hooked as he satisfies viewers and propels his potential career to its full potential.