Chris Rock pushed back on the idea that his new film paints a uniquely damning portrait of Hollywood relationships, telling Variety at the “Misty Green” premiere Saturday night that the pattern of infidelity running through the story reflects something far more universal. “I don’t think it’s a Hollywood thing, it’s just life,” Rock said following the film’s screening at the New York Film Festival. “Our two characters bond over our infidelities. And, yeah, it’s a lot. But it’s show business, man.”
“Misty Green,” which Rock wrote and directed, follows an Emmy-winning actress, played by Rosalind Eleazar, attempting to rebuild a career that stalled years earlier. Rock appears in the film as a director who once had Misty removed from a “Cinderella” remake, and the two characters reconnect years later, drawn together in part by their shared history of unfaithfulness. The role reunites Rock with a story he has said he originally pictured with Donald Glover in the lead male part before ultimately casting himself.
Produced for roughly $5 million and shot entirely in Los Angeles, the film assembled a cast that includes Adam Driver, Daniel Kaluuya, Anna Kendrick and Topher Grace. Rock credited the modest, local production for making that ensemble possible, saying he would welcome more opportunities to film in the city if tax incentives made it financially viable. A24 picked up the film ahead of its Toronto premiere earlier this month and is steering it through the fall festival circuit into awards season.
Eleazar, best known for her role on “Slow Horses,” said the film’s themes extend well beyond the entertainment industry. “Most people don’t make it, quote unquote, in Hollywood,” she told Variety, adding that she has watched many actors face long stretches without work and admires those who keep returning to the profession regardless. She called the story universal, applicable to any competitive field rather than a commentary specific to acting.
Rock, reflecting on his own definition of success, said professional achievement matters less to him now than his personal life. He pointed to his daughter and grandchildren as the measure of what it means to “make it,” calling everything else in his career secondary. “Misty Green” continues screening at NYFF ahead of a wider theatrical rollout later this year.
