Joe Keery is known to the world as bully-turned-baby-sitter, Steve, in the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things. The show is currently in the process of filming its final season, but fans desperate for their next fix of the actor can currently find him starring in new movie Marmalade.
Available now on digital platforms, Marmalade is a quirky crime noir thriller with an added helping of romance. It is directed by Keir O’Donnell and finds the recently incarcerated Baron (Joe Keery) strike up a friendship with his cellmate, Otis (Aldis Hodge), a man with a well-versed history of prison breaks. As the pair hatch an escape plan together, Baron recalls the story of how he met Marmalade (Camila Morrone), the love of his life, and their “Bonnie and Clyde” style scheme to rob a bank in order to care for his sick mother and give the couple the life they have always dreamed of.
The role is very far removed from Stranger Things’ Steve, but Keery brings his own natural charm to Baron, making him an engaging character to spend a couple of hours with. Having already spoken to Marmalade’s director, Keir O’Donnell, THN were thrilled to be offered a chance to speak with Joe Keery about this very special indie movie.
Marmalade is one of those quirky films that is a little bit of everything, making it very hard to fully quantify it. How do you pitch it to people?
That’s kind of why I like the movie. It feels like it’s traipsing through a bunch of different genres and at its core has these really fun characters that go through these twists. But it is difficult to pitch. I guess it’s an homage to the Coen brothers movies from the 90’s in my mind. I feel like there was a period where things always had these kinds of fun little twists. I like movies like that. I felt like I had a pretty good idea of what Keir was going for and it just seemed like a really fun challenge to be a part of it. I was lucky enough that he had me along.
Your director, Keir, has an acting background. How did that help you as a performer?
It’s so helpful. It is so, so helpful, just because I feel like the best experiences I’ve had are where it’s more of a collaboration with the director. I’m always very happy to bring things in, but you really want to work with somebody on the character and to kind of shine a perspective upon it that you might not have because I can really only bring myself. I felt like he already had a really deep understanding and then asked me to bring my own stuff to it. So we really found it together.
I read that there was also a lot of opportunity for improvisation on set. Do you find that more freeing or daunting?
I think in the right places, and the right doses, it’s great. It can really open things up. I feel more than anything that it can be a really good mood setter too on set. You really want to have a buoyant set and something that doesn’t feel too serious and heavy. Making a film is a scheduling feat and so anytime that the mood can be light and happy, I feel like it really helps everybody because it’s a team sport.
An important part of Baron is his hair. A lot of your characters have had a very particular look or style. How much does the hairstyle and costuming help you as an actor connect to your character?
It helps a lot. I mean definitely when you look in the mirror and you see something else, you kind of start to feel in your body a little bit different. I felt that way for this one for sure. Especially the costumes as well. I feel the loose slacker loafing clothes… I don’t know, it sort of informed the character a lot.
We can’t talk about Marmalade without talking about Marmalade herself. What is Camilla Monroe like to work with?
She’s great. I feel like she just has a natural energy that she brings to things, and an excitement. Especially for this, I feel like we were really finding everything kind of on the day. It was a very quick shoot and just due to the nature of scheduling we really didn’t have that much time together. So we kind of like… we’re in it right away and fully committed. I feel like we both really hit the ground running. It was really amazing working with her and she’s a great person, and now she’s my friend. So that’s amazing.
It’s always great to hear when a film results in a new friendship.
It really is the best. One of the coolest parts about this job is being able to meet so many different artists. Camilla’s amazing. She’s going to be like the next Julia Roberts.
Being a star of a show that is a global phenomena such as Stranger Things, I imagine that you get offered a lot of high-profile titles and yet you seem to be drawn to indie productions such as Marmalade and Spree. What is it about these types of films that you find so rewarding?
Um, well you’d be surprised, I get a lot of ice cream roles sent my way, which is, you know, I’ve already kind of played an ice cream guy. No, I’m just kidding, I just feel like when you’re looking to do a project one of the most important things is working with the director who you think has a vision and is trying to do something that you, I guess, kind of connect with. I liked all the references that Keir was drawing from and felt like he really had the movie in his brain, and that’s the person who’s going to be putting it together and is calling the shots at the end of the day. So really, that’s what you’re signing up for. So with Keir I just felt right away pretty comfortable with him and I was just really excited by him. Going forward I think that is how I’ll judge things. But then also the character too. It’s a little bit of serendipity. The right sort of character comes along at the right time and excites you in a way.
I know you can’t share anything about Stranger Things, but with the final season looming, what has it been like playing Steve for the last eight years?
It’s been amazing, and the opportunity of my lifetime. I’ve learned so much about making movies and TV and about what it really means to be a part of a team and collaborate with people, and about the kind of the artist that I want to be. It’s been an incredible experience. I would not have a career if it wasn’t for Stranger Things, and to be a part of something that people seem to really like and touches them, that’s all you really want to do [as an actor].
In a way, it’s almost like I’ve already had this thing that has brought me a lot of joy and a lot of people so much joy, so it almost kind of takes the pressure off in a fun way. I feel like, let’s get crazy and experimental and chase some projects and I don’t know, it just makes me excited. I guess for what I’ve done, and then also really for the future too.
Marmalade is out there now; why should people take a chance on this film?
I think there’s more than meets the eye with this film. You’ll go in maybe with a certain expectation and it hopefully subverts that. Those are the types of things that I really like in cinema, I like being surprised. I think the audience is so smart nowadays and everyone can see three steps ahead of the plot, and there’s nothing worse than sort of knowing that. I think that this movie offers hopefully something a little different and is surprising for people, and will be a little bit of fun and a little bright spot for people.
Marmalade is available on Digital Platform in the UK now via Signature Entertainment.
