Good On Paper may come off as a regular romantic comedy when it premieres on June 23, but the upcoming Netflix film is actually something of the opposite. Written by and starring stand-up comedian Iliza Shlesinger (Spenser Confidential), it unravels a "mostly true story" about a relationship gone terribly wrong.
When up-and-coming actress Andrea meets the seemingly perfect-for-her Dennis (Ryan Hansen, Fantasy Island), his charm and persistence wear her down until she agrees to date him - against her best friend Margot's (Margaret Cho, Drop Dead Diva) advice. When he turns out to only be "good on paper," the ladies have to take matters into their own hands.
Cho and Hansen spoke to Screen Rant about their chemistry with Shlesinger, collaboration with director Kimmy Gatewood, and their own takes on bad relationships.
Margaret, Margot and Andrea's dynamic feels so comfortable, and I really believe you're besties. How did you build up that chemistry with Iliza?
Margaret Cho: Well, I have known Iliza for a long time, and I'm a longtime fan of her stand-up comedy and everything that she does. So, it was really easy to just step into that, because we are friends in life. It made sense, and I loved our scenes and our journey. It's really fun.
Ryan, I may still be living off the fumes of Veronica Mars, but this seems like such a different role for you. What was most fun about stepping into Dennis' shoes?
Ryan Hansen: Well, the most fun was that he supposed to be a little out of shape, so I got to wear a little pad on my already gut. That just gave me freedom to eat everything. I'm like, "It's for the character. I must." That was kind of my favorite part.
Margaret, you're kind of the Cassandra; the truth teller of the story from the start. What is it that you think tipped her off that something isn't right with Dennis?
Margaret Cho: I think it's just the weirdness of noticing the details about what Dennis would always put forth about himself and what he would be saying. Some of it is often just his behavior, like she's getting past the projected self that he has and the projections that Iliza's character is putting onto him.
Speaking of those projections, I think that everyone probably has told white lies in relationships, especially at the start when you might want to impress someone. Ryan, what do you think would be a deal breaker, and when does the white lie become muddied?
Ryan Hansen: Yeah, that's a good question. Because the lies that he is telling aren't like, "I'm a prince. I'm a billionaire." That's not what he's saying. He's just saying the little white lies [at first], like you said. What would be the deal breaker...? I've been married for so long that I don't know.
One thing we can all worry about is the eventual apocalypse where we will need Margot's survival kit, which I absolutely loved. What would you guys have in your own?
Margaret Cho: Oh, a Pirate's Booty. Vinegar, almonds, Emergen-C. Remember Emergen-C, and all those kinds of vitamin C drinks? Airborne, remember Airborne? That kind of stuff. I love it. Gummy candy, sour candy, Haribo. A lot of Haribo, it's well-represented.
Ryan Hansen: Weed gummies, definitely. Just to keep yourself sane.
This was Kimmy's first time directing a full-length feature film, but she also comes from an acting background. Did you feel that brought anything to the table for you?
Margaret Cho: Absolutely. She's so great. It's really rare to work with both the screenwriter and a director who is an actor, and who understands. I love that about the chemistry we all had together working.
Ryan Hansen: Yeah. Because when a director is also an actor, they get the process a lot better. And you can't really bullshit your way out of anything. She's like, "Well, I'm an actor, and you can't do that." That type of thing. So, it was great.
I'm such a fan of hers from GLOW and stuff, too. She's awesome. I love Kimmy.
Ryan, how do you walk this fine line of making Dennis likable enough that we believe that a woman like Andrea would be interested in him? And yet you're not blindsiding the audience with a perfect façade.
Ryan Hansen: Yeah, totally. We definitely the walk that line. A lot of times I would play it a lot slimier or give it away a little more, and Iliza would say, "No, Dennis would definitely do this. He's a little more charming this way, so play it that way in this [scene]." And that totally helped. I think it helped for the whole movie.
Good On Paper arrives June 23 on Netflix.
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