[Editor's note: The following contains spoilers for Late Bloomers.]

Summary

• 'Late Bloomers' explores universal themes of taking responsibility and facing family issues wrapped in a personal, relatable narrative.
• Lead actress Karen Gillan found the indie film experience refreshing, with tighter schedules and a very collaborative set.
• Director Lisa Steen impressively handled her debut feature film, creating a supportive, creatively encouraging environment for the cast.

From director Lisa Steen and screenwriter Anna Greenfield, the comedy Late Bloomers follows Louise (Karen Gillan), a 28-year-old woman who finds herself adrift in romance and in life. When she drunkenly ends up breaking her hip, a stint in physical therapy puts her directly in the path of Antonina (Margaret Sophie Stein), an elderly Polish woman whose cantankerous nature easily crosses any language barrier that not speaking English might create. As Louise reluctantly takes on the role of caregiver for Antonina, a woman who seems so different from her, the two form a connection that makes Louise realize she must face her own family issues if she’s ever going to get her life back on track.

During this one-on-one interview with Collider, Gillan talked about how universal and relatable this personal story felt, embracing the range of emotions that can come with having a family member who isn’t well, working with a first-time feature director who never felt like she was under pressure, playing someone on a journey of self-sabotage, working with the crutches, the appeal of the diaper scene, getting vulnerable and singing a song, and the fun of shooting awkward intimate moments. She also shared how lucky she felt to get such a full arc to play with Nebula throughout the Marvel films, what she’s learned from James Gunn, reuniting with Mike Flanagan for The Life of Chuck, and the unexpected love people still have for Selfie.

Collider: This has such a fun odd couple character dynamic. I really loved you guys together.

KAREN GILLAN: Thank you. That’s so nice to hear.

'Late Bloomers' Shows the Toll Dementia Can Take on Loved Ones

This feels like a very personal story, and I read that it’s somewhat based on the real-life experiences of the writer, Anna Greenfield. It’s always funny how the most personal of stories specific to one person can have such universal emotions in them. When you read this, what was it that you felt most connected to? Was it something in the character? Was it the character relationships? Was it just everything?

GILLAN: It was everything, and it was the execution of it. Because it is Anna, the writer’s real story, there’s something that’s so specific about it, but that makes it feel real and relatable. There are so many universal themes within it, of taking responsibility and feeling like you’re not there yet and not ready for it, but being thrust into that position in your life and maybe resisting it and being scared to acknowledge what’s going on in your life. And so, I connected with it on so many levels, even though I personally haven’t experienced a family member with dementia. However, I just think it was executed so well in the script that I’ve come out of the film feeling like I have a very good understanding of that. It really takes into account how hard this disease is to deal with, but also the joyous moments and the funny moments that can come out of it all. It really sort of embraces the range of emotions. It’s not just a big tragedy. It’s everything at once.

This also felt like one of those stripped down character stories that would be pretty intimate to make because it’s a smaller budget without a huge crew and there probably weren’t a ton of people around. What did you most enjoy about the experience of actually making the film?

GILLAN: I loved it. I have definitely been on things where you have a lot of downtime while they’re setting up lights, and you have a fancy trailer that you go back to and everyone’s slightly more isolated in those in between moments. On this, I felt like I was part of the team. I was around everybody and there was something really nice about that, “We’re all in this together,” type of feeling. Also, what I like is how much material you get through in a day, because you only have 19 or 20 days to shoot the whole movie, as opposed to six months, which is what I would do on a Marvel film. You’re getting through so many pages of dialogue a day and it really gets you in the groove. You are quickly very comfortable being on camera, and that’s a really nice feeling for me, when I start to forget that I’m being filmed.

You made your feature directorial debut with The Party’s Just Beginning. This film is your director’s feature directorial debut. What was it like to see how she handled it? What stood out to you about her approach? Are you always looking to other directors for inspiration, especially now that it’s something you’re also doing?

GILLAN: Yeah, I’m absorbing all the things that I like about all the different directors that I work with. Lisa [Steen] was incredibly impressive. It’s her first feature, but it certainly didn’t feel that way. She did not feel like she was under pressure. She wasn’t rubbing her eyes every time I asked her a question, which happens a lot with directors. She just really took it in her stride. She’s incredibly emotionally intelligent, so I felt like I was in really safe hands with this character and that I could take these weird swings because she was gonna make sure that I was edited in the right way. Sometimes when you take these swings, they don’t work, and sometimes they do. That’s the risk that you have to take if you’re gonna try to create something interesting. And then, you just hope that someone edits you well. I was really pleased with the way that she edited the performance together. I had such a good experience working with her, and I felt safe and free and like I had a license to try anything.

Are you hoping to direct again, sooner rather than later? Is that something that you actively want to do?

GILLAN: Yeah, definitely. I have just not been able to find the right project, in all honesty, and I’ve been reading a bunch of things. It just needs to be something that I create because otherwise it’s really hard for me to feel that feeling of being the person that needs to tell this story. So, I do have my next idea and we are starting to get the wheels in motion for that, but I can’t really say too much yet. It’s really early days, but it will definitely have a little bit more of a horror genre to it.

Karen Gillan's 'Late Bloomers' Character Is a Self-Sabotaging Hot Mess Who Manages to Remain Empathetic

Clearly, this character is a bit of a mess. She’s also someone who’s hard to be there for sometimes, especially when she’s self-sabotaging. How did you find that line between how hard she makes things for people in her life while also not making her so unlikable that you lose audiences watching her story? There’s something that stays very relatable about her.

GILLAN: I think the key to that is that the audience needs to understand why the character is the way that they are. And then, you have the license. The audience will go with you on this journey of self-sabotage and doing things that are questionable, as long as they have empathy and understand. That’s my main quest that I’m on with every character, getting the audience to understand where they’re coming from in the way that a lawyer might.

I actually find it quite funny that this is a 28-year-old character who falls and breaks her hip because we only relate that sort of injury to old people. What were the challenges of figuring out how you wanted to have that affect your physicality while not actually injuring yourself? When you do weird things with physicality, sometimes you can actually physically hurt yourself.

GILLAN: Oh, I’ve definitely done that before. One of the big attractions of the role was this idea that I would get to do something really physical. I would have to adopt a whole new way of moving, which would affect the whole performance. And also, being on crutches for the majority of the film, I thought that would be really interesting, but also provide some physical comedy opportunities as well. I was jumping at the chance to do that. I always love anything where I feel like I’m departing myself, whether it’s an accent or a voice or a way of moving, so that really gave me that fix.

What were the crutches like to get used to?

GILLAN: I really enjoyed them, but I think I was being naughty and hanging on them, which I was told I shouldn’t. I was a little bit of a kid with crutches who was having a good time running around with them.

It’s this injury that she experiences that brings Antonina into her life. What was it like to bring that relationship to life? How was the experience of finding that dynamic with your co-star, and do you have a favorite moment that you guys spent together?

GILLAN: We (Margaret Sophis Stein and I) had a lot of rehearsal time before we started shooting with Lisa and Anna. The four of us were in a room, and we all just talked and hashed it out and read the scenes out loud and it organically developed. We had some massive strategy to create it, so much as just spending the time together and putting in the hours. And then, it gradually revealed itself to being what it is. My favorite moment is when they’re in the swimming pool and she tells her to get on her back, and then she carries her around. That is just such a sweet, funny moment that we both were tickled by.

Which 'Late Bloomers' Scene Was the One that Sold Karen Gillan on the Film?

Certainly, one of the most memorable scenes in this is when you’re sitting on the couch in a diaper. It’s such a funny moment because you could see something like that really happening and you can understand why she did it. What was your first reaction to learning about that? Was that something that was always in the script, or did that come up along the way?

GILLAN: That was always in the script, and that was the point in the script when I knew I was officially going to sign on for this. When she put on the diaper, or nappy as we call them in the UK, I was like, “This is the funniest thing, ever. This is one of the most likable things I’ve ever seen a character do.” She makes herself look ridiculous to make somebody else feel better. I was like, “Okay, I like this girl. I’m gonna put the nappy on.”

I also really love the moment that Louise sits down with her mother and sings a song to her. What was that like to shoot? Did you spend a lot of time rehearsing that, or do you not want to over rehearse that? How is it to figure out a moment like that?

GILLAN: I don’t think we actually rehearsed that. That was all very much found in the moment. I obviously learned the song beforehand and got the basics on guitar, but that was something where I just did it, for the first time in front of anyone really, on camera. It was scary because it’s quite a vulnerable thing to sing in front of people, but it was also a beautiful scene and really moving. I really, really enjoyed it.

To keep in line with the film’s tone, there is a kiss and a sex scene that lean into the humor. How much of those moments was actually in the script? How much of that comes out of conversations and working in the moment?

GILLAN: That’s what I loved about them so much. I had so much fun with them. The kissing scene was actually based on a story from my life. When I first kissed my husband, I made this weird noise before doing it. And then, I was like, “I don’t know why I’ve done that.” And as soon as Lisa, the director, and Anna, the writer, heard the story, they were like, “That’s going in the movie. It has to.” So, that’s where that weird choice came from. And then, the sex scene was as written. It was fun to have license to make it as awkward and unsexy as possible. There was something really relieving about that, actually. We weren’t trying to make something that looks incredibly sexy. It was the opposite.

Karen Gillan Sees Her Marvel Character Nebula as the Gift that Keeps on Giving

You had a pretty incredible run with Nebula, getting to tell a full arc for that character and really go on a journey with her. Now that you can look back on that experience and see the complete story, how do you feel about it? Has your perspective on any of that changed, now that some time has passed? How does it feel to tell a complete story across the Marvel movies that you’ve been in, especially when you so often don’t get to complete a story like that?

GILLAN: It’s so true. Especially in those types of movies, you don’t know if your story is gonna be continued to be told in future movies, so I feel incredibly lucky. She’s like the gift that keeps on giving. She started off as a small role in the first Guardians of the Galaxy. I thought I was only working eight days and that would be the end of my role as Nebula, forever. And then, they brought me back with the sequel and we learned a bit more about her. And then, when they told me the storyline of Avengers: Endgame, which was heavily Nebula-oriented, I just felt so incredibly lucky that I got to tell more of this story. I just love that character so much. I’m an only child, but I’m really interested in this notion of the scapegoated sibling and the one that’s never good enough, or the opposite of the golden child. I got to explore all of that through her, and hopefully some people can relate to that.

When you finished with that storyline, did it influence or change the type of work or the characters that you wanted to play, especially immediately after that, or do you feel like you’re always just someone who’s open and looking for whatever the next thing is that might inspire you?

GILLAN: It needs to have an emotional hook that interests me. With the Nebula character, I knew, straight off the bat, even though she wasn’t in the first Guardians very much, the backstory of her being a scapegoated sibling would conjure up all these emotions. Gamora is the golden child. That was enough for me to be invested. I’ve got a whole well of things that I can draw from for that. So, every time I play a role, I’m looking for that way in. Is it something where I feel like, “Oh, I get this”? I don’t even have to get it immediately, if there’s enough of an emotional hook there for me.

I know you’ve also said that you would be game for working with James Gunn again. Do you have a specific character in mind that you’re pitching yourself to him for, or is it just that you’re ready to accept a phone call from him, any time he decides to reach out?

GILLAN: James Gunn is one of my favorite people on the planet, let alone filmmakers, so I would love to work with him again. Of course, I would, and I would do it at the drop of a hat. I also feel like I shouldn’t pigeonhole myself by trying to cast myself in a character. I think he knows better. So, if it ever happens, I feel like he’s gonna choose the right character for me.

Karen Gillan Has Learned So Much From Working with James Gunn

Being a director yourself now, what do you love about working with him, as a filmmaker and collaborator, and what have you learned from him as a friend, in all the time you’ve spent making movies with him?

GILLAN: I’ve learned so much from him. He’s an extraordinary director. He’s actually such a natural leader. You feel like, “Okay, we’ve got someone leading this thing that really knows what they want and is incredibly decisive.” You just feel like you’re in safe hands with somebody with those traits because he’s gonna keep you on track when you try these big swings. He also really embraces those swings, and embraces improv, and thinks of improv and feeds it to you in the moment over a microphone. I love working like that because it gets me out of my head. And then, his shots are all incredible. He’s got that balance of it looking really cool, but it also being really actor focused. Sometimes it’s one or the other, but he’s got both, which is really, really exciting. And as a person, he’s just such a lovely guy that loves his friends and family so deeply, and he has a really close-knit community, and everyone loves him so much, that you’re like, “Oh, that’s the sign of a really good person because everyone loves him.”

He’s somebody that comes back to a lot of the same actors and works with them again. Now that you’re directing, are you looking to amass your own little group of actors that you’d like to keep working with?

GILLAN: I don’t know if I’m consciously looking to do that. I think ultimately it will be whoever is right for the roles. But there would be something really nice about that because I have actors that I really like and that and would want them to be in that circle if there was one. Maybe it will naturally happen.

You also got to reunite with Mike Flanagan on The Life of Chuck. Had you guys talked since Oculus about doing another project together? What have you taken from working with him?

GILLAN: He’s also one of my favorite people and just incredibly talented director. My God, he just oozes creativity. I don’t know how he’s as prolific as he is with the time that he has, but he manages to constantly put out excellent quality content. I’m speaking like a content creator. I meant movies and TV shows. Yeah, we’ve definitely had talks over the years of collaborating again and it never quite lined up, but it did on The Life of Chuck. It was so nice to be reunited with him, and I can’t wait for everyone to see that film because it’s a masterpiece. It’s beautiful.

Do you know what you’re going to be doing next?

GILLAN: I just wrapped on a film, called Let’s Have Kids! It’s about two women who decide to get pregnant at the same time. They’re best friends, and my character struggles to get pregnant. There was some really interesting stuff to explore there, in terms of fertility and infertility, but it’s also a comedy and a fun movie, at the same time it’s dealing with those struggles. I don’t know when that will be out because we just wrapped, but it felt really good, so hopefully it is.

Do you already have the next thing lined up, or are you trying to figure out what that will be?

GILLAN: I have a few things that are happening later this year, that haven’t been announced yet, so I’m sworn to secrecy.

For a TV series that had one season of 13 episodes, are you surprised about the love that people still have for Selfie? That’s one of those shows that, for some reason, people really connected with, and it still continues to make them very happy.

GILLAN: I know. The reaction to that TV show is actually extraordinary. People still talk about it. There are all these fan accounts trying to get it to come back. I’m like, “Wow, the passion that still surrounds that show is amazing to see.” I had such a good time making that TV show. I definitely want to collaborate with (creator) Emily Kapnek again on something because I really love that character and wanna do something else with her. We’re gonna be cooking something up, for sure.

Of all the projects you’ve done, are you surprised that is one that seems to have really grabbed people and they just don’t want to let go of it?

GILLAN: I’m surprised and I’m not surprised. I thought it was really good. I thought it was well executed. At the time, John Cho’s character was the first Asian romantic lead on American television, and I think that’s really important. The more I meet fans of the show, I realize how important that was. A lot of people connected with that, and I was really proud of that.

Late Bloomers is in theaters and on digital platforms. Check out the trailer:

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