A few weeks back, I was standing outside of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Slaughter Lane watching Jack Quaid punch himself in the face. It sounds worse than it is; in truth, he can’t feel a thing, as it is promotion for his starring turn in Paramount Pictures’ Novocaine. A scarily well-crafted prop of his face replaces the punching bag on a Boxer Glove arcade machine, with folks lining up for the opportunity to strike the actor’s visage with all their might. As is often the case with Jack Quaid, he appears perfectly in his element, posing for pH๏τos and even indulging a few hits while he’s at it.

Novocaine is a curious beast, drawing up a mix of gore, goofy charm, and rom-com adventure shenanigans that feel like deliberate parts of an intentional whole. The story centers on Nathan, a credit union clerk living with Congenital Insensitivity to Pain and Anhydrosis (CIPA), a disorder which prevents the feeling of pain or temperature. His humble hazardous life is protected by careful routines, until a sudden act of violence spurs him to the rescue of coworker and love interest Sherry (Amber Midthunder).

Predictably, Novocaine is fueled by Quaid’s performance as the sweet schlub and “cupcake of a human being” who risks literal life and limb in increasingly gruesome yet hilarious ways. The star spent some time with ScreenRant after the film’s Austin premiere, sharing his original Nathan Caine playlist and geeking out over his long-running love of improv sketch comedy, as both performer and fan.

Novocaine’s Torture Scene Was A Barrel of Laughs

One of The Film’s Most Grotesque Scenes Combines Gore with “Bad” Acting

ScreenRant: I just spoke with the filmmakers, and one of the things we chatted about was the torture scene, which I feel is the centerpiece of the movie.

Jack Quaid: In an odd way, yeah! It’s so funny… To those who haven’t seen it yet, just saying “The torture scene? So funny!” It’s so weird. But yeah, I know what you mean.

It anchors a lot of the film’s concept and proves it out. I can’t imagine anybody not cracking up. Our theater died during that scene.

Jack Quaid: Oh, cool! That scene, I read it in the script, and I was like, “Yes, I’m going to have so much fun with this.” And you’re right, it’s an anchor point of the concept. But it’s also the moment where the movie kind of flips the concept on its head and does the opposite thing. The whole time I genuinely can’t feel pain, and now it’s like, “You know this guy can’t feel pain. Now he’s pretending to feel pain,” which is so interesting.

You get to be a bad actor, it’s great!

Jack Quaid: I love intentionally acting badly, it’s so fun.

That’s a pull-quote.

Jack Quaid: “‘I love being a bad actor!’ says Jack Quaid.” I love when you try to be a decent actor in your life, and then just have the freedom to be as bad as you want.

This all seems like a big improv scene. Is it possible that there’s a lot of that scene that we don’t get to see?

Jack Quaid: I’m sure there is. Yeah, definitely. Like I said, it was one of my favorite scenes when I was reading it. And, obviously, it was funny on the page, I don’t want to take away from that, but just to have that permission from Dan and Bobby to play around with it was such a… that’s a lot of trust that they give an actor, so I really appreciated that.

And the fact that I do a lot of sketch comedy, and I definitely improvise within the sketches that I do, we do it live all the time. Actually, Dan and Bobby came out to see one of our live sketch shows [as Sasquatch Comedy] before we went and sH๏τ the movie, which was amazing.

But no, that was a dream come true, that scene. It’s permission to have as much fun as possible while you’re watching the gnarliest thing you’ve ever seen. It’s insane.

Fingernails. That’s all I’ll say.

Jack Quaid: Fingernails. That was my line, too, to be honest with you. Even though I knew they were fake and they were on me, as soon as what happens to them happens, I was like, ugh.

Can we geek temporarily about Amber Midthunder? I think she’s a generational talent, and it was awesome to see her in this. The bar scene makes you instantly love both characters.

Jack Quaid: Yes, we can! She’s just incredible in the movie. When I found out that she got cast as Sherry, I flipped out. Dan and Bobby texted me, like, “We’ve got Amber Midthunder for Sherry!” I was like, what!? I was so unbelievably happy.

Working with her was one of the great joys I’ve ever had. I think she’s just, like you said, a generational talent. The fact that I get to have any scene with her was just such a joy. I loved it.

A Playlist Track Becomes Real in Novocaine

Jack Quaid’s Love of Music Provides Novocaine With Its Credits Song “Power Lines” by Telekinesis

Screen Rant: I’m aware that you have a tendency of putting together playlists for characters.

Jack Quaid: Yes, I do. Where’s my phone?

Would you reveal any, if you don’t mind?

Jack Quaid: I’ll read some of it:

– “Don’t Bring Me Down” – Electric Light Orchestra

– “Hold On, I’m Coming” – Sam & Dave

– “Love Is a Long Road” – Tom Petty

– “The Safety Dance” – Men Without Hats

– A lot of romantic songs. There’s a song called “Hertz” by Amyl & The Sniffers

But there was one song that I loved. I was listening to it while we were shooting the final scene of the movie, and I remember going up to Dan and Bobby and being like, “I love this song, and I always saw it as the final scene and the final song for the movie.” And they were like, “Well, play it for us.” I’m like, what? Because this never happens.

And I played it. It’s called “Power Lines” by Telekinesis. And it is the final song in the movie.

No way!

Jack Quaid: They listened to it, and they were like, “Oh, dude, this is awesome. Let’s see if we can get the rights.” I’m like, wait a minute, what do you mean? This never happens! Are you sure?” And they’re like, yeah. And they tell me, “Dude, if it was terrible, we would’ve told you.” Thank god.

But it works with the movie. And I still can’t believe it. That moment plays out the exact way I envisioned it in my head, and that’s never happened to me before. So, that was huge.

It wasn’t even an ask, it was like, this would be fun. I know music rights are so complicated and weird. But that was really, really cool.

Playing A Hero with An Invisible Disability Is An Interesting Challenge In Novocaine

Jack Quaid’s Goal Was To Make Nathan “A Little Cutie”

Screen Rant: And that’s the thing. This character does feel very lived-in. I’m fascinated by the notion of just an action hero character who does have a hidden disability. That’s not just a quirk of the movie; I think it’s played through in the story. I noticed that Nate tells some people about his condition, but he doesn’t tell everyone about it, because that’s not the idea.

Jack Quaid: No, no, because he’s afraid other people will treat him differently. Absolutely. I think that that was a thing I really wanted to take seriously with this movie, because it’s about a guy with a disability who then turns that into a superpower, which I think is really inspiring and cool.

And I think the thing I liked the most about Nate is that he’s definitely one of the most heroic characters I’ve ever played. What I love about him is that he is a total sweetie-pie, which I think was intentional, because the movie is so gnarly. If I was brooding and dark, it wouldn’t work. Gnarly on gnarly? You can’t do that. You have to contrast that with a cupcake of a human being. So, that was very much intentional.

But what I love about him most when it comes to his disability is that it doesn’t get him down. It doesn’t turn him into a bitter person, a jaded person. He still remains positive and very much as someone who wants to help others. He’s one of the more selfless characters I’ve ever played. I think I admire him. I find him heroic, and he’s a character I definitely would want to hang out with, if I could.

I think this is such a Jack Quaid character.

Jack Quaid: I wanted to bring as much of that as I possibly could, whatever “that” is. I wanted to make sure he was just a little cutie. That was my whole goal.

Jack Quaid Loves The Alamo Drafthouse… And Improv Comedy

Austin, Sasquatch Comedy, And The Early Years of YouTube Improv

Screen Rant: You like Austin, right? You’re big on Austin?

Jack Quaid: Yeah, I come out here all the time. My half-uncle was in the crowd last night.

You called him out! Everybody knows Buddy.

Jack Quaid: Yeah, everyone knows Buddy now. Buddy Quaid, ladies and gentlemen!

I’ve come out here a lot in my life, and it was so cool to bring the movie specifically to Alamo Drafthouse. That was the first Alamo I’d ever been to, ever. I became obsessed with those theaters, so the fact that I got to screen it there was everything.

Would you do improv around here, maybe?

Jack Quaid: Oh my god. I want to bring the sketch group, and I want to bring it to different places. We went to San Francisco last year to do a live show there, and that was amazing to travel with that group. So I would love to do that here, absolutely.

I first learned about your improv, actually, from your interview on Cash Grab. I’m a big fan of BriTANick.

Jack Quaid: Oh, really? Oh my god, BriTANick! No, dude, I was such a fan. Those early days of YouTube sketch comedy, BriTANick, Derek Comedy, all of that.

I remember going to NYU, and I auditioned for the sketch comedy group. I got in. And I remember all those guys were still in New York, and I got to meet BriTANick. And getting onto Hammerkatz, that’s where Derrick Comedy started, Donald Glover and DC Pierson and all those guys. And you still get the DC Pierson Guide to Sketch Writing when you get on that team. And that changed everything to me.

So, the fact that I know BriTANick is… I’m still nerding out about it.

Come over to Austin! They brought their last show over here (“Dummy”), it was awesome. So funny.

Jack Quaid: Oh god, I saw that one, they did it at the UCB Franklin. They’re so funny, they’re insanely funny.

Please Tell Us Anything About The Boys

The Final Season Draws Near, And Jack Quaid Says It Will Be “Very Bittersweet”

Screen Rant: I’m watching The Boys as I’m dealing with everything that’s going on. What does it feel like to be on a show which seems like a megaphone for current events? It’s weird how The Boys keeps pace politically with this country so well.

Jack Quaid: It’s kind of insane what we have done on the show. We shoot it way before it comes out, obviously. But we’re shooting it, and we’re like, this would be crazy if this actually happened. And then a version of that does happen when the show is coming out. It’s very, very surreal and strange.

But I have to say, in times that are so chaotic and insane, where you feel so powerless, it is so cathartic to do a show that comments on our real world and has something to say. I often say that it feels like we’re doing “South Park with capes,” where we get to really poke fun at how absolutely nuts our world is. And it’s very therapeutic and cathartic, and I am so grateful for the show for a million reasons, with that being one of them.

So, The Boys… Can you sneak me anything? Anything at all?

Jack Quaid: I can’t sneak you anything! I’ll say this: it’s going to be very bittersweet. It’s the final season, and it’s changed my life for the better, essentially overnight. I love that group of people so much.

I read something recently where if you’re friends with people for seven years, the chance is triple that you’ll be friends with them for life. And it’s been about seven years; five seasons, but seven years of knowing them, and working with them. And not just the cast, but the crew. We’ve really become a family.

So, saying goodbye is going to be a very bittersweet end to an incredible chapter in all of our lives. So I’m just eternally grateful to Eric Kripke and that show for doing just everything for all of us. Like I said: South Park with capes! It was unbelievable. Especially now.

Check back soon for our other Novocaine interviews here:

• Amber Midthunder
• Dan Berk & Robert Olsen
• Jacob Batalon & Ray Nicholson

Source: Screen Rant Plus