Pop-Culturalist.com

Conor Sherry shines brightly as one of the standout talents of 2024, delivering a performance that is both grounded and intricately layered in the heartwarming comedy, Snack Shack.

Transporting audiences to the summer of 1991 in Nebraska City, the film follows the inseparable duo, AJ and Moose, who embark on a spirited venture to revitalize the local pool’s dilapidated snack shack. Their initial plans to find fortune through dog race betting and homemade brews falter, but their lives take an unexpected turn upon encountering Brooke, a captivatingly cool lifeguard whose presence challenges their grand summer aspirations and tests the bounds of their friendship.

Pop Culturalist had the privilege of speaking with Conor, delving into his nuanced portrayal in Snack Shack, discussing the film’s poignant dramatic moments, its uproarious comedic elements, his experience leading this remarkable project, and much more.

PC: Tell us about Snack Shack and your character in the film.
Conor: A.J. is a fourteen-year-old growing up in Nebraska City, Nebraska. It’s based on writer-director Adam Rehmeier’s own experiences. He’s a classic fourteen-year-old who has a few things on his mind. One is making money. How is he going to make money this summer with his best friend, Moose? The second is: how is he going to meet a girl? Those are the two things on his mind and it’s very relatable to how I was at that age. A.J. and Moose go through a summer of firsts. It’s all in this energetic and very familiar feeling tone that we all felt growing up.

PC: This is going to be such a breakout moment for you, and you get to show off the depths of your talent from the comedy to the more emotional, heartfelt beats. How does the preparation differ for those scenes? Does one come more naturally to you?
Conor: This was such a dream role to play, and I don’t take that lightly. Not only did I get to be a part of Adam’s story and represent the things that he went through growing up, but from an acting standpoint, as you said, I get to play in all those different beats in one film. That’s very, very special, and I know it’s a rare and unique experience.

I’m so grateful that I got to play and show so many different sides to A.J. because we’re always trying to make our characters multifaceted and give them depth. This script gave me the opportunity to show everyone the vulnerability and humor. It was a cool role to take on as an actor.

PC: You have terrific comedic timing. How much was scripted versus improvised? Do you have a favorite improvised moment that made the final cut?
Conor: There was a lot of improvisation on set, but almost everything stayed true to the script. Adam is very specific with his scripts. He’s very intentional with how he writes, yet he gave us the freedom to improvise and try things. I will say a lot of the improvised moments were nonverbal.

My favorite one is when I fall down the stairs. There’s a point where we’re a little hungover, and A.J. takes a tumble. We did a couple of takes of that, and it slowly started getting bigger and bigger. The one that made the final cut is me completely wiping out down the stairs. There’s also the dance sequence. A lot of the stuff with Gabe [LaBelle] and how we interact and the little funny things we do were improvised.

PC: Perfect segue to this next question, but you and Gabe have incredible chemistry, and you truly believe they are best friends. How were you able to build that bond? What was your favorite behind-the-scenes moment?
Conor: We were really lucky. We got to go to Nebraska two weeks before we started shooting. We ran around the town and worked at the real snack shack. [laughs] We became genuine friends before becoming best friends on camera. We built so many memories in those two weeks that were synonymous with what we ended up filming later on in the production. And now in L.A., Gabe and I have been able to become friends in a completely different light, as professionals and adults. It feels like I got to add a childhood best friend, which is really cool. I’m also so grateful for that.

PC: Nick Robinson’s character is like a brother figure to your character. He’s had such an impressive tenure in this industry. Did he share any words of wisdom with you?
Conor: Nick was huge for me, both on set and beyond. The way that Shane is with A.J. in the movie is how Nick was with me in real life. You’re so right. He’s had such a brilliant and respectable career so far, and he’s going to continue to have that. I’ve always looked up to him as an actor.

On set, it was so nice to have an actor whom I looked up to, who was close enough in age for me to be candid, relate to, and be friends with, but he also has so much wisdom and insight that I needed.

There were so many questions that I had that I could go to him for, and still do to this day. He’s so experienced. He’s been amazing and crucial for me. I’m thankful that friendship and relationship came out of this.

PC: As you were saying earlier, Adam wrote and directed this project, and it’s such a personal film to him as well. Did that bring a different weight/pressure? How different is that filming experience when the person who created these characters and universe is also at the helm directing? What was that collaboration like?
Conor: It’s a very personal story to Adam. He was great about it, though. He made sure that we knew we weren’t doing impressions of the people we were playing. Once I was cast, he handed A.J. over to me and said, “Find the A.J. within yourself and let’s make a movie.”

I never felt pressure to be or represent Adam. I felt pressure to be A.J. and represent his story, Nebraska, and the tones in the movie, which was really significant for us and a lot of fun. But I definitely didn’t take it lightly because it was set in a real town with real people that I met.

PC: Like every great coming-of-age story, there are so many lessons that you can take away. Was there a particular theme that resonated with you? What do you hope audiences take away after they see it?
Conor: The biggest takeaway for me was realizing that life happens. It’s interesting because for A.J., who’s only fourteen, the stakes are so incredibly high. Everything that happens to him this summer feels make or break, end all, be all.

Zooming out into the world, I’ve come to realize as I’ve grown up that there are much bigger stakes out there than what A.J. is experiencing, but life happens nonetheless. Being able to zoom in on this slice-of-life film where it feels like the stakes are so high for these characters, and going on that journey with them without feeling bogged down because you know that A.J. is going to be okay, everyone is going to be okay. That’s what I took from this experience, especially as I’m getting older and embarking on this industry.

This entire movie revolves around friendships and actual face-to-face interactions. I hope my generation will become more excited about a no-phone game night or putting their phones away because we’re living in such a different world now.

PC: This is also one of your biggest roles to date. Congratulations, by the way. What surprised you most about this experience? What did you learn about your own craft?
Conor: I learned a lot about my craft and my views on filmmaking. It’s really exciting to be the first actor called for the day and the last one to leave, and I don’t mean that my role was big, but I was excited that I could see the day in and day out of what it takes to make a movie. That’s an experience that only a few people on set get to have. With the role of A.J., I got to see the whole movie get made. But I also got to see the ups and downs of a film set. For that to be my first movie was incredibly crucial and important to me. It changed the way that I view filmmaking. Everyone on set works so, so hard. As an actor, it’s really important for me very early on to see that.

PC: This project is going to open so many doors for you. As you look ahead, is there a dream role that you want to play in the future?
Conor: I’m very excited about what’s to come. I have a couple of things in the works that I’m super excited to share at some point. I’m also graduating from UCLA a week before the movie comes out, so that’ll be nice to check that box.

I don’t think I have a specific role in mind. I just want to work with great writers, directors, and actors. Adam being a writer-director was a really special and cool experience. I fell in love with the process on this set. But if I’m going to throw anything out there, I know Quentin Tarantino is only making one more movie, and I would love to play a background character in that.

That, or anything Greta Gerwig does. I heard a rumor she might be involved in some Narnia projects, which would be really cool. I love that book series. But really, it’s about connecting with the scripts and characters.

To keep up with Conor, follow him on Instagram. Snack Shack is in theaters now.

Photo Credit: Isabelle Passaglia