Pop-Culturalist.com

Bryan Greenberg and Jamie Chung are dynamic storytellers and artists known for their compelling and nuanced performances on screen. Bryan has previously starred in critically-acclaimed projects, including How to Make It in America, One Tree Hill, October Road, and The Mindy Project. Meanwhile, Jamie has captivated audiences with award-winning performances in films and television roles such as Lovecraft Country, Big Hero 6, and Eden.

This January, Bryan makes his directorial debut with the timely and must-see thriller, Junction, which he also wrote, produced, and starred in alongside Jamie. Tackling the modern-day opioid epidemic, Junction tells three interconnected stories: one of a CEO of a pharmaceutical corporation, another of a doctor, and the third of an addict. The film explores the ways in which they are all deeply affected by—and play a part in—the crisis in America.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with filmmaker Bryan Greenberg and actress Jamie Chung about Junction, putting a face to those affected by the opioid epidemic, their collaboration on the film, and more.

PC: Bryan, what you’ve done brilliantly with this screenplay is you’ve create three-dimensional characters who are morally gray, and you’ve brought so much empathy to them. In this ongoing epidemic, they’re often looked at as merely statistics. You’ve put faces to these people, which will leave a lasting impression on audiences and spark necessary conversations. I know this is a deeply personal story to you. How early on did you realize you wanted to craft this narrative with these three distinct storylines and weave them together, which I imagine is a huge undertaking to tie them all together so seamlessly?
Bryan: Thank you for acknowledging that and understanding what I was trying to achieve. I appreciate it. Personally, I’m not an addict, but I consider myself an ally. I was prescribed OxyContin a few years ago for a routine surgery, and I had a lot of trouble getting off them. I wanted to understand why a corrupt system was in place to make addicts out of innocent people and how so many seemingly good people were cogs in this wheel, how they could live with themselves, and the decisions they made.

As an actor, I’m primarily interested in why people do what they do. So it’s less about explaining the opioid crisis. You can read books. This is not an educational film. I mean, if you learn some things, that’s great. But I fictionalized a lot of things. I really wanted to understand the humanity behind this and why people get involved and stuck in this crisis.

This crisis is so vast. It’s affected millions and millions of people. I don’t think you can capture that through one story, especially in 90 minutes of screen time. That’s why I wanted to split it up, so I could explore many different angles and characters, and integrate them all into one film, which is why it’s called Junction. Also, I wanted to act in it, and I thought maybe if I was in a third of the film, it wouldn’t be so hard to direct. [laugh]

Jamie: He was wrong.

Bryan: I was definitely wrong about that.

PC: Jamie, you’ve been such a pioneer for our community, and you’ve brought so many impactful characters and narratives to life, including Junction. When we’re introduced to your character in this film, there’s so much subtlety in your performance, and you really evoke emotion from the audience. As an actor, how do you prepare for a scene like that where your character transitions from this calm demeanor trying to seek help to this heightened state, but it’s not overly outward, but more about the nuances? It’s a beautiful contrast to Bryan’s interaction with the pill mill at the start of the film. How much of that is feeding off what Ashley [Madekwe] is giving you?
Jamie: Thank you. I mean, come on, Ashley Madekwe is one of the most talented actresses we know. She had just come off a BAFTA nomination when we asked her to do this film. She’s a friend of ours. I was like, “I don’t know. I hope she does it.” But we’re so glad that she did. It’s so easy working with your scene partner when she’s as good as she is. Unfortunately, there are so many resources and materials to study. You can turn on one episode of Intervention, and it’s not only opioids, but now it’s snowballed into fentanyl use, abuse, and addiction. So there was a lot of material to work with and study.

I think it was really important to seemingly represent someone who is in a lot of pain and really needs this medication, who genuinely needs oxy. As Bryan said, it’s one of the most addictive substances. But, if used correctly, which I believe it’s still used for cancer patients, it can help a lot of people. Unfortunately, before 2017, it was widely misused and overprescribed.

PC: Bryan, you can feel the passion and care that you brought to this project. You established early on in the writing process that you weren’t an expert on this epidemic, and you sought out research as you were writing. How were you able to balance incorporating everything you learned while never losing sight of this being a character-driven narrative, and also integrating your own personal experiences?
Bryan: You’re asking great questions. Initially, I set out to write the script to truly comprehend the abstract idea of the opioid crisis, which is so massive and overwhelming. As a screenwriter, this was my way of trying to make sense of things. I asked questions like, “How did this happen?” I sought out experts like Barry Meier, for example, who wrote the book Pain Killer and is a New York Times journalist. He was very complimentary and helpful with information. I simply cold-emailed people like Wall Street journalists, experts, and they were very forthcoming with information and assistance.

What’s great is Dopesick came out before we started shooting. Even though I wrote the script before, we were in pre-production when Dopesick was released, and I love Danny Strong. I think he did a fantastic job with that. It almost served as the precursor to Junction. Time-wise, Junction takes place right after Dopesick, but what was great about it was such a relief because he did so much heavy lifting for an audience that I didn’t have to do. I took out all of this exposition in my script. I didn’t have to explain the opioid crisis to people because audiences at this point know what happened with the Sacklers and Pharma. So it was a relief to me that I could focus on these fictional characters that I created and make it about people.

PC: Jamie, aside from being married to Bryan, how different is the filming experience when the person who has created these characters and this universe is also at the helm directing and has experience in front of the camera? Is there a different shorthand that’s created? What was that collaboration like?
Jamie: Well…

Bryan: Careful.

Jamie: Bryan is such an amazing storyteller. He worked furiously during COVID when I was asking, “What are we going to watch next?” He was hidden away in his room.

Bryan: Before we had kids, it was easier to write.

Jamie: Yeah, before we had kids. He wrote this incredible script, so I knew how much work he had put in. But as a director, I’ve always known he had this in him. Most of my high-profile jobs have been because of this man because he can see character and story. He’s fantastic.

Bryan: Not true.

Jamie: But I will say, it is only when he’s directing that I’ll let him boss me around. [laughs] That is the only time he’s in control.

Bryan: That’s why I need to make more movies and put Jamie in them. [laughs]

Jamie: It’s so easy working with him. I’m so proud of him.

PC: You’re not giving yourself enough credit.

Bryan: Not at all. Don’t give me any credit for you getting your jobs. You’re fantastic. I didn’t cast you because you’re my wife; I cast you because you’re amazing.

Jamie: He also didn’t cast me in anything else because he asked me to audition, and I was like, absolutely not.

Bryan: I was joking.

Jamie: He was joking, but he was serious. [laughs]

Bryan: No, I wasn’t. [laughs]

PC: Bryan, your use of humor and levity in this film is extraordinary. It’s such a beautiful reflection on life, and how sometimes in the darkest moments, all you can do is laugh. Was that something that you were mindful of as you were penning this script? Why was that balance so important to you?
Bryan: As an actor, everybody always asks, “What do you want to do: drama or comedy?” I’m like, “I want to do both, and I want to do both at the same time because that’s what I love.” I was very cognizant of not wanting to torture this audience because it’s a dark subject matter. It’s going to be a hard ask for the audience already, so I didn’t want to torture them. I didn’t want to make addict porn. I wanted to make a movie about these characters and real people. Sometimes in the darkest moments, that’s when we crack jokes. So I did consciously layer a lot of levity in here because I didn’t want to make it a brutal experience for the audience. I wanted them to fall in love with these people and care for them and be conflicted that they care for these people who are doing bad things.

PC: You accomplished that. Jamie, you’ve also worked on projects of all sizes. What is it about independent filmmaking that excites you as a creative and a storyteller?
Jamie: First, on independent films, no one makes any money. Everyone’s there for the project because they believe in it and they want to work with their friends. I felt that on this project. The DP, for example, is a teacher. He teaches cinematography in school.

Bryan: He does a lot of great films as well.

Jamie: But for this film, he asked his students to be part of the crew. Everyone was calling in favors. Everyone called in a friend. We all banded together to help tell this story. We just had our LA premiere last night. It’s so different watching on a big screen. Thank you for forcing me to do that, Bryan. But, you know, to see all of our friends, most of them who were there, deliver these powerful performances, it’s a testament to their passion for this project as well and their willingness to do it and help tell the story. I think there’s a different level of passion when you’re making these independent films versus something on a much higher scale. Of course, there’s passion there too, but there’s just something a little more.

Bryan: There’s a lot of red tape.

Jamie: These little films have much more love involved.

PC: There’s something so special about watching a film that you’ve made on the big screen with a live audience. Bryan, you have such a star-studded cast on this project. I imagine as a writer, you have such a strong sense of who these characters are, but when you cast your actors, you want them to make them their own. When you’re working with the best of the best, how do you create the space for them to do just that and create an environment where they can tap into the emotional journey of each of these characters?
Bryan: I’m an actor first and foremost. When I embarked on screenwriting, I wanted to give each of these characters a moment to shine because if I’m going to ask people to come in and do a day, I need to give them a moment. I need to give them some meat to chew on. I tried to give everybody their time and have a special moment. I called in all my favors with all my friends. I’m very fortunate that they all believed in me and took a risk because it’s not easy to work with a first-time director, even if you’re friends with them. These are people who have their own shows and star in their own movies. It’s a big ask.

Jamie: So do you just let them do their thing? There were rehearsals and stuff.

Bryan: I also just trust them. Because I’m a first-time director, I don’t have a huge ego. Maybe I will later on, but I didn’t have one on this. I was like, “Make it your own. Bring in your own adlibs. Do whatever. I gave you a template, but you can do what you want with it.” I tried to make sure every department knew that. I wanted everybody to take ownership of this film and make it their own.

Jamie: The directions were very slight. If it was there, he was like, “That’s amazing. That’s perfect. Keep doing that, but make a bit more.” You tweak of the volume of certain performances, but it wasn’t much. Everyone came really prepared.

Bryan: They brought it.

PC: You touched up on this already, Jamie, but there’s something so special about creating a project with your friends and the people you love. How different is that experience? Have you caught the writing or directing bug? Is that something we could see you do later in your career?
Jamie: It’s different when you start a film like this and they are your friends. There’s this really lovely rapport. Someone brought this up the other day, but the performance in the office scene is very laid back. Ashley Madekwe, Yara Martinez, and Nichelle [Hines] all knew each other. There was this built-in comfortability where it feels like they see each other every day. So that was really natural. It’s lovely, and it’s so fun making a film with your friends. You get to hang out with them and work with them. Everything feels very natural versus starting a film with someone you don’t really know. You do these cast dinners to find that rapport and become comfortable with each other. It’s so different when it’s already built in. It’s seamless.

PC: Have you caught that writing/directing bug?

Jamie: No. [laughs] It’s such a difficult thing to accomplish. The way that I get creative is I really dive into the character that I’m playing. I have tunnel vision with the nuances like what do they eat? What do they like? What is their past like? What are their past traumas? What are their victories? How does that shape their behavior or shape them into the person that they are in this moment? I love that research. I love living the life of someone else. I can’t think of a story in the way that Bryan does. I can think of my character’s overall arc throughout a film, but I don’t have time for everyone else’s character. [laughs]

Bryan: You can. It’s a muscle that you have to…

Jamie: No. I’d sit in front of a computer and be like, “I really want to write a short, but I don’t know what.”

Bryan: Five years from now, we’ll be sitting here talking about something she’s written or directed.

Jamie: We’ll see, but right now, no. I’m also a terrible director. I’m the meanest person when it comes to direction. He’s much more gentle. He knows about people. If someone was like, “Any notes?” I’d be like, “I don’t know. Do something different? Do it better.”

PC: Final question for you, Bryan. As you were saying, this project has been four years in the making. What was the most surprising part about this experience? Having now written and directed, have you found that experience behind the camera has impacted the way that you approach your work on screen or vice versa?
Bryan: I’ve had a couple of acting things since I shot this, and I’m like, “Wow, acting is so much easier. You just show up.”

Jamie: You have such a different level of respect.

Bryan: Yeah. Completely. I used to come to set and be like, “Can we move all this around and change this?” Now that I’ve been a director, I’m like, “Oh, no. Weeks of preparation went into that.” You’re a dick for trying to change that. I have total respect for each department, especially the post department, which I never experienced before. That was a lot of fun for me in the edit and the whole post-production process.

The most surprising part is that it happened. It’s almost impossible to make a movie. I can’t believe I wrote it. I can’t believe we found funding with the Sandgaard Foundation. I can’t believe we produced it. I can’t believe my friends came and played. I can’t believe we made this movie. I can’t believe it started winning awards at festivals. I’m pinching myself at every phase of this. It’s pretty special. I’m floating right now, to be honest.

Make sure to follow Bryan (Twitter/Instagram) and Jamie (Instagram). Junction is out now in select theaters and on VOD.