Exclusive Interview: Hope Lauren and Daniel Dorr Talk ‘Pure O,’ Creating Art that Makes Others Feel Seen, and More

Daniel Dorr and Hope Lauren are artists who have created an indelible mark on audiences with their nuanced and layered performances on the stage and screen. The projects to which they’ve attached themselves are not only compelling and gripping to watch but, more importantly, they’ve created much-needed visibility on screen and made audiences feel less alone. Their latest film, Pure O, is no different.

Pure O, which made its world premiere at South by Southwest (SXSW), follows Cooper Ganz as his seemingly perfect life quickly unravels when he is diagnosed with a crippling form of OCD called Pure Obsessional. This often-misunderstood illness forces him to question his identity and sanity, all while trying to keep it together for his fiancée, family, and co-workers. As he struggles to accept his disease and the vulnerability that comes along with it, his world starts to open up. The addiction recovery clients he works with at a high-end Malibu drug rehab center return the favor and help Cooper through his darkest hour. Throughout his personal journey, he must help himself and others tackle a litany of universal issues—grief, coming-of-age, addiction, redemption, and the power of social connection.

Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of catching up with Hope and Daniel to discuss Pure O, how the innate trust that they have with one another allowed them to explore the vulnerable space of their characters, how the film brilliantly weaves humor during the darkest of times, and more.

PC: There’s so much vulnerability and depth that you both brought to Cooper and Emily, and there’s so much trust that’s needed when exploring that dynamic. How were you both able to create the space to push each other as creatives and artists, but also put those boundaries in place where you can separate yourself from your art?
Hope: You always have the best questions. That’s something we really specifically discussed when we took on these roles. We read the script and saw how vulnerable we both had to be. You’ve seen the movie and the subject matter. But with certain scenes, we were very specific about when we drive home from set, we put the day away, we put these characters away. We talked about that. I don’t want to speak for Daniel, but I feel like we showed up and started doing it. It kind of happened naturally and felt easy, breezy. Maybe that’s because we had set those boundaries at the beginning.

Daniel: Yeah, I think so. You’re right. We were very intentional. Of course, there’s crossover because of who Hope and I are and that we’re playing these characters. There are going to be things that come out that are from our relationship and what have you. That’s part of being an actor.

The intention was to create rules and boundaries and be very intentional about how we enter into and out of certain scenes that are very difficult. But because we had that, it was easy to step in and step out. The trust was there that we could push each other to those scary places and then come out of it and be completely fine, and be like, “What do you want to do for dinner? Should we have pizza?” I thought initially it would be much harder than it was. But because Hope’s amazing and we have so much trust between the two of us as actors, not just as a couple, we kept pushing each other.

Hope: There was also one specific moment that I thought was cool. Daniel and I have very specific nicknames for each other. We call each other that in life. Dillon [Tucker], our director, caught that, and he was like, “I want Emily and Cooper to call each other that.” We took ourselves aside, and we were like, “No, that’s ours. We don’t want too much of ourselves to bleed into these characters.” [laughs]

PC: I don’t know how you both do it. These performances are incredible. Daniel, this is a film where you learn new things with each watch. The performances that both you and Hope deliver are so engrossing, especially when it comes to Cooper’s initial diagnosis and the impact that it has on him and everybody around him, that I missed the fact that there are a lot of moments of levity and humor which feel very slice of life. How much of that dialogue and humor was scripted versus improvised? How did that freedom that Dillon gave each of you allow you to find those moments?
Daniel: We didn’t really venture off script too much. There were a few moments that Hope and I improvised, but we stayed pretty true to the script.

Hope: Dillon’s script was very naturalistic. That was very intentional on his part, so it felt easy to make it sound natural. There were little improvisations as far as some of our interactions. That’s a gift of getting to work together where a lot of our physical interactions because we feel so safe with each other and could be playful and spontaneous like when he uses his shirt so that I can blow my nose and wipe my tears away. That’s us.

Daniel: Dillon was also great in that some directors will call cut immediately after a scene is over, and he sort of let it linger to give that opportunity to find something that isn’t scripted and that’s live. We had a lot of those throughout shooting. A lot of made the cut, which was really, really cool. But we stayed pretty true to the script. Credit to Dillon for being a good writer.

PC: Hope, you’re somebody who loves to do a lot of research ahead of a project, but Dillon wanted a lot of those discoveries to happen on screen, which I imagine requires so much vulnerability and surrender that you have to commit to. This approach also feels very similar to theater, where anything can happen. How helpful was it having that prior experience on the stage and that innate trust with Daniel as you approached this project and character?
Hope: That’s such a great question. Like you said, in theater, you do have to do so much prep work and so many rehearsals so that it enables that freedom on stage. That’s one of my favorite things about theater: you do all this crazy amount of work, blocking, and rehearsals so that you can let it go and be open to whatever’s happening in the moment.

In this particular process, Dillon was like, “Don’t learn too much about OCD.” It was a whole different type of trust and listening in the moment that enabled me to learn as the scene was happening and as each day was coming. Of course, I read the whole script, learned my lines, and all that jazz, but the way that Daniel had embodied the things that he was learning and the way that he communicated all that information to me was such a lovely gift in the moment that I got to listen and receive. It was really special.

PC: Daniel, you’ve said in the past that there was a bit of fear heading into this project, which was a good litmus test for why you signed on to do it. Having gone through this experience and seen the response that you’ve been able to provoke through your performance in such a visceral way, through that Q&A at SXSW and now with this digital release, what did you learn about your own craft by saying yes to this project? What does it mean to you to see the impact that it’s creating and will continue to create?
Daniel: It means the world to me. Not only has it given me the most tremendous amount of confidence in my work and my abilities as an actor, but it’s been incredibly rewarding from the get-go. My thought has always been I hope that this film captures something that makes somebody feel less alone, whether it’s OCD or any mental health issues because of the universal themes that exist in the film. To see that really land with people, that the message comes across, that people are moved, that people are given the permission to feel whatever they’re feeling and feel less alone, it’s been incredibly gratifying and it’s an incredible reminder of why it is that I love doing this work and why this is my career, even with all the ups and downs. To have somebody at the Q&A at SXSW say, “Wow, you guys nailed it. That’s amazing,” that’s who this film is for. It continues to be rewarding and a beautiful journey to be on to see how it’s affecting people, especially now that we get to share it. It’s pretty remarkable. I’m really proud of it.

PC: It’s an entertaining film, but it’s also art that’s creating impact. Hope, I forgot to ask you the last time that we spoke, but one of the central themes within this film is community and the notion that we all need the help of others. Outside of Daniel, who have been the people in your own life who’ve shaped your journey as a storyteller and as an artist?
Hope: Oh my gosh. Since the first play that I saw, I knew that I wanted to do this. I was really lucky to have a family full of crazy, wacky artists. I have a bunch of siblings and a mom who was super into encouraging us to explore our passions. I got to go to theater camp when I was a kid.

My high school theater teacher, Aaron Johnson, is an amazing teacher. He actually came to a SXSW viewing. He was so encouraging and he treated me with so much respect. He would send me all these plays. I didn’t go to college, but I feel like I got a really beautiful theater education in high school through his encouragement. It was really cool. I got to invite him to come to a screening at SXSW since it was in Austin where I went to high school. It was really, really special. It was all of my acting teachers.

We also have a really cool community of friends out here who are in the struggle with us as far as making this our careers and wanting to make art. It’s a tricky career with its ups and downs. It’s so nice to have a community that you can lean on whenever you feel like you’re at the end of your rope and you’re going to quit. You call them and they’re like, “Don’t quit. Hang in there one more day.” I love them.

PC: There’s also so much love that you feel between the two of you both on and off screen. What is the scene of your partners in this film that you’re most proud of and why?
Hope: This is just the truth, and it’s maybe intense. When we were filming, I didn’t get to watch what happens after our breakup scene. I didn’t get to see what happens after I left. When I first saw it in the theaters, I saw him so genuinely in the moment trying to process information and not being able to, and then having this panic that felt so hard to watch. I felt so proud of him for being brave enough to show that lack of control, terror, uncertainty, and heartbreak all unfolding in the moment. He did it so seamlessly. I watched it, and my heart was broken. I was so impressed and proud.

Dylan: My favorite scene that stands out is the exposure scene that Cooper has with Emily. It was the first thing that Hope and I shot together. That was in the first week of shooting. It’s hilarious that we started with that scene. We did that on day two or three. I think it was for the best that we got that out of the way. But I was so nervous, not just as the characters, but as Daniel, being in front of Hope as this man walking around with no skin on and checking in with his partner and understanding how crazy the situation is. But it’s what I need to get help and to get better. Watching Hope take in that information with all the love and care that I know that she has and not judge it, hold that space, and encourage him with just a look is incredible. It’s one of her many gifts. But she has that in her eyes, that love, care, and tenderness. I felt incredibly seen, supported, and held. Then I watched it, and I was like, “Yeah, there it is. That’s our relationship.”

Hope: That’s very sweet.

PC: Outside of Pure O, what’s next for each of you? Hope, when are we getting that album?
Hope: I know. [laughs] I know. You know what’s actually cool about that? My friend, Gavin Caswell, is an incredible musician. He’s in this band called Senses Fail. He approached me about writing music with him, and I’ve been doing that. It’s been so much fun. There’s no end date yet, but we have been getting together and writing music. It’s been really, really fulfilling and lovely.

We did a play pretty much all of last year, where I got to play guitar and sing, and it made me feel a lot more brave and a lot less terrified. That’s been so inspiring. My tank is full of fuel, so we should be getting more music from me sooner rather than later.

Daniel: Hope and I were just in Chicago shooting something that we may or may not be able to talk about yet.

Hope: We can’t stop working together.

Daniel: People keep hiring us. We just got back a couple of days ago. It’s going to be out beginning of May for a few episodes. We’re excited about that.

Make sure to follow Hope (Instagram) and Daniel (Instagram). Pure O is out now wherever you stream movies.

Photo Credit: Good Deed Entertainment