Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Daniel Isn’t Real’s Miles Robbins

Miles Robbins is delivering one of the best performances of 2019. He stars opposite Patrick Schwarzenegger and Sasha Lane in the psychological horror-thriller Daniel Isn’t Real. His character, Luke, is a tortured college freshman who suffers a violent family trauma and resurrects his childhood imaginary friend Daniel to help him cope. Pop Culturalist spoke with Miles about preparing for this challenging role.

PC: Tell us about Daniel Isn’t Real and your character in the film.
Miles: Daniel Isn’t Real is a story about Luke and his friend, Daniel, who may or may not be real. Who knows? I play Luke. He’s a young man who’s grown up with a lot of troubles in his personal life. His childhood imaginary friend returns during a particularly traumatic experience. He tries to steer him to manhood, but he ends up being a bit of a drag at times.

PC: Luke undergoes a drastic emotional transformation over the course of the film. How did you prepare to tackle his journey?
Miles: I did research on the subject matter that the film is about and prepared like any project by learning my lines and where to stand. [laughs] This was a difficult project because Luke is this tortured character. My advice for anyone who’s working on a psychological horror film is to find a way to destress after a long day. For me, I got a massage chair after this project.

PC: There are a lot of intense scenes within the film, especially between your character and Patrick Schwarzenegger’s character. How challenging is it to get in and out of your character’s mindset?
Miles: It’s actually a lot of fun to play different sides to the same character. It almost feels like a therapy exercise where you’re playing a situation from someone else’s point of view. It was definitely challenging, but it’s one of the reasons why I wanted to do this project. I wanted to do something that was out of my comfort zone. I wanted something that would challenge me as an empath, which is the best part of what acting is. Making movies is a lot of fun, but the best thing that I get out of it is the empathetic practices that come with it. I was really happy to play this guy who’s pretty difficult to empathize with because he’s ultimately a danger to people around him and to himself. I really enjoyed finding his vulnerability, and hopefully, we made a movie that people will be moved by and will be entertained by. And hopefully, they’ll get a spook—if that’s the type of thrill you’re looking for. In Korea, they like to watch horror movies in the summer because it helps them cool down. They get chills.

PC: Daniel Isn’t Real has made its way around the festival circuit to wide acclaim. What do you think it is about this story that’s resonating with audiences?
Miles: First, visually it’s really exciting. It has some really great practical effects and CGI. There’s wonderful cinematography by Lyle Vincent. He’s a real, real talent. I think it’s something that is very relevant to the world we’re living in. The social commentary that it provides is very timely. I was very happy to participate in that story and use genre to provide this platform for thought and reflection. It’s wonderful that genre can use abstraction to see things in the real world. It allows for people to project their own experiences onto it. I thought what troubles Luke is this influence from Daniel. He’s trying to show him what it means to be a man. It’s very toxic. A lot of his relationships with women and the language he uses is influenced by Daniel. It’s an experience that a lot of young men who are discovering sexuality feel. We’ve been taught by society that men should act a certain way. I personally believe in the power of vulnerability. I think a lot of young men have difficulty in finding that because it’s not what culture has taught them. The voice that Daniel has in Luke’s head has a lot to do with the voice that young men hear from plenty of sources.

To keep up with Miles, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Daniel Isn’t Real is in select theaters and available on VOD.