Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Followed’s Matthew Solomon

Matthew Solomon is sweeping audiences away with his performance as DropTheMike, a narcissistic social media influencer who will go to extreme lengths to secure a lucrative sponsorship deal for his channel in the must-see indie horror flick Followed. In its opening week at the box office, the film debuted at number one. We had the chance to talk to leading man Matthew Solomon about the project, what he hopes audiences take away, and the frightening things that happened on set.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Matthew: I come from a very creative family. My mom’s a poet. My brother’s an architect. My sister danced most of her life. My dad writes. It’s in our blood. So it was never a discovery. But when I played a bumblebee in my kindergarten’s school play, I knew it had to be acting.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Matthew: I think my teachers—and not just acting teachers. I had some amazing English teachers in high school specifically. Something about those classes developed an immense hunger for digging into a story. I had one teacher who told me I wrote essays from a unique perspective of empathy for the characters. I remember feeling so empowered by that comment. I had a creative writing teacher, Natasha Singh, who would help us put our own experiences into essays that we would perform. She was the first person to encourage me to tell my own story. It really changed my life.

Followed

PC: Tell us about Followed, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Matthew: Followed is a found-footage horror thriller centering around my character, a social media influencer named DropTheMike, who visits haunting sites around Los Angeles and recaps their history.

The biggest draw for me was that Mike is irreverent, selfish, narcissistic, and unapologetic about it. Those are all characteristics people try to suppress—well, maybe not all people, but I certainly do. So I got to lean into that big time. And then to discover that he’s a good person underneath it all, what a wonderful character to sink my teeth into.

The project was also heavy on improvisation. The audition was entirely improvised. I love scripted improv, so I was excited to take on a project like that.

PC: What do you hope audiences take away from seeing a character like DropTheMike? How did you prepare to embody this character?
Matthew: I looked at social media influencers like Logan Paul. I would say my portrayal of influencers ended up being a bit critical. I think people love these irreverent online personalities because you get to live vicariously through them. They go into the world and do things you couldn’t get away with, couldn’t afford, don’t have the time to experience. But there are those who forget to respect the people around them. That’s the biggest lesson for Mike. He has these blinders up because he’s so desperate for success. So one of the big takeaways is to keep yourself in check—stay sensitive to the world around you. My biggest takeaway from the film is to listen to the people who care about you. They see things you can’t.

PC: There were a number of strange occurrences that happened while you were filming, which created a lot of moments for you to improvise. Can you tell us about one of those scenes and what was your thought process as they continued to happen?
Matthew: The most bizarre was when Fred the Head, a very gross looking prop head, fell off a shelf in the middle of a take where we were all supposed to be sleeping. It was like a real-life horror moment. I’m convinced a ghost did it. Instead of waiting for someone to call “cut,” I wanted to make it a moment. So I got up and improvised, and it actually made it into the movie. It’s fun to see completely unscripted moments make it in.

PC: In the film, DropTheMike plays the elevator game, which is an urban legend that if you enter the elevator alone and go to different floors in a particular order, you can communicate with another dimension. If you could chat with someone on the other side, who would it be and why?
Matthew: I was so relieved that I never had to fully do the elevator game for the movie. Who knows where that door would have opened to. I would love to talk to Matthew Solomon in a parallel world. Don’t we all want to know what we would be like if our lives went differently? There’s a theory that every time you make a decision, a parallel universe establishes where you make a different decision. So I’d want to meet two versions of me: one where a very mundane choice was different, like a Matthew who never started drinking coffee. And then I’d like to meet a Matthew who maybe had an entirely different career path or ended up going to college in Canada, which I almost did. Maybe a version of Matthew who got better grades in school too.

PC: The film has been well received. What do you think is resonating most with audiences?
Matthew: Found footage always pulls an audience, but our movie has a cinematic twist on the genre. We’re following an entire camera crew so you get some really well-shot moments. You also get to know characters you really care about, and the scares are the kind of suspenseful that has you holding your breath. Plus, going to see a new movie in a theater right now? What a blessing.

PC: You’re running a cool initiative for anyone who goes to see the film. Can you tell us a bit about that?
Matthew: Yes! If you tag me in your Instagram story when you see the movie, I am donating money to the Okra Project on your behalf. They provide food and resources to black trans people. It’s a wonderful initiative. Great incentive to check out the movie and also put money towards a good cause!

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Matthew: I watch a lot of cartoons, but I don’t feel guilty about it. Actually, America’s Next Top Model.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Matthew: Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back. Also don’t feel guilty about that.

PC: Favorite book?
Matthew: Cloud Atlas!

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Matthew: Fun Home

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Matthew: Kamasi Washington

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Matthew: Darren Criss. Everyone says we’re twins.

To keep up with Matthew, follow him on Instagram. Catch Followed in select theaters and on VOD.

Photo Credit: Mackenzie Breeden