Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Guest House’s Mike Castle

From the moment he got his first laugh on stage, actor-improviser Mike Castle was hooked. He knew he needed more of it and dedicated his life to his craft, making us chuckle out loud in projects like Clipped, #VanLife, and Brews Brothers. This September, he stars opposite Aimee Teegarden, Pauly Shore, and Steve-O in the hilarious new comedy Guest House. The film follows a newly engaged couple who finds the house of their dreams—or so they think. Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of speaking with Mike about Guest House, sharing the screen with Pauly Shore, and what he hopes audiences take away.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts and acting?
Mike: This is a somewhat classic story, but I auditioned for a school play when I was in fourth grade. It was really one of those moments. I remember being the comedic relief. I remember getting my first laugh and being like, “Oh, I have to do this all the time.” When it ended, I remember crying and being mad at my mom. I was like, “I can’t believe it’s over.” She was like, “All right, well, we got to help you find more of that.”

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Mike: I’m going to be a real Chicago theater kid. One of my earliest jobs was at Steppenwolf Theatre. It set a certain tone in me forever. Everyone was so professional. I was either thirteen or fourteen. I learned a lot from that experience, and I’ve used what I learned then for everything going forward. And to do that before doing comedy stuff, which is the main thing I would do, it always imbued my comedy. It’s like, well, you have to act somewhat well or believe in the stakes of what you’re saying. It’s permanently affected my outlook on comedy.

Guest House

PC: Speaking of comedies, you have a new film out. Tell us about Guest House, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Mike: Guest House is a party movie with soul. That sounds like I’m undercutting some party movies, but I’m really not. They’re all great. But it’s about this young couple that moves into an outrageously nice house that they can’t afford yet can. As they’re wondering why, they discover it’s because someone named Randy Cockfield lives there, played by Pauly Shore. The whole movie is about my character, Blake, trying to get him to leave but also battling with having to be a grown-up and wanting to be just like this idiot guy. [laughs]

Whenever I hear the question “what drew me to this project?” I always think, “Well, I’m in a stage in my career where getting to do something is what draws me to it.” [laughs] That this is even an option is what drew me in. But then everyone I talked to in my nascent stages of getting ready for this project were so thoughtful, nice, and hilarious and wanted to make something good. So it was really the crew of people that excited me.

PC: The film is based on writer-director Sam Macaroni’s horrifying house-hunting experience. If you were in a similar situation, what would you have done?
Mike: Honestly, when we were filming, I thought, “Damn, I think I would have behaved very similar to my character, unfortunately.” I initially would act like I’m going to be an adult and get this guy out. But I think fairly quickly I would succumb to that peer pressure. [laughs] I’d probably party with him.

PC: In Sam’s director’s notes, he states that he’s half Blake, half Randy. What was the collaboration like working with him as you built this character?
Mike: I got to tell you, I loved every moment of working with him. I was running through possible questions I might get today. And I was just thinking about Sam, and he’s really just a great guy. I really genuinely just loved working with him. And he has such a collaborative spirit, and he just wants things to work, but he also wants it to work for the actor, which is not super common. I mean, it’s not a hundred percent uncommon.

There were a few lines where I would go, “I’m not sure about this, man.” He’d be like, “Oh cool. Don’t say it.” That was a rare kind of experience. Sam has this quality where he wants to make it as good as possible. That’s the best quality. It reminded me of making movies as a teenager with my friends, where we were all like, “The only thing I care about is I want this to be good or funny.” Sam has that quality and it’s the best.

PC: You have a background in improv. How helpful was that when approaching this film?
Mike: I feel very lucky that I love it so much when I was growing up because now it’s really a helpful tool to have. So much of this script was reliant on, or very open to, improv. There’s a scene where Blake is stoned and pretending he’s not. That whole scene was largely improvised. But we also improvised nice, happy scenes as well. The whole proposal scene was improvised. It has a very high, high improv spirit.

PC: Throughout the film, we get to see Blake and Randy go head to head. Do you have a favorite interaction between the two?
Mike: Yeah. I like when both characters are on the same page. It’s probably from growing up and having watched every Pauly Shore movie, where I would start to find myself really wanting to make him laugh. It was the same conundrum that the Blake character is going through where he’s like, “For some reason, I want this guy to like me.” The first time that Blake smokes weed with Randy, I was like, “This is so fun. It’s so weird seeing me do this with Pauly. It’s so cool.”

PC: With the film out now, what do you hope audiences take away?
Mike: I just hope they have a good time watching it. It’s hard sometimes for people not to be critical of a film. This isn’t The Hurt Locker. It’s something fun and silly. I hope people watch it and have a good time but don’t take it too seriously.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Mike: I never watched Entourage, and my wife and I just binge-watched the whole series. I’d say it’s a guilty pleasure because it’s semi-outdated and there is so much early aughts like Hollywood sexism and that sh-t. But it felt so nice to be like, “Oh yeah, careers can be happening.” I feel like I’m that deep now into quarantine where I like to see people out and having a career. [laughs]

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Mike: I love to swim. I love the ocean. But I’m very scared of sharks. So basically any movie that features a shark I unironically enjoy. I just watched Deep Blue Sea 3 the other day and I was like, “This is great. I’m strapped in.”

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Mike: My mom was really into musicals. I liked listening to musicals but would not dare sing in front of people. I loved Rent when I was a kid. I loved Les Mis, but my mind immediately goes to Book of Mormon. Play-wise, anything Mark Twain.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Mike: Cate Blanchett as a man. It would kind of be like reprising the role in the Bob Dylan movie. And yeah, it would be similar curly-haired wig and similar sort of mannish but mainly feminine energy.

To keep up with Mike, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Guest House is now available on digital and On Demand.

Photo Credit: Lionsgate