Based on the 1976 novel by Gregory McDonald, new comedy Confess, Fletch is now in theaters and available on digital. The film is directed by Greg Mottola and centers around an investigative journalist who attempts to find a stolen art collection and prove his innocence in a murder case.
The cast includes Jon Hamm, Roy Wood Jr., Annie Mumolo, Ayden Mayeri, Lorenza Izzo, Kyle MacLachlan, and Marcia Gay Harden.
Actors Roy Wood Jr. and Ayden Mayeri chat with Screen Rant about their dynamic in the film and work in the comedy genre.
Stars Talk Confess, Fletch
Screen Rant: Roy, you've done work with Comedy Central, so this genre definitely isn't new to you. But what is the biggest difference between your role in this film and the other work that you've done in the genre?
Roy Wood Jr: I would say this was a completely different film. It's a comedy, but there's also a murder mystery element to it. So it has to be a little bit more grounded. You know, Comedy Central, just as a network, everything is more heightened. The jokes are bigger. Even with The Daily Show it's more energetic. Where for this—I'm a cop, who was annoyed by this man who is barefoot. Why are you barefoot at a murder scene, Fletch?
So it's that type of humor where it's more inquisitive than performative, and so it's grounded in reality. And I think that's the thing that really makes this something that, to me, just comedically stands out from anything that I've ever done and just makes it totally different from a lot of the common [films], stylistically, that are from the original era that this franchise was birthed from.
Screen Rant: Ayden, your character is honestly my personal favorite in the film. She's very much a go-getter. She has no time for messing around, but she's also got this comedic undertone to her. What was it like balancing these elements?
Ayden Mayeri: I think what's cool about the tone of this film is that it does feel like they're real people, and we wanted them to feel like people you've maybe met before. They're not just joke machines spewing jokes at the audience, but that they're real in their strangeness and the situations are strange so that in itself is funny.
And if we really believe the situations, then that's funny. And so I just tried to really put myself in the mindset of like, "I want to do a really good job," which was not a hard mindset to get into. And I want Roy to like me, which was also not hard. And it just felt pretty natural to be a try-hard, I guess.
Screen Rant: I really loved the way that both of your characters respond to Fletch. They're so over his antics the entire movie, so what was it like for each of you to play off of him?
Ayden Mayeri: It was really fun. Jon is so funny and so charming. So finding a way to hate him for that was hard, but once I did, I really leaned into it.
Roy Wood Jr: I think the thing about the movie is that we are annoyed by this man, we are confused by this man, but we are also charmed by him. There's a clip in the trailer where I'm annoyed by this man, but then he also is giving me childcare tips for my newborn. I was like, "Oh, wow. Thank you—wait a minute. I think you're the murderer," which left a lot of opportunity for moments of improv. Hamm is so quick with it and quick-witted, and the quips and everything were just fire. It was great.
Ayden Mayeri: Did you say quick with it and quick-witted?
Roy Wood Jr: Yeah, I couldn't which one I said, so I was like, "I'll just say both."
Screen Rant: What about the dynamic you have with each other? You guys were kind of the duo of this film, so what was it like working together?
Ayden Mayeri: It was fun. It was really fun. I was driving Roy around most of the time, so that was challenging, but fun. And then we got to improvise a bunch and I had the time of my life. What about you, Roy?
Roy Wood Jr: I think it was definitely partners at first sight. There was no drama or anything wild like that. It's not like anything else that's been going on in the media. We're two co-stars who like each other. Everything's fine here.
Ayden Mayeri: We're here for the spin-off.
About Confess, Fletch
While investigating a case of valuable stolen paintings, the roguishly charming and endlessly troublesome Fletch becomes the prime suspect in a murder. To prove his innocence, he must sift through a long list of suspects -- from an art dealer to a missing playboy to a crazy neighbor to his own girlfriend.
Check out our other interviews for Confess, Fletch as well:
Confess, Fletch is available in theaters and on digital, with a Showtime premiere to follow on October 28.
