Moviefone Editorial

Tag: jason-biggs

  • ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’ Interview: Simon Rex

    Simon Rex as “Danny” in the comedy, 'Operation Taco Gary's', a Chroma release. Photo courtesy of Chroma.
    Simon Rex as “Danny” in the comedy, ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’, a Chroma release. Photo courtesy of Chroma.

    Opening in theaters on February 27th is the new science fiction comedy ‘Operation Taco Gary’s‘, which marks the directorial debut of Michael Kvamme, and stars Simon Rex (‘Red Rocket’), Dustin Milligan (‘Schitt’s Creek’), Brenda Song (‘The Social Network’), Tony Cavalero (‘The Righteous Gemstones’), Arturo Castro (‘Road House’), Jason Biggs (‘American Pie’), and Doug Jones (‘The Shape of Water’).

    Cl2tYByiqSGu4A2aWix8a6

    Moviefone recently had an opportunity to attend Smorgasburg LA in downtown Los Angeles, where actor Simon Rex was handing out food at the Tacos 1986 truck in promotion of ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’.

    Simon Rex attends Smorgasburg LA in downtown Los Angeles at the Tacos 1986 truck for 'Operation Taco Gary's'. Photo: Michelle Felix.
    Simon Rex attends Smorgasburg LA in downtown Los Angeles at the Tacos 1986 truck for ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’. Photo: Michelle Felix.

    We had a chance to speak with the actor about his new film, his first reaction to the screenplay, working with Dustin Milligan and Jason Biggs, crazy conspiracy theories, and collaborating with director Michael Kvamme on set, as well as working with Oscar nominee Rose Byrne and director Stephanie Laing on their upcoming film ‘Tow’, which opens in theaters on March 20th.

    Related Article: Jason Biggs and Meaghan Rath Talk ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’

    Simon Rex attends Smorgasburg LA in downtown Los Angeles at the Tacos 1986 truck for 'Operation Taco Gary's'. Photo: Courtesy of Jami Philbrick.
    Simon Rex attends Smorgasburg LA in downtown Los Angeles at the Tacos 1986 truck for ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’. Photo: Courtesy of Jami Philbrick.

    Moviefone: To begin with, this is a wild movie, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and why did you want to be part of this project both as an actor and a producer?

    Simon Rex: Well, I laughed out loud every page, which was a good sign. Me and my agent and my manager, after reading it, were like, “This is the funniest script we’ve read in a long time.” There’s not a lot of comedies being made. If they are being made, they’re not that funny lately. I feel like that genre is gone and we need it back. So, when I read this, I knew I had to do it, and my agent and manager were like, “We have to roll the dice and go for it on this one.” Sometimes working with a first-time director, you don’t know what you’re getting into, but I trusted Michael because I knew how smart he was from the script and his background at ‘Funny or Die’ and working with Will Ferrell. He’s just gets it, and I knew he could pull it off. I was happy that he did, obviously.

    (L to R) Simon Rex as “Danny” and Dustin Milligan as “Luke” in the comedy, 'Operation Taco Gary's', a Chroma release. Photo courtesy of Chroma.
    (L to R) Simon Rex as “Danny” and Dustin Milligan as “Luke” in the comedy, ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’, a Chroma release. Photo courtesy of Chroma.

    MF: Can you talk about the brotherly relationship between Danny and Luke and creating that relationship on screen with Dustin Milligan?

    SR: So, in the casting process, which was new for me, I usually am the one who’s coming in for what they call a chemistry read to see if you are of the essence of the other actor’s brother or friend or partner. So, we had it down to like five actors, and Dustin was one of them, and when he came in and read, it was just obvious that it worked. He was very grounded and pragmatic. I’m very over the top, and insane, and that’s the odd couple chemistry that you need for it to work. I’ve seen him in ‘Schitt’s Creek’ and I saw him in another movie, the name escapes me right now, but I was a fan of his. I’m like, this dude’s great, you know? He gets comedy, he nailed it, and that’s how we got him. We just cast him old school, in the room, which doesn’t happen anymore, usually it’s self-tapes.

    Jason Biggs as “self” in the comedy 'Operation Taco Gary's', a Chroma release. Photo courtesy of Chroma.
    Jason Biggs as “self” in the comedy ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’, a Chroma release. Photo courtesy of Chroma.

    MF: Jason Biggs plays a crazy and exaggerated version of himself, was he a good sport about doing that?

    SR: Well, that takes a lot of courage and a lot of self-deprecating, self-awareness, and a lot of actors won’t do that. I love that he would because he’s the perfect chef’s kiss for this role, because he’s sort of a throwback to the era of what this movie feels like. It’s like the ‘American Pie’ era. It’s, ‘Dude, Where’s My Car?’, ‘Harold & Kumar’, and those fun, lighthearted, wholesome comedies that we don’t make any more in this town. He was perfect in that universe to be synonymous with that era. He’s hilarious, and he’s Jason Biggs. Everyone knows him. He’s a familiar name, so it was perfect. We’re very happy with him. There was a lot of people we were exploring, and some actors wouldn’t be willing to laugh at themselves. I’m just glad he did.

    Doug Jones as “Elder” in the comedy, 'Operation Taco Gary's', a Chroma release. Photo courtesy of Chroma.
    Doug Jones as “Elder” in the comedy, ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’, a Chroma release. Photo courtesy of Chroma.

    MF: Your character in the movie is a conspiracy theorist. What is your favorite conspiracy theory, not necessarily one you believe in, but one you think is interesting like Stanley Kubrick shooting the Moon landing?

    SR: That’s a good one. There are some very strange parallels there. It’s that thing where I got friends who are conspiracy theorists and they’re like, “There are no coincidences.” I don’t agree with that, but there are some things lately that have been coming to light that have proved me wrong. But my favorite one to answer your question is the “flat Earth” theory because I love how those guys go so crazy. They’ll fly to Antarctica, and they’ll do the measurements, and they’ll be proven wrong, and they’ll still be like, “No, it’s flat.” They just can’t accept the science. That one’s very entertaining, so that’s my favorite one.

    (L to R) Dustin Milligan and director/writer Mikey K on the set of the comedy, 'Operation Taco Gary's', a Chroma release. Photo courtesy of Chroma.
    (L to R) Dustin Milligan and director/writer Mikey K on the set of the comedy, ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’, a Chroma release. Photo courtesy of Chroma.

    MF: What was it like collaborating with director Michael Kvamme on set to find the right tone for the movie?

    SR: I mean, again, he just gets it. I think people who are that funny are usually very smart in my experience, the funniest people that I’ve worked with are usually intelligent. I think that humor is also a part of being smart and I just knew because of his background, who he’s worked with, and the script that he wrote that his instinct was really on point. That’s a lot of it too, his instinct. It’s just one of those things that you go with your gut. When I met with him and I read the script, it just felt right, and then I’m happy to say that while we were filming, that he knew exactly what he wanted. He showed up prepared, and when you have a director that knows what they want, it makes everything else fall into place. I’ve done jobs where the director is sort of lost. You’re like, “Uh oh, the captain of the ship doesn’t know what’s going on.” This was the opposite. He was extremely on point with everything he wanted and how it would look, and he did all the preparation and he nailed it.

    (L to R) Simon Rex and Rose Byrne in 'Tow.' Photo: Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.
    (L to R) Simon Rex and Rose Byrne in ‘Tow.’ Photo: Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.

    MF: Finally, you also have the movie ‘Tow’ opening in March with Rose Byrne, which is based on a real story. What was it like working with Rose and director Stephanie Laing to bring Amanda Ogle’s story to the big screen?

    SR: It was cool. It’s a great wholesome heartwarming movie. I got to meet Amanda. She was on set with her daughter and working with Rose, she might be the most down to earth, normal, big female actor I’ve ever worked with. She was just extremely sweet and generous and I’m happy for this moment she’s having. I’m rooting for her to win the Oscar. I mean, she won the Golden Globe. She could walk away at this point a winner, but I want her to win it all. Obviously, it helps ‘Tow’ if she does. Working with Stephanie Laing, she’s so calm and I’ve never worked with a director that was this mellow, but in a good way where she was so chill. We shot that movie in 19 days, which is insane and ambitious to shoot a whole movie in 19 days with that cast. We got it, and the movie came out great, and it was a great experience. I want to work with Stephanie more and hopefully I will.

    'Operation Taco Gary's' opens in theaters February 27th.
    ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’ opens in theaters February 27th.

    What is the plot of ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’?

    Two brothers uncover an alien invasion hidden inside a fast-food chain and must save Earth.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’?

    • Simon Rex as Danny
    • Dustin Milligan as Luke
    • Brenda Song as Allison
    • Tony Cavalero as Kyle
    • Jason Biggs as himself
    • Doug Jones as Elder
    • Arturo Castro as Tiago
    Simon Rex attends Smorgasburg LA in downtown Los Angeles at the Tacos 1986 truck for 'Operation Taco Gary's'. Photo: Michelle Felix.
    Simon Rex attends Smorgasburg LA in downtown Los Angeles at the Tacos 1986 truck for ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’. Photo: Michelle Felix.

    List of Simon Rex Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Simon Rex Movies on Amazon

  • ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’ Cast Interview

    V6A5ZJFS

    Available on digital January 27th is the new comedy thriller ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance‘, which was directed by Jason Biggs (‘American Pie’) and stars Biggs, Meaghan Rath (‘Being Human’), Justin H. Min (‘The Umbrella Academy’), Anna Konkle (‘Rosewood’), and Arturo Castro (‘The Menu’).

    l3WyfwZtWLK2o2FgVflVv1

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jason Biggs and Meaghan Rath about their work on ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’, their first reactions to the screenplay, why Biggs wanted to direct, Rath’s approach to her character, her experience working with Biggs as both an actor and director, balancing the right comedic tone, if Biggs will direct again and what he learned from this experience.

    (L to R) Jason Biggs and Meaghan Rath star in 'Untitled Home Invasion Romance'.
    (L to R) Jason Biggs and Meaghan Rath star in ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.

    Related Article: Moviefone’s 2026 Movie Preview: Theatrical and Streaming Releases

    Jason Biggs as “Kevin” in the Comedy, Thriller, Action and Crime film, 'Untitled Home Invasion Romance'. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).
    Jason Biggs as “Kevin” in the Comedy, Thriller, Action and Crime film, ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).

    Moviefone: To begin with, Jason, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and why you wanted to direct this movie?

    Jason Biggs: I read the script, and it was originally offered to me just to play the role of Kevin. My agent said to me, “I think you may want to direct this one,” because we had been looking for something to direct for a few years. What I loved about it was that it was unexpected for me, I think. As an actor there are connections that people make for me, and I thought that would have extended to my first time directing as well. I even had an opportunity to direct something that was much more like ‘American Pie’, and I ultimately thought, “I’d rather challenge myself in a different way and try to do something that was a little unexpected.” So, when I first read the script, I was like, “My God, this is really great”. It’s the kind of movie that I like to watch. I’m a big Coen Brothers fan and it felt like it had that tone to it, and it was populated with similar characters, structure, gore, and comedy. So, for me, it was like, I really wanted to direct this. It felt like the right one for me. I don’t think I anticipated just how difficult it was going to end up being, but it was a challenge that I took on, and here we are.

    Meaghan Rath as “Suzie” in the Comedy, Thriller, Action and Crime film, 'Untitled Home Invasion Romance'. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).
    Meaghan Rath as “Suzie” in the Comedy, Thriller, Action and Crime film, ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).

    MF: Meaghan, what was your first reaction to the screenplay, and did you recognize immediately that this would be a great part for you to play?

    Meaghan Rath: Yes, absolutely. I was in shock when I was reading it because I really felt a connection and an urge that I needed to play her. I thought that there would be so many actors that want to take that on, because it is a terrifying challenge with of all the emotions that she goes through, but also playing those tonal shifts. I felt that it weirdly combined a bunch of different skills that I had from previous shows that I’ve done. So, it felt like it was right for me, and it felt like it was mine, and it was.

    (L to R) Jason Biggs as “Kevin” and Meaghan Rath as “Suzie” in the Comedy, Thriller, Action and Crime film, 'Untitled Home Invasion Romance'. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).
    (L to R) Jason Biggs as “Kevin” and Meaghan Rath as “Suzie” in the Comedy, Thriller, Action and Crime film, ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).

    MF: Meaghan, what was it like working with Jason on set as both an actor and as a director?

    MR: I felt very safe. We got on well just from the beginning and it’s so nice to be able to have that comfort with somebody that you’re getting on this runaway train with. It was 20 days. It was such a grueling shoot, and it was mostly nights. To have somebody that you knew that you could trust to take you through it, and not just as a scene partner, but as a director, figuring out this character, because it was very overwhelming. I came on not long before we went into picture, so I didn’t have that much time with it. It was nice to have somebody to figure it out with that I knew that I could rely on. So many times, during the shoot, I was like, “I don’t think we got it.” We had such crazy time restrictions, but he always gave me another take if I wanted it. So, that’s really something.

    (L to R) Justin H. Min as “Stu Cho” and Jason Biggs as “Kevin” in the Comedy, Thriller, Action and Crime film, 'Untitled Home Invasion Romance'. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).
    (L to R) Justin H. Min as “Stu Cho” and Jason Biggs as “Kevin” in the Comedy, Thriller, Action and Crime film, ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).

    MF: Jason, can you talk about the challenges of balancing the right tone of comedy and suspense?

    JB: They’re in lie the biggest challenge, for sure. Meghan kind of alluded to it. It’s performance, its lighting, its shots, it’s the edit for sure, and the score. I always wanted it to feel as grounded and real because it’s a high concept movie. It’s a guy who fakes a break-in with his friend to win his wife back, and it goes wrong, and someone’s dead. It’s a high concept, but I felt like we would have the best chance of making it work if we kept it grounded. Because there’s a very broad version of this movie, for sure. But the version I wanted to see and make was as grounded as possible, because then I always thought that we would be able to go to some more extreme places, and ultimately be able to tie it together more organically in the end. So, yes, there’s laughs and very clear comedic moments, but there’s gore, there’s the thriller, and there’s the whodunit. It was the challenge of this movie, between the performances and everything else, and even right until the end, until the score was placed in. That was the sort of the final thing that we had to do. They did such a great job. So, that was the final thing, and it’s fascinating how much that helps connect everything. Anyway, that was part of the fun challenge for me.

    (Center) Director Jason Biggs on the Comedy, Thriller, Action and Crime film, 'Untitled Home Invasion Romance'. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).
    (Center) Director Jason Biggs on the Comedy, Thriller, Action and Crime film, ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).

    MF: Finally, Jason, do you think you will direct again, and if so, what have you learned from making this film that you will take with you to your next project?

    JB: Yes, I would love to direct again. That’s saying a lot because this was a very hard shoot, as Meaghan said earlier. It was ambitious and very difficult at times. But for me, the moments that I will take from it, particularly working with Meaghan and the other actors and having that interaction, giving notes, having them change their performance. That was, for me, a high. It was such a great thing. So, I want to do it again. What have I learned? An insane amount. I mean, there is so much that I will take onto a next project if I get the opportunity. From little things to a big thing like, letting go, and being able to let go. You can’t get stuck. If you don’t get the shot, you just don’t get the shot. I remember missing shots and thinking, “That’s it. How am I going to put it together? It’s going to be impossible. Like, without that shot, there’s no way that this could work,” and that’s just not the case. There’s always creative solutions and ways around it. So, not getting as caught up in that, I think, maybe, is a big lesson to take.

    'Untitled Home Invasion Romance' will be available on digital January 27th.
    ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’ will be available on digital January 27th.

    What is the plot of ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’?

    As a last-ditch attempt to save his failing marriage, an actor (Jason Biggs) stages a home invasion during a romantic getaway weekend.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’?

    • Jason Biggs as Kevin
    • Meaghan Rath as Suzie
    • Arturo Castro as Ernie Guerra
    • Justin H. Min
    • Anna Konkle
    (Right) Director Jason Biggs on the Comedy, Thriller, Action and Crime film, 'Untitled Home Invasion Romance'. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).
    (Right) Director Jason Biggs on the Comedy, Thriller, Action and Crime film, ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).

    List of Movies & TV Shows Featuring Jason Biggs:

    Buy Jason Biggs Movies and TV on Amazon

  • New ‘American Pie’ Movie in the Works

    Eugene Levy as Jim's Dad, and Jason Biggs as Jim in 1999's 'American Pie.'
    (L to R) Eugene Levy as Jim’s Dad, and Jason Biggs as Jim in 1999’s ‘American Pie.’

    ‘American Pie’ might have had relatively humble (pie) beginnings, but the 1999 sex comedy has become quite the franchise for Universal.

    And rather than trying to reheat leftovers of the original and its various sequels and spin-offs, the studio is aiming to deliver a fresh slice.

    Sujata Day, an actor, writer and filmmaker who broke out on Issa Rae’s ‘Insecure’ and who made a splash by writing, directing and appearing in 2020 indie movie ‘Definition Please’ has now been hired to write a new movie.

    At this point, no one involved is giving away any of the story recipe, but The Hollywood Reporter mentions that it’ll be a brand new story with a different cast.

    The first movie helped launch the careers of Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Seann William Scott, Shannon Elizabeth and more, alongside stalwart character work from veterans Jennifer Coolidge (who entered movie cougar history as Stiffler’s Mom) and Eugene Levy, plus tiny roles for Casey Affleck and John Cho.

    It was a giant hit, earning $235 million worldwide from an $11 million budget and led to three main sequels with the original cast (‘American Pie 2’, ‘American Wedding’ and ‘American Reunion’) and spun-off a bevy of straight-to-video movies with new actors under the ‘American Pie Presents’ banner.

    Eddie Kaye Thomas as Finch, Mena Suvari as Heather, Chris Klein as Oz, Thomas Ian Nicholas as Kevin, Tara Reid as Vicky, and Natasha Lyonne as Jessica in 1999's 'American Pie.'
    (L to R) Eddie Kaye Thomas as Finch, Mena Suvari as Heather, Chris Klein as Oz, Thomas Ian Nicholas as Kevin, Tara Reid as Vicky, and Natasha Lyonne as Jessica in 1999’s ‘American Pie.’

    It’s hardly a surprise that Universal would want to go back for another serving: this is a recognizable title, can be adapted to tell any variety of coming of age and sexual yearning stories and would be cheap to produce, featuring new or rising faces and little in the way of giant visual effects (unless Day plans ‘American Pie: Space Race’, which we would honestly watch).

    What’s raising our eyebrows is the idea that Day would leap on to something like this – her work has been a little more nuanced than your average ‘Pie’ pic, though original director Paul Weitz (working with brother Chris as producer) always managed to infuse their movies with a lot of heart.

    Chances are, Day’s pitch included some new take on the idea, and will no doubt give female characters a little more agency (though again, the ‘Pie’ movies always managed to include some of that).

    In addition to her work on ‘Insecure’ (plus appearing before that on Rae’s ‘The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl’) and her successful, award-winning directorial debut, Day has been busy, guesting on shows such as ‘I Think You Should Leave with Tom Robinson’, YouTube’s ‘This Is My Story’, ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ and ‘Life in Pieces’ plus movies including ’20 Weeks’, ‘Death of a Telemarketer’ and ‘For the Hits’.

    Since it’s still at a very early stage, Universal has yet to announce any potential release date, nor is there a director attached just yet.

    But if you were hoping for more ‘Pie,’ it looks like your order is up.

    Eugene Levy as Jim's Dad, and Jason Biggs as Jim in 1999's 'American Pie.'
    (L to R) Eugene Levy as Jim’s Dad, and Jason Biggs as Jim in 1999’s ‘American Pie.’
    6308