A24
"Uncut Gems."
- Though Kevin Garnett and Julia Fox had never starred in a movie before "Uncut Gems," they both were huge scene stealers.
- Business Insider spoke to both of them about their performances in the Adam Sandler movie.
- Garnett revealed that Spike Lee wanted him for the role of Jesus Shuttlesworth in his movie "He Got Game" before casting Ray Allen.
- The NBA great also talked about the major superstitions he had while playing, including having a folded up $2 bill inside his sneaker his rookie year.
- Fox explained the scene in "Uncut Gems" that hit closest to her own life's experiences.
- "Uncut Gems" is currently playing in select theaters and will expand nationwide on Christmas day.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Adam Sandler is certainly the draw to go see Josh and Benny Safdie's "Uncut Gems." But one of the great things about this movie is that along with the explosive performance by Sandler as a New York City jeweler with an awful gambling addiction, there are equally great supporting roles that the Safdies surround their lead with.
There's "Atlanta" star LaKeith Stanfield as Demany, who works with Sandler's Howard Ratner character to get famous people into his store. Idina Menzel takes a break from playing Elsa from the "Frozen" movies to star as Ratner's fed-up wife, Dinah. Sports talk radio legend Mike Francesa plays Ratner's foul-mouthed bookie, Anthony. And even The Weeknd shows up to play himself.
But the two people who steal every scene they're in are Kevin Garnett and Julia Fox.
Garnett, the retired NBA great, plays a version of himself who becomes completely obsessed with an Ethiopian opal that Ratner shows him. Garnett convinces Ratner to let him borrow it and he goes on to play an incredible game in the playoffs (the Safdies used actually NBA playoffs footage from Garnett's time as a Boston Celtic in the movie). For the rest of the movie, Ratner goes through an agonizing journey to get it back from Garnett.
Fox, who in real life has done everything from being a fashion designer to a dominatrix, plays Ratner's girlfriend on the side, Julia. She works for Ratner and also lives in his apartment in the city. But things get rocky between the two when Ratner thinks Julia is cheating behind his back with The Weeknd.
Both Garnett and Fox give fantastic performances, especially since neither had ever acted in a movie before.
Business Insider sat down with both in New York City to talk about their unusual paths to get in the movie. During our conversation, Garnett revealed that years ago Spike Lee wanted him to play the lead role in "He Got Game," and shared the real superstitions he had as a player. Fox talked about the scene in the movie that felt the most real for her and her acting future.
Warning: Minor spoilers about "Uncut Gems" discussed.
Jason Guerrasio: Julia, it sounds like you are the sole survivor of early casting that was attached through the decade it took to make this movie.
Julia Fox: Yeah, and I almost got thrown out.
Guerrasio: Well, tell me that.
Fox: When the studios got involved they wanted a real big name actress and Josh [Safdie] had to really fight for me. 300 people auditioned for the role, so it's a miracle that I got it.
Guerrasio: Did you feel it was fate?
Fox: Yeah. I feel now that no one could play that role.
Kevin Garnett: I was about to say, no one could have been that.
Fox: And same for Kevin and Adam. It was just so perfectly cast.
Garnett: And I don't know anything about making movies, but I was just watching you and thinking, this is your first time acting? Are you serious? You killed it, Julia.
Fox: Thank you.
Guerrasio: And Kevin, in regards to you, at one point another former NBA star, Amar'e Stoudemire, was to play that role.
Garnett: Yeah. At the time Amar'e was a Knick and the Safdies are Knick fans to the core. And they even went to Kobe Bryant because he did 61 in the Garden. They were trying to surround it with the Knicks. And then finally with the project growing and it becoming something else they started to take on new solutions for trying to fill in the roles.
Christopher Pasatieri/GettyImages
Kevin Garnett as a Boston Celtic.
Guerrasio: And you basically took Joel Embiid's role. Because production got pushed to when the NBA season started and he had to drop out.Fox: But they kept Joel's manager. That woman who sits with Kevin at the auction scene -
Garnett: Yup, that's Joel's real manager. Listen, when I won the championship more odd things happened throughout that year than ever before. I had a kid that year. Just some of the oddest s--t happened and I won it. So when special things come you don't know what's going on. But it feels different, and that's what this felt like.
Guerrasio: Had you had the acting bug previous, because Spike Lee came after you to play Jesus Shuttlesworth in "He Got Game."
Garnett: Spike Lee wanted me to be in "He Got Game." He wanted me to be the guy. First time they brought it to me I ignored them because I'm a super shy guy.
Guerrasio: You're not looking to be the guy on the poster.
Garnett: F--k no. If it's something like me just walking through a shot, cool. I didn't have any confidence in what he was talking about. So I didn't really take him seriously. So I'm on vacation and my agent went with me and he told me, "Spike is really adamant that he wants you. But there's one thing, he wants you to screen test." And I wasn't confident in an audition, I was like, "What? This is my story." When I read it I was like, "This is me, why do I have to audition for something that's technically me?" And he didn't like that. He kind of had an ego in that. And I just passed on it.
Guerrasio: Julia, you were attached for years to be in this movie, but take it a step back, what drove you to even want to act?
Fox: I didn't want to act but just as a person I love to try new things and I never want to limit myself. If I'm scared of something there's more incentive for me to do it. I want to conquer everything that I do. So to me this was just another check off my list. I can say that I've done this. And now that I know that I love it and I know I can monetize this and I enjoy it, now I really want to pursue it. That has been the cool revelation.
Jemal Countess/Getty
Julia Fox at the 2019 Gotham Awards, where she was nominated in the breakthrough actor category.
Guerrasio: So you are full on going for it. I believe you signed to WME?Fox: Yeah, we're starting to audition. And I'm actually pretty good at auditioning. I can't be a one-hit wonder, I have to follow this up.
Guerrasio: There's no packing it up and going into the sunset.
Garnett: That's me.
Guerrasio: You're done.
Garnett: I'm cool. I'm done. Unless I play a villain. I want to be a villain and I want to be killed early [in the movie] so I don't have to stick around.
Guerrasio: One of my favorite scenes in the movie is you and LaKeith stuck in the security box at Howard's store. You are so good in that and if feels so natural. But was that hard to do, for you? Were you concerned if you could pull it off?
Garnett: I'll be honest, a lot of stuff going on with Kevin, the character, paralleled my own life. I have been in a jewelry store with eight, nine people maybe one of them has a pistol on them. The scene with me and Adam [after the auction], I have sat with Jacob the Jeweler, so I've been in these situations to where I can pull from. There have been game days where I have to do something. I hated to do anything on game day, but you have to get it done. So all those experiences I was using.
Guerrasio: And a scene with you, Julia, that stands out is the fight you have with Adam outside of the club. Were you using past experiences for that scene?
Fox: Yeah. I mean, we have all fought in a club. I'm kind of known for that.
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Adam Sandler and Julia Fox in "Uncut Gems."
Garnett: [Laughs.]Fox: So for me that was easy and felt very real. I really lost myself in that moment. I was just in it. It felt more real than acting.
Guerrasio: Kevin, does anything about this experience compare to the juice you got as a player?
Garnett: Define "juice."
Guerrasio: That feeling of playing an incredible game in front of a packed arena.
Garnett: Performance is performance. Preparation. Timing. How you deliver. Passion. Energy. Those are the parallels. [Pause.] But there's nothing like 20,000 people giving you different emotions, either cheering or booing. But it was fun to watch how they aligned the NBA footage with the story. I was amazed by that.
Guerrasio: Kevin's obsession of the opal is hilarious but probably not far off what some players will cling to when things are going good, right?
Garnett: Oh yeah.
Guerrasio: What's the craziest superstition you had?
Garnett: Well, s--t. I used to have a two dollar bill. My rookie year, one of my best friends, Sam Mitchell, gave me a two dollar bill. He had to borrow some money from me and he said, "This two dollar bill is rare." And I was like, "Get the f--k out of here, you borrowed two grand from me you gonna give me a two dollar bill?" So I took the two dollar bill and folded it real small and put it in my shoe and played with it.
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(L-R) Kevin Garnett, LaKeith Stanfield, and Adam Sandler in "Uncut Gems."
Guerrasio: So your whole rookie season you were playing with a two dollar bill in your shoe?Garnett: And I played better. Then I was in the starting five I starting putting a rubber band around my wrist. But my biggest was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before each game, because I would get hungry during the game. Once I started eating them I was playing like an animal. So that was my biggest superstition.
Guerrasio: Let's end on this. Julia, what are your aspirations going forward?
Fox: I just signed with WME and starting to go on auditions and tapings. So I don't really know, but I have a feeling it's going to be good.
Guerrasio: And I believe you have some scripts in the drawer, right?
Fox: Yeah.
Garnett: Oh oh.
Guerrasio: Start crafting that villain role for Kevin.
Garnett: [Laughs.]
Fox: Yeah.
Garnett: But I have to get my head smoked off in the first 30 seconds of the movie.
Fox: That's actually not bad.