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Michael Angarano and Michael Cera have been on screen for most of their lives. Both former child actors, each grew into an adult in front of audiences during the aughts — for Angarano, as Sean Hayes’ son in “Will and Grace” or the nepo-superhero of Disney’s teen actioner “Sky High”; for Cera, in the meaner streak comedies of “Arrested Development” and “Superbad.” But that particularly intense spotlight — being the on-screen representation for a millennial generation then coming into consciousness — is less of a burden in their mid-thirties.
“Almost 20 years ago, I would get really anxious walking by a high school because the kids would know who I was and they create a frenzy of energy that you’re not able to withstand. But now I feel very comfortable walking by a high school, because I know they have no idea who I am,” Cera says with a laugh.
Both Mikes get to come of age again in their new buddy comedy “Sacramento,” where the two play childhood friends who have long-since drifted apart — until they unearth a few shared anxieties during a dare-gone-too-far road trip to the sleepy Central Valley state capital. Directed by Angarano, and co-written with Christopher Smith (another former child actor), the comedy comes embedded with an extratextual pathos, starring two actors, introduced to the public as children, now playing men facing down very adult responsibilities (and oft retreating to juvenile outbursts).
“If people are familiar with you, it’s a nice opportunity to subvert that,” Angarano says. “It would probably be very easy because people don’t really know us. They only know this idea of us.”
“But that’s only older audiences. There’s also people who don’t know who we are at all,” Cera says. “I like the idea of this being the first thing anyone’s seen us in — some young kid on a Delta Airlines flight in two years. Then they run a quick Google and ‘Oh, they’ve been around, actually.’”
Cera, you composed the score for Angarano’s first feature in 2017, “Avenues.” But when did the two of you first connect and how did that transform into this collaborative partnership? You two both emerged in the industry in parallel.
MICHAEL CERA: Mike was making a movie with our friend, Max Winkler, called “Ceremony.” That was where we first really became friends. I just went because it was exciting that Max was making his movie. I was supposed to do music for it, which I didn’t end up doing. After that, we were hanging out all the time. We had a little group in L.A. for our 20s that was together all the time.
MICHAEL ANGARANO: We were all kid actors. It was our version of a college group.
CERA: When you’re in your early twenties and you’re working professionally, all the other people your age are pretty much in school — except for other out-of-work actors.
ANGARANO: That’s really where we got close. But I’m confused, because I also came up to audition for “Scott Pilgrim.”
CERA: Oh, yeah, we read together.
ANGARANO: But that was after “Ceremony,” or was that before “Ceremony”?
CERA: Well, it was like 2009, it would have been. When was “Ceremony” made?
ANGARANO: I don’t know.
CERA: I don’t either.
ANGARANO: Anyway.
Michael Cera and Michael Angarano in “Sacramento”
Courtesy Everett Collection
When you and Chris Smith were writing the film, were you open to playing either role, Angarano?
ANGARANO: We wrote it with the idea of, “Maybe the two of us play it, maybe one of us plays it, maybe neither of us play it.” Looking for money informally, then more seriously, it became clear that that was going to be a tough mountain to climb. So, the idea of [Cera] playing the part, if we could get that, that’s going to be the version. But if Mike said no to playing Glenn, then I would have been totally open to not being in it at all. Mike was really the only other person I thought of that would be right for it, that would organically work. But there was another version where maybe this is a $25 million movie somewhere and we don’t play these parts at all and we get somebody else to direct it.
Why was Cera the “only person right for it”?
ANGARANO: I just love him as an actor. There’s only a handful who are great and also really funny. Mike’s just always made choices that are meaningful to him. Even in sending it to him, I didn’t want to encroach on our friendship, but I also didn’t have to worry about that. I knew that if he wasn’t interested, he’s not going to do it just as like a courtesy. When you’re asking people, it inevitably feels like some sort of favor. I’m not going to lend myself for a favor, really. I know the ask is an objective one, but inevitably it feels like you’re asking a lot of somebody because you know them. I always am conscious of that to some degree.
Speaking of those meaningful choices, Cera, you’ve made a point of bringing a higher profile name to indies like this and “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point” and “The Adults” over the past few years. You’re sitting next to a fellow actor turned director — is that a path you’re interested in too?
CERA: I’m trying to — just pushing the boulder along. I have a couple projects that I’m trying to bring into existence. I hope it’ll happen. It just takes a constant push until things line up and you get the shot.
Both of you became fathers in the years since the film was announced. It’s an intriguing real-life parallel to the concerns of the story. Cera, your character is fraught with anxiety over the incoming responsibilties of parenting. Is that something you were conscious of as the project gained steam?
CERA: It made everything that the character was struggling with more immediately. I can’t imagine the movie having shaped up any other way, because all of that really did become the essence of it. Even though it didn’t start out that way, it evolved into this story about that major, irreversible life transition. It was hugely informative.
ANGARANO: I’m not consciously aware of exactly how it impacted me, but I’m positive it did. I just can’t tell you in what exact way. Everything went from being a hypothetical to very, very literal. I would be interested to see the movie if we made it five years ago, before having kids.
“Sacramento” is now in theaters from Vertical Entertainment.
