Micah Stock Interview

The Sundance 2019 award winning hit, Brittany Runs a Marathon, follows Brittany Forgler, a hilarious, friendly, hot mess of a New Yorker who always knows how to have a good time, but at 27, her late-night adventures and early-morning walks-of-shame are starting to catch up to her. When she stops by a Yelp-recommended doctor's office in an attempt to score some Adderall, she finds herself slapped with a prescription she never wanted. Forced to face reality for the first time in a long time, Brittany laces up her Converse and runs one sweaty block. The next day, she runs two. Soon she runs a mile and realizes she must take control of bettering everything about her life.

Rendy Reviews caught up with actor Micah Stock to discuss his role as Seth in the movie.

So, tell me how you got involved with the film.

Micah Stock: So, I had known Paul socially through the New York theater community, and knew him as a playwright. My agent sent me the script and I thought it was so funny and heartwarming and I really wanted to play this part. For whatever reason, in my own mind, I was like, “Well, no one's gonna consider me for this part, they're gonna want somebody else.” So, I went into this meeting with Paul sort of very defensive, you know? “It really shouldn't be someone like me because this and this and this,” and he was like, “Well, that's why I'm meeting with you. Why shouldn't it be someone like you?” So we had a great talk, and then a few months went by. I auditioned for the film once and then got the part and that's how I ended up here.

Your character is one of Brittany's friends who helps her get motivated to run this marathon. Was it hard having to get into those scenes where you're having to run?

Micah Stock: Yes. As someone who is not a runner, but was acting as a runner, it was difficult. I mean, luckily… the beautiful thing is that Brittany and Seth are people who previously hadn't even run down the block. So, we see them in particular points in their running journey where it's really difficult still, you know? Whether they're at the end of a 5K or the beginning of a block race, they're exhausted, and I was [too] when we were shooting it.

How many takes did you have to do?

Micah Stock: I think [during] 90% of the movie we're running and talking. And we're supposed to be in different points [physically]. Julian had conditioned herself as a runner. She really did a lot of work to achieve Brittany's journey, but — though I exercise — I was not a runner. So, the moments on screen when you see me exhausted and sweating, I'm actually exhausted.

Did your role motivate you to run? Like, after you're done shooting, you know? Because the movie has that feeling of motivation.

Micah Stock: It's amazing. I mean, if it specifically motivates people to run, [that’s] beautiful. But for me, it's more about the motivation to change, and to be able to change even though people might not expect you to and people might not want you to — despite how you've been perceived in your life before you get to create the one that you want. And I know that sounds sort of like ‘voodoo hoo hoo ha,’ but I really believe that. I think so often in life we live out these patterns and what people expect us to be based off of what we've done before, or what we look like, or the perceived rules that comes with, like being a certain kind of person. I think it's a beautiful thing to be able to break out of that and say, “You might not expect this of me, but I expect this of myself.” So, when people leave the movie, whether it's motivation to run or exercise, just change something. It doesn't matter what it is.

You hit upon the people's perception. One of my favorite things about the movie is all about perspective and perception of others, and your character Seth is a complex member of the LGBTQ community. I love how Seth is not a stereotype. He's already settled. So, how was it getting to show that kind of authenticity in this movie that other films would stereotype?

Micah Stock: I think that these archetypes often appear in films, especially for any minority group. Throughout the years people would talk about, “Oh, you know, the gay character,” or the ‘this’ character or ‘that’ character, and it’s this reduction of a full human being. To have [Seth] be a member of the LGBTQ community and for him to be a full human being who's not just like, the bitchy best friend… that is what you need to do. He is a supportive friend, he's very warm. He also has his own fucking life and his own dreams. Just because he might fit like, the certain archetypes of, “Oh, he's a gay man, he makes jokes, he works in marketing,” you know… beyond that he has all these other encompassing human characteristics. I think it was really important to Paul, with every character in the film, that it'd be a flouting of a stereotype — not consciously, because it was just writing people. But Brittany is not like, the psychic best friend who exists only to support the typical central character; she is our own full human with her own journey. I think Paul brought that out in all of the ensemble and I'm really proud to be part of that.

How was it like having this premiere at Sundance, showing it to so many different people and witnessing that reception for the first time?

Micah Stock: Oh, it was AWESOME. It feels so good to put something out into the world and have it received well. It's like, the easiest job in the world because I love the script. I love all the people in it. I love what the movie has to say. So, going into Sundance, it's a little bit like… even if things hadn't gone well, we got this beautiful distribution deal. To me, we'd already won. To have all these wonderful things happen to it and the aftermath, it's just the cherry on top. To sit in a theater and watch 1,000 people from all different walks of life snot-rocketing tears, laughing as one giant band… it's really special.

That's heavy, you saying that once again — like deja vu flashbacks. It’s just like watching it for the first time. Like, “Oh my god, I love this.”

Micah Stock: I do. I get it all the time. And even when I think I'm done with it, it pops back up again. Today we did this Q&A and started talking about how, when they shot at the actual marathon, real marathon runners were stopping to help Jillian cross the finish line. You know, she was acting it and the whole crew's got the A-Cam operator with tears streaming down his face. Because you're like, “Whoa. Look at humans.” Sometimes they're great.

Especially in New York, too.

Micah Stock: In New York! Well, I think there's a misconception about New Yorkers, which is that they may not be polite to you, they may not have a lot of patience for bullshit, but if you are in trouble New Yorkers will show the fuck up. I'm never worried that if something happened to me on the subway that anyone would ignore it, which is not true of other cities.

Do you have any songs that you listened to for motivation?

Micah Stock: Oh, that's funny. I go through phases where music really becomes a part of my life, then it kind of falls away. So, in terms of songs I often get made fun of because the music I gravitate towards is quite sentimental. Like, the way that I pump up is to connect with something deep inside me. But I don't know if you're specifically asking about like, what I do to exercise.

Oh yeah.

Micah Stock: So, I am someone who resents exercises. Like, “Oh, I'm going to go and work out.” So I had to choose things that turned into a game for myself. That's fun. So I practice Brazilian jiu jitsu regularly. And that's it.

No way.

Micah Stock: Yeah. It's fun. It's positive. It's a cool skill. I have to trick myself into exercising because I’ll say, “I'm going to go to the gym for an hour.” It's like… it's done. I just check out.

What do you expect audiences to receive when they watch the movie and they sit out there for the first time?

Micah Stock: The wonderful byproduct of this film is, not only is it entertaining, but I think it helps people recognize their own capacity to change because they see themselves in the people on screen. A lot of people are getting to see themselves on screen for the first time in a full way. And so I think for them to leave the theater and think like, “I don't have to meet these external expectations anymore. I get to change in the way that I want,” is what people leave with.