Kat Harlton
Photo: provided via artist
Poster: Toronto International Film Festival / Paramount
Family ties are pushed to the limit in Adulthood a devilishly comic neo-noir from actor-director Alex Winter. Starring Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner) and Josh Gad (Frozen), Adulthood follows a pair of adult siblings forced to cover their tracks after making a grisly discovery.
Nck Name plays Diego Vargas, Megan’s (Kaya Scodelario) good-natured husband whose caustic wit masks his deep care and concern. As Megan unravels amid a spiraling family crisis, Diego does his best to support her, unaware of the dark secrets about to surface.
We had the opportunity to connect with Nck to discuss his character work, the film premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival and what he hopes the audience connects with.
Kat: Adulthood blends sharp humor with dark mystery, how did you approach balancing the emotional depth of Diego with the film’s caustic wit?
Nck: I think the key with Diego was grounding him in what was otherwise a very extreme set of circumstances. As an actor, I’m always playing different sides of myself in every character, so I just focused on how I would personally navigate those circumstances. It was a fun place to go to.
Kat: Diego is described as good-natured but layered with complexity. What aspects of his character resonated most with you, and how did you build him out beyond what was on the page?
Nck: Alex Winter, our director, brought a lot to the table in terms of who Diego was— beyond what was already on the page. Diego and I are very different. He’s gone down the path of academia, whereas I’m in the arts, and I think he has certain emotional blind spots that I like to think I don’t share, though I’m sure I have my own!
Kat: Much of the film centers on long-buried family secrets. Did that theme influence how you thought about Diego’s relationship with Megan and the Vargas family dynamic?
Nck: It’s a good question. Not necessarily. Diego isn’t really privy to what’s going on with some of the darker family secrets, so it was fun to play him as a man smart enough to know something’s up—yet clueless all at once.
Kat: Working alongside Kaya Scodelario and Josh Gad, how did the on-set chemistry inform your performance, especially in such an emotionally volatile narrative?
Nck: Working with Kaya was a huge learning experience. She has a real eye for detail, and she was great at helping us find the right tone for some of the heavier scenes. Josh is one of the most talented actors I’ve ever worked with, and he’s so natural that it was really easy to get lost in those scenes. I loved working with them.
Kat: The film has been described as a comic neo-noir. As an actor, how do you prepare for something that mixes genre elements, especially comedy and crime in such a stylized way?
Nck: I, think as an actor you shouldn’t overthink things like that—unless you’re going for something very slapstick or campy. Otherwise, you just have to focus on the character and the story, and let the “style” of the film take care of itself. I had complete trust in what Alex Winter was doing, which let me focus on being Diego and allowed everything else to come together naturally.
Kat: TIFF is a major platform for film premieres. What does it mean to you to debut Adulthood at the Toronto International Film Festival, and what are you hoping audiences take away from the film?
Nck: Premiering Adulthood at TIFF is huge. It’s the biggest film festival in the world. I’m so proud of this film, and I would have flown across the world for its premiere, so having it happen right in my backyard is amazing. As for the audience, I just want them to go on a ride. There’s a lot of twists and turns, combining dark humour with a deeper look at family and relationships. Just sit back and enjoy it!
Kat: Diego’s support for Megan often means standing by her through unraveling truths. Did portraying this kind of emotional loyalty challenge or shift your view on relationships?
Nck: Diego is a family man, ready to push through thick and thin to keep things together. It’s a wonderful quality, but the film also makes you question where the line might be between a healthy and a toxic version of that. I think everyone might have their own personal answer to that question!
Kat: What was your first reaction to reading the script, especially the basement discovery and the unraveling that follows? Did any scenes surprise or challenge you?
Nck: It just put a big grin on my face. I knew we were about to make something really special. And once we got to the table read, seeing what Josh Gad, Anthony Carrigan, and Billie Lourd were bringing to the table—no pun intended—I was over the moon.
Kat: The film touches on the fragility of modern adulthood in America. Did Adulthood inspire any personal reflections about what it means to “grow up” today?
Nck: As someone who’s had the privilege to pursue a life in the arts, it’s a question I ask myself every day, haha. I’m very lucky to live a life dedicated to creativity, and it’s certainly not what I expected adulthood to look like when I was growing up. Every generation faces different circumstances, so our expectations of how life should unfold also have to shift. We have privileges people before us didn’t, but we also face challenges they never encountered. At the end of the day, we’re all just doing the best we can.
Kat: Without giving too much away, is there a moment or line in the film that felt like a turning point for Diego’s arc or for you as a performer?
Nck: As the film evolves, you see more of Diego’s vulnerability, which gives a deeper glimpse into what he’s going through. That’s always a very rewarding place to go as an actor, and Alex and the rest of the cast made it easy to explore that.
For more on Adulthood including showtimes visit: https://tiff.net/films/adulthood