Jesse Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola, Phillip Andre Botello, Imogen Poots, and Riley Stearns Talk About Their New Film The Art of Self-Defense

Jesse Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola, Phillip Andre Botello, Imogen Poots, and Riley Stearns Talk About Their New Film <i>The Art of Self-Defense</i> 1

**Updated May 25th with official Trailer**

Following years of being pushed around, Casey (Jesse Eisenberg) decides it’s time to fight back. Passing a karate studio, Casey is drawn to the masculinity and self-confidence displayed by its Sensei (Alessandro Nivola). Enrolling in the Sensei’s class, Casey is determined to become what intimidates him.

During the red carpet premiere of The Art of Self-Defense, I spoke to Nivola, as well as Phillip Andre Botello who plays Kennith, a student at the studio who befriends Casey and Imogen Poots who plays Anna, another student at the studio. I always find it fascinating to hear what draws an actor to a role because almost every answer is different. Talking to director Riley Stearns, I was surprised to learn he comes from a martial arts background and wanted to make a film about a subject matter he was passionate about.

I was especially excited to talk to Eisenberg about this role. So often he’s played strong, albeit quirky, characters like Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and J. Daniel Atlas in the Now you See Me films. Yet with The Art of Self-Defense, we see a character who is the shell of a man when we first meet Casey. It’s captivating to hear Eisenberg discuss the transformation of his character so low and having to build him up as the film progresses. Due to the limited time, I included Eisenberg’s answer to the press member next to me which was picked up on my camera.

The Art of Self-Defense is a highly enjoyable dark comedy in the spirit of Fight Club meets Office Space. Eisenberg gives an outstanding performance that is worth checking out when it arrives in theaters July 12, 2019.

Check out my interview with the cast below as well as the trailer for the film.

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Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.