David Rosenberg is an actor and writer. He is known for It’s a Dog (2022), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017). Dave writes plays and screenplays and some of these are Effect If Not Intent, I Would Never Lie to You, What Else Is True?, and Absolutely! He has written original pilots such as Absolutely!, Chosen People and Preserve and Protect.
indieactivity: How did you get connected to the project? Did you have to audition? If you did, would you still have got the part?
David Rosenberg (DR): At the end of my first year at Juilliard I got an email from my friend Victoria Pollack (who also ended up in the film) that a friend of hers was making a movie in Chicago and that she was holding auditions.
So I went in, did one audition for Lizzie and a whole bunch of other people, and then did another audition— this one reading with Natalie, and with Josh trying out some camera stuff while we did the scene. It was one of the most pleasant and humane audition experiences I’ve ever had.
What part of the story challenged you when you read it? What drove you to get on the project?
David Rosenberg (DR): Lizzie, Liz, Natalie and Josh were, from the first moments I met them at the auditions, so wonderful and generous and cool.
So the opportunity to work with them was super exciting. And I really dig how Lizzie wrote Colin— he does some messed up stuff, and hurts the people close to him, but he’s really just doing his best. He’s not trying to hurt anyone, which, in my experience, is how that happens
You’re not new to indie films. What do you enjoy about the work that keeps you working?
David Rosenberg (DR): This was actually my first indie film, or at least my first feature, so I was pretty new to the whole ethos. But I really enjoyed the atmosphere.
We all lived and worked out of the same apartment, ate all of our meals together, and went out one or two nights to wind down. That was one of the best parts of the experience— just getting to know these terrific people.
Give an example of a direction you received from the director during the production?
David Rosenberg (DR): Lizzie has a really good feel for directing actors. She’s incredibly sensitive to an actor’s process and is really great at merging that understanding of actors with the story she needs to tell as a writer and director.
There were moments where Lizzie had to urge me to let Colin be a little more inconsiderate— really lean into his flaws and his blind spots. And those ended up being really important, key pieces of direction.
How did you create your character from ground up?
David Rosenberg (DR): With a character like this I try to work from myself as much as possible, and then just maintain an open dialogue with Lizzie to make sure that everything is on the right side of the line.
As the main cast in the film, describe the feeling of responsibility that you shouldered. Were you scared? Or did it fire you up? What scenes were difficult to shoot?
DR: The most difficult scenes to shoot were the first ones we shot. Natalie and I didn’t know each other very well, we had little to no rehearsal, and we were all sort of just jumping in. As we spent more time on set together, everything sort of settled in and it got easier to really play with each other.
Explain one creative choice you made on set during production?
DR: Oh boy! It’s been a long time. I don’t think I have any specific memories of my own creative choices. Mostly I just tried to stick to the character Lizzie gave me.
What did you take away from the film production?
DR: Mostly just the joy of making something in a really intimate environment with really kind, generous people.
Acting reel for David Rosenberg
What do you like most about the director, and his/her collaboration with his/her team?
DR: Lizzie is incredibly smart, incredibly creative, and incredibly funny. She has a strong vision, and a story to tell, but she also loves a good joke as much as anyone. She’s a joy to work with, and I’d urge other actors to work with her in a second if given the chance.
And Josh and Lizzie’s working relationship was really symbiotic and strong. They had a super solid give and take, and there was a lot of respect and collaboration in the room.
What is next for you?
DR: I’m just about to graduate from Juilliard with my master’s in Acting, so I’ll be going back out into the world after a couple years spent mainly in school. So hopefully I’ll be able to do more great films like this. And I’ll be pursuing some writing projects I’ve been working on as well.
What advice do you give actors regarding what you learnt on the project?
DR: I’m not in much of a position to give advice to other actors, but as someone who hadn’t spent much time in front of the camera before this project, I’d tell actors in my position to ground yourself in your scene partner and the circumstances, make sure you’re physically relaxed, and then just try and feel free to live. I learned so much on this project about acting on camera. It was a phenomenal experience.
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