In the Sundance 2019 award winning hit, Brittany Runs a Marathon, the film follows Brittany Forgler is 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/rapper Utkarsh Ambudkar who you might recognize from works such as Blindspotting and Pitch Perfect and the upcoming Mulan to discuss his role as Jern in the movie.

Read our full interview below:

What was it like traveling with this movie at festivals such as Sundance?

***Actor Utkarsh Ambudkar in Amazon Studios’ “Brittany Runs a Marathon”***

Utkarsh: I only did Sundance and now I'm here for the release. It's pretty cool. We have a great group of people. It's a really different, interesting collection of talent like Michaela, Micah, Rel, Jillian, Paul and I all together. It’s really fun. You know, it's very different perspectives, very different careers, different training, different roles. None of us are really in competition with one another so we're all just these niche performers that have come together to play leads. [We’re] in this movie to support Jillian, who's obviously our number one, but the importance of all the other characters is sort of the same, which is really cool. There's no hierarchy on this one. It feels very familial, very collaborative, and really warm. They're just nice people. It's just so good to work with ‘nice’ for once. Not that I've worked with unkind people, but there's a lack of ego which is really refreshing.

One of my favorite things about the film is how it takes archetypes of one-note characters that you see in other mainstream movies, but develops them into fleshed out people. Can you tell me about your character of Jern?

Utkarsh: What did you think when you first saw me? Or Jern? Let's say, Jern. When you first saw Jern come on screen, what were your initial thoughts when you speak to the archetypes? What were you expecting?

First off, I saw so much of myself in him as like, this slacker who just sits by and watches TV... or in his case, just cartoons. I'm like, “Okay, this is getting too close to home.” But as it goes on, you see him more as like... he's helpful, he's useful, has a lot of wisdom and heart. He has that ‘douchebag’ bravado at first.

Utkarsh: Well, she really undresses him, right? Yeah, because of Brittany's transformation, he's inspired, he's moved, he falls for her. He's forced to look at his own life and realize that he has been coasting off of potential for a long time. That potential has long since run out and he's at a crossroads now. He needs to decide who he wants to be and I think that's a really interesting place to meet a character. I think Paul wrote a really well rounded individual who at his best is extremely lovable and charming. You root for [him] as much as you root for Brittany, and you root for them [together]. At his worst, he is like you said: vapid, lazy, douchebag. You have Rel, Alice, Michaela, Micah and myself portraying father figures, best friends, a pretty best friend, [etc]. [You have] a woman going through struggles and a gay man who has a family. All of these characters are [usually] side characters at best, especially given the fact that I'm there. And I'm a South Asian actor, right? I’m used to being a comedic sidekick, having an accent or sitting in front of a computer. All of us are sidekicks who have been given leading material. It's really fun. And I think it's very surprising for audiences at first, but almost immediately — because of the richness of the story and the characters and, you know, in some small part, the way that we portray them — I think the outside disappears and you just get to see us for who we really are, which is human beings, which is really all we ever wanted. Like, it's really been challenging in Hollywood to just be seen as somebody who could be in a relationship on screen. So I'm really happy to play that.

How is it filming this diverse New York movie that captures the city?

Utkarsh: It's a ‘New York’ movie. So, noise complaints, people. New Yorkers have no problem telling you to f-off when you're like, "Hey, do you mind just waiting? We’re [filming] a take… ‘F-OFF!’” They don't give a fuck. You know, 28-day shoot and a small budget indie movie.

28 days? Wow.

Utkarsh: Yeah, grass roots, everybody was on board... had to be on board shooting at the New York City Marathon with a little crew. I wasn't there for that, but it was insane for them knowing that they're not going to get too many takes per setup. So you have to prepare it and you have to be ready to show up and be present in the moment. Because sometimes you get one or two takes and you're done. So, it was really exciting. It was a huge risk. I was hired as a local New York hire on like, a set ‘whatever’ minimum. SAG minimum? Yeah. So I actually lost money making this movie. I don't know how much I lost, but I definitely didn't make any [money]. And the script was good enough that I took that risk. This was a role that I've never been offered before. We all just bet on ourselves and on each other, you know, and I'm really proud of Paul and Jillian, especially for what they put into this. But I didn't get to work with anyone else. I just get to admire Michaela, Micah and Rel. I did everything with Jillian and she was phenomenal.

What was the chemistry on set like? Because you both have the best humorous and most intimate dynamic.

Utkarsh: I showed up on day one and they were in it. Jillian was in the middle of this emotional and psychological transformation. She did a lot of prep work for the movie. She was so welcoming. She was also an executive producer on the movie so she felt a responsibility to take care of me in that regard. And we sat down at the table for the first rehearsal, which was of our scene at the end where they were celebrating her new life. I looked at her and I was like, "Yo, man, it's been a minute since I've actually acted. Like, I have to look at you and connect. Like, I'm not doing jokes. I'm not doing sight gags or gag humor. I'm not throwing alley-oops because you're the lead. Like, I have to act. I haven't done this shit in a while." And she was like, "I know. It's weird, right?" When we did our first rehearsal, we both looked at each other and we were like, “Did that feel good?” I felt really, really good. That was great. And then they were like, "Yeah, well, let's shoot it now." We lucked out. Her and I have such good chemistry as people and there's a genuine affection for one another. [Within] our work, I really think the world of her. And I think that she tolerates me. That's really all I need to ask for. It was really surprising to connect with somebody that way just immediately.

So this is a movie about pushing yourself forward, motivating yourself to achieve your goals. Did that have an effect on you? Like, did you set yourself with a personal goal? Because I remember that at Sundance everybody had that motivational mindset. Like, I remember thinking, “Oh, crap, I might want to go exercise.”

Utkarsh: I think it's great. I think this movie is a great motivator, you know, for me. I think that it motivates me in my career. It gives me confidence to see that I can be a part of this type of story, like a romantic comedy or a dramatic role… in many ways, a romantic leading man role. I feel confident and it's great validation for a lot of years of hard work. And it gives me confidence to sort of keep moving forward, right? Sort of like, “Okay, I did that, people liked it. I'm capable of good work.” Not that I haven't done great work, but this feels special. Yeah, I'm capable of being an integral part of something special. And that is a really good feeling. The one thing that Brittany learns that I learned a little bit before her, I guess — or maybe at the same time in our lives — is you just have to take the first step. One thing that I've gotten much better at is just doing the thing that I don't want to do. So, when my brain says, “Don't get up. Don't make the phone call. Don't run.” I'm getting really good at listening to the quiet voice that says, "Hey, please do. I want you to do right by yourself." I've genuinely gotten better like Brittany, just listening to that quiet voice that goes, "Hey, I love you. Honey, I'm your inner child. I love you so much. Just go for the run. You'll feel better." I've learned that the quiet voice is the smarter one. It's generally the one to listen to.

Since your character’s like, really into a lot of animated series and stuff like that, what do you find yourself watching?

Utkarsh: I'm telling you, bro. My best friends came to see this movie two nights ago and everyone in the industry is like, "Oh my god, we've never seen you play this role before." And my best friends legit were like, "Did you write all of your lines? Because that motherfucker was you." I was like, "Yeah, kind of." I mean, he is kind of me. But I watched G.I. Joe, ThunderCats. I'm a big fan of what I grew up with. I watch all the animated movies that come out and haven't really gotten into anime that much. Sometimes I find them a little scary. They're a little too serious for me. I think Akira scared me off of anime when I was a child, but I liked Mononoke and Spirited Away, those sort of more poetic movies. I'm at the comic book shop every Wednesday. I'm getting my new books for the week. Most common purveyors at the cities that I've worked in know me. And I have a room in my house full of Sideshow Collectibles.

So, what do you want audiences to take away from this movie when they see it?

Utkarsh: I just want them to cry their goddamn eyes out. I want them to feel great. I want them to feel emotionally cleansed. I want them to feel the way that I feel at the end of Rudy, at the end of Love, Actually, at the end of Good Will Hunting, at the end of that hockey movie called Miracle and at the end of Bridesmaids all at once.