Hollywood director full of praise for Kin star, calling him ‘a real artist’

"I remember pushback from the studio or somebody about casting him. I was just like: 'Do you have eyeballs?'," the filmmaker told JOE.

JOE recently sat down with writer-director Justin Tipping, whose new sports horror movie Him is out in cinemas in Ireland on Friday, 3 October.

The film follows Cam (Tyriq Withers, I Know What You Did Last Summer), a young American football quarterback who is attacked by a stranger, suffering a head injury that endangers his career.

Still desperate to one day become a G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) player, he accepts an offer from Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans, Scary Movie) - widely considered the current GOAT - to train with him for a week at his remote desert compound.

While there, a string of bizarre occurrences leaves Cam doubting his sanity and questioning whether his gracious host has his best interests in mind.

Him is produced by Jordan Peele, who sought out Tipping to helm the movie after seeing his excellent 2016 feature debut Kicks.

Ahead of the release of the sports horror, JOE had a wide-ranging conversation with Tipping about the film and his career as a whole.

During the interview, we asked Tipping about having directed Irish actor Sam Keeley on Joe vs. Carole, the dramatised series adaptation of the feud between Joe Exotic (John Cameron Mitchell) and Carole Baskin (Kate McKinnon).

Keeley played John Finlay, a romantic partner of Exotic in the show.

Speaking about the Irish actor, Tipping said:

"Sam is so talented. It's crazy. I remember pushback from the studio or somebody about casting him. I was just like: 'Do you have eyeballs?'

"[He was] leaps and bounds better than every other… He's the sweetest gentleman, and he cares deeply about his craft, and I was impressed every time I got on set with him.

"And honestly, I hope we can find something again because, the same way I had this kind of unspoken communication with [Him actors] Marlon and Tyriq, where we had a rhythm… I definitely had the same thing with [Keeley] when we were shooting that show.

"He's a real artist, like he's also a writer. He can look at the dialogue and rewrite a couple of words, and then it's like: 'Oh shit.'

"You just reminded me about how talented he is. I really hope he gets his flowers, too."

Keeley can currently be seen on screens in the hit NOW crime drama Task, starring opposite Mark Ruffalo, Tom Pelphrey, along with fellow Irish star Alison Oliver.

This is as the future of the Irish crime drama Kin remains unclear.

As for what's next for Tipping, he told JOE:

"I do have originals, on deck, and I'm hoping to now, when this dust settles, take them out.

"I have a feature: a very bloody, violent revenge story, still with magical realism elements and fantasy.

"And then [I have] a pilot. I'm really excited about that. I'll just say it involves swords."

JOE also asked Tipping if he has any dream projects he would one day love to make or dream franchises he would love to be a part of.

In response, he told us: "Oh, well, I grew up on X-Men 95 with cereal on Saturday mornings, and you remember when they go to space? X-Men in space."

When we pointed out that the X-Men are set to return to cinema screens soon, as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tipping simply replied, laughing: "They are."

Him is in Irish cinemas from Friday, 3 October.