New Brunswick’s James Mullinger goes from Small Stage to Big Screen
It’s been a pretty wild year for James Mullinger.
After selling out Saint John’s Harbour Station and breaking Jerry Seinfeld’s record back in April, he proved he was a comedic force to be reckoned with. Now, Mullinger has dipped his toes into the movie industry with The Comedian’s Guide to Survival. The film, which premiered at Just for Laughs in Montreal last month, is based on Mullinger’s crazy journey from London magazine journalist to stand-up comedian.
Huddle chatted with Mullinger about the project and what we can expect from him next.
Huddle: First off, can you tell us how this movie came about?
James: My oldest friend and closest collaborator Mark Murphy and I wrote a script about five years ago. It was about the bizarre dichotomy that was my life back then which consisted of interviewing A-list comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Amy Schumer all day, then travelling across the country to die on stage in front of five people by night. It was Mark’s idea because he loved all my war stories of terrible gigs. He and I worked on various TV series’ together, then I moved to Saint John and Mark became a hugely respected movie director. He was then in a position to get passion projects off the ground and luckily he picked this one. He and our amazing producer Alan Latham of GSP Studios made it happen. Then Mark flew to Saint John shortly before filming so I could help add my real stand up to the script and throw in a few more true life stories about corporate gigs I had done since moving to New Brunswick.
Watch the trailer below:
Huddle: How involved where you in the film’s production? For instance, did you choose James Buckley to play you?
James: I can’t take credit for James Buckley no. That is down to Mark, Alan and the casting agents. The only thing I did to help was refusing to play myself. Some people thought it was a good idea. I knew it wasn’t due to the fact I am not an actor. I am a stand up. I don’t approve of people making creative decisions for the sake of it or for egotistical reasons. I have spent a decade learning the craft of stand up to be good at it. I wouldn’t profess to be a good actor because I haven’t trained at it. James Buckley is a huge star in England (he starred in the two biggest comedy box office hits of all time in England – The Inbetweeners 1 and 2) and a brilliant actor. He came to shoot this straight from wrapping on a Judd Apatow film with Andy Samberg and Sarah Silverman so his comic timing and improvisation was impeccable. I am a Co-Producer on the film so my role was simply to oversee shooting, occasionally make suggestions and adding stories and jokes to Mark’s script. But I can’t take any credit for how brilliant the film is. Alan and Mark are the real brains behind this.
Huddle: What was it like seeing such a crazy time in your life portrayed on film?
James: Fun. Because luckily those days are behind me. Sure we all have bad gigs occasionally but back then when I was still learning the craft I was dying almost every night. But it was also very surreal, especially watching James Buckley perform my real stand up word for word in front of an audience. An incident that happened at the Imperial Theatre in 2014 for instance actually made it’s way in to the film.
Huddle: For you personally, what was the best part of filming the movie?
James: Watching Canadian comedian Mike Ward work. He is one of my favourite comedians and he steals every scene he is in. Seeing my old friend Mark helm a big budget movie. A decade ago we were traipsing around hundreds of TV executive offices every week pitching ideas, shooting shows that never got picked up and working our asses off to get something made. Every knock back made me want to give up. I got very depressed. Mark always pulled us through. I honestly thought it would never happen for us. He always said it would. He was right. So to see him commanding a crew of sixty or seventy people and a cast of actors that we admired and loved as kids was definitely a highlight for me. The worst part (for me and the audience I imagine) was that my cameo demanded that I show my bare bum.
Huddle: What was the reception to the film at Just For Laughs?
James: Incredible. It was just a joy to show it at the world’s greatest comedy festival. Our film was chosen alongside Seth Rogen’s and Howie Mandel’s. So a huge
honour for us and a defining moment in my life. Just For Laughs is my favourite place in the world. The COO Bruce Hills is the most powerful man in comedy and also the loveliest, smartest, kindest man and the fact that he liked the movie enough to put it in his prestigious festival means everything to me. My wife and father-in-law drove from Saint John for the premiere to surprise me. I had been in Montreal for two days doing non-stop press (about thirty interviews in two days starting at 6am and ending at 10pm) so to see them brought tears to my eyes. They watched the film, stayed for the Q&A then left afterwards. The room was full with my favourite people – lovely people from Saint John, some of my favourite comedians and the most respected comedy journalists in Montreal. Everyone enjoyed it so we all breathed a huge sigh of relief afterwards.
Huddle: What’s the market for this film? How will you make money off of it?
James: It is being released in British cinemas on the 28th October by Signature Entertainment. And it will appear in North America shortly afterwards but I can’t yet discuss on which platform. But it is definitely coming here.
Huddle: What other living New Brunswicker do you think deserves a film based on their life?
James: What an excellent question. Too many to mention. I would have to say Judith Mackin.
Huddle: 2016 has been a pretty wild year for you so far with this film and you know, selling out Harbour Station and all. Can you tell us about the next big projects you’re working on?
James: Sure. Right now I am taking a bit of time off to spend summer holidays with the kids so lots of time at the Renforth Wharf, water slides at the QPlex and on our beach. I recently completed work on Rich MacQueen’s Anonymous Zombie, a fantastic horror comedy shot entirely in New Brunswick. We are putting the finishing touches to the CBC documentary about my love of Saint John and the Harbour Station show now and Hemmings House are doing an incredible job with it. Lauchlan Ough is a superstar film director in the making. His work on this has blown my mind and I can’t wait for the world to see the film.
I am gigging lots all over Canada playing Yuk Yuk’s, doing corporate events and keynote speeches. I have a tour with Nikki Payne in December. It’s a brand new Christmas show that we tested last year and went great so are now writing it in to a two hour show which is looking so awesome. It’s a dream come true to work with her.
John Borbely (the Canadian Comedy Award nominated director) and I are working on various TV projects. I have organised a huge show on October 20th featuring every single comedian in New Brunswick in honour of my dear friend Lloyd Ravn who we lost this year. He was the first person I told I was moving here and he was a large part of the reason why. Pretty much everything I have achieved here is thanks to him. His passing has left comedians all over the country devastated. This show will be an annual event to celebrate his life, his work and his influence.
I am also currently writing my 2017 solo stand up tour which I will take all across Canada, from West to East. I am workshopping it constantly and doing small gigs to test material and try out bits. The Saint John Theatre Company is my second home for that. I love that space so much. The new tour will be more political than my last two shows I’ve done since moving to Canada. I will be discussing Brexit, Canadian politics, gay right, feminism, bullying, my wayward childhood and more. So it will be edgier than the stuff I made my name with here but still positive, upbeat and joyful. So I always like to have about six big projects on the go at any given time and take as many stand up gigs as I possibly can (which still unfortunately means having to turn down about 80 per cent of what I get offered) but my main priority is always spending quality time with my wife and kids and making use of all the incredible, beautiful things we have to enjoy and cherish here in New Brunswick.
If you want to check out some of Mullinger’s new material ahead of his 2017 solo tour, you can tonight at the Saint John Theatre Company. Tickets are almost sold out, but hey, you can try!