Actors get to play all kinds of people, even those who are unlikable and annoying. In an interview with Slashfilm, The Menu star Nicholas Hoult talked about what he felt about his character, Tyler, when he read the script. To him, Tyler is “obnoxious” and “entitled,” but in a way, he found “very funny.”
The film follows Tyler and his lady, Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), as they go to a restaurant on an island. Things take a dark turn with this cult-like kitchen following their leader, Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes). The chef and the food enrapture Tyler to a dangerous point. For Nicholas Hoult, this was a part of the attraction of The Menu character.
“I found it very funny. He was obnoxious on the page and ridiculous and entitled and a lot of uncharming things, I suppose. I guess the fun of it was playing this character who was drinking the sauce too much.”
The Menu star Nicholas Hoult talks about his character, Tyler
Every actor has a preference for who they want to portray on screen. That could lead to heroic superpowered beings saving the day to a food snob too enamored with Chef Voldemort. For Nicholas Hoult, on his character in The Menu and his other roles in movies like Mad Max: Fury Road, is not sure if he prefers one or the other. To him, you “can’t judge the characters too strongly.” No matter who they are, what they are like, and what is going on in their head to lead to their distasteful decisions, “you have to go in with a kind of empathy.” Also, he finds it “fun” to “try and figure out what it is that’s caused them to be that way.
The Menu with Nicholas Hoult is out in theaters now. The horror comedy with a satirical look at people too deep in their art as a stacked cast. With the already mentioned actors, it also stars Hong Chau (The Whale), Janet McTeer (Ozark), John Leguizamo, and Aimee Carrero (Elena of Avalor). It was directed by Mark Mylod (Succession) with writers Seth Reiss (The Onion) and Will Tracy (Succession).