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Alison Brie and Jeff Baena, the writers of “Spin Me Round,” choose their ultimate romantic thriller squad. Then they gave us the title and logline for their ideal film.
A lot has changed for Alison Brie since being cast as Trudy Campbell on Mad Men in 2007. Over the years, the California-born actress has proved that she can’t be pigeonholed, from becoming an integral part of the ensemble on Community to embodying supporting characters in films like Scream 4 and The Five-Year Engagement. In 2016, she accepted a bit part in Joshy, a comedic drama from writer/director Jeff Baena. That project was transformative for Brie, who has since collaborated with Baena on 2017’s The Little Hours, 2020’s Horse Girl and now on Spin Me Round. The latter two have marked Brie’s debut as co-writer, an aspect of her career that has become more and more important in recent years.
Spin Me Round, out now, stars Brie as Amber, the manager of an Italian chain restaurant who earns an all-expenses trip to a company’s headquarters in Italy. What begins as a whimsical rom-com, seemingly about an ordinary woman having extraordinary experiences in a foreign country, quickly becomes something else. After Amber is whisked off on a yacht by the chain’s handsome owner, she uncover mysterious circumstances that she fears might be kidnapping, or worse. The movie slips between genres effortlessly, veering from bubbly rom-com to terrifying thriller. Brie stars alongside Alessandro Nivola, Molly Shannon, Tim Heidecker, Debby Ryan and Aubrey Plaza (who is also Baena’s wife). Much of the cast had previously acted together on the director’s previous work, making the 22-day shoot in Italy feel like a reunion.
Observer spoke with Brie about collaborating with Baena, why she wants to write her own roles and what’s next for her career.
Longtime actor and Los Angeles native Alison Brie had to learn a lot about the restaurant industry for her new film Spin Me Round — well, sort of. The rom-com turned dramedy, set in the Tuscan hillsides, follows Brie as an employee at a lowly chain Italian restaurant named Tuscan Grove who earns the opportunity to head to Italy on a work trip meant to more deeply immerse her in the culture of the restaurant and the flavors of the region. The whole thing has deep Olive Garden Culinary Institute vibes, but with more danger, more jokes, and a bungled love triangle.
“I think the restaurant industry is too crazy,” says Brie when asked about whether or not she’d ever consider owning her own place some day, as many other celebrities have done. “Silent investor? Maybe. I just think that I derive so much joy from food and from being at restaurants, that I’d hate to make it my job.”
Eater spoke with Brie on the eve of her new film’s debut (watch the trailer below), touching on her favorite Italian restaurants in LA, restaurant jobs she’s had, and where the South Pasadena local used to eat as a teenager.
Alison Brie attended the premiere of her new movie Spin Me Round in Los Angeles earlier this week! I have added 395 HQ photos of Alison Brie from the red carpet and after party to our photo gallery. Check them out by clicking on the preview links!
- Alison Brie Source > Public Appearances > From 2022 > Los Angeles Special Screening Of “Spin Me Round”
- Alison Brie Source > Public Appearances > From 2022 > Los Angeles Special Screening Of “Spin Me Round” – After Party
This summer, Alison Brie stars in Spin Me Round, a twisted, alfredo sauce-soaked rom-com she co-wrote with her friend and frequent collaborator, Jeff Baena. The film follows Brie as Amber, a manager at a fictional restaurant chain who flies out to Italy for a corporate retreat that goes disastrously, hilariously wrong. For their Eat, Pray, Love meets Taken send up, Brie and Baena tapped cast members from their nunsploitation flick The Little Hours, including Molly Shannon, who recently called up her co-star for a steamy chat about saunas, sad songs, and her real-life romance with husband Dave Franco.
ALISON BRIE: Hi Molly!
MOLLY SHANNON: You look so pretty!
BRIE: Thank you, so do you!
SHANNON: God, and your house looks so gorgeous too. So let me start by asking you—because I think of you as a very disciplined actress, very prepared—did you have breakfast today?
BRIE: [Laughs] I did. I have a little bit of applesauce before I work out. I literally had one of those pouches for babies. I squeezed it into my mouth, then I did a little workout. Did you have breakfast this morning?
SHANNON: I did. Well, I just went swimming before our interview.
BRIE: You love to swim.
SHANNON: I love to swim, and I listen to books on tape. I have waterproof headphones, so I read and swim.
BRIE: That’s cool.
SHANNON: But going to the movie, it was so fun shooting with you in Italy.
BRIE: It’s funny how different our trip was from the characters’ trips. It’s like we were all having the trip that the characters want to be having. And eating delicious food all the time.
SHANNON: It was so special. But what I want to ask you is, so you’ve collaborated now with Jeff Baena on so many movies now. Horse Girl, Spin Me Round, The Little Hours, and now writing, for the second time, a full screenplay. What is the difference between writing and acting for you?
Alison Brie is scheduled to appear on “The Late Late Show with James Corden” on Monday, August 22, 2022! Make sure you tune in on CBS to check out her interview.
From director Jeff Baena (The Little Hours, Joshy), the darkly twisted comedy Spin Me Round follows Amber (Alison Brie, who co-wrote the script with Baena), as she decides to go all-in on an all-expenses-paid trip to Florence, Italy for select managers of an American fast-casual restaurant chain to deepen their knowledge of the culinary arts and each other. While she thinks she’s going to be living the dream at a scenic villa surrounded by glamour and romance, Amber finds that the brochure was a less than accurate representation of an adventure that leads to an unexpected love triangle and a sense of danger that could play out in any number of ways.
During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, Brie talked about how her collaborative relationship with Baena originally started, her trust in him as a filmmaker, writing a full script for this project instead of just an outline, the story’s mix of tones, and the Amber/Kat (Aubrey Plaza) relationship dynamic. She also talked about her love for working on television, which show she’d love to be a guest on, and whether she’s considering directing a feature film.