Just think “His Girl Friday” or “Bringing Up Baby.”
Together, Hale and Stowell have sizzling chemistry that is sure to delight viewers.
Their rivalry soon turns from incessant bickering to tactile flirting, making for an unforgettable comedy.
What drew you to the movie?
I got the script when I was on vacation last year with my family.
And Lucy [Hale] was already attached.
And I just fell in love with Josh right from the beginning.
This misunderstood character, this deep character in the middle of a romantic comedy.
He’s somebody who has put up a lot of walls because he’s been hurt and heartbroken.
And a work environment is not usually a place where we like to rock the boat too much.
And he’s doing a terrible job of it.
And instead of admitting how he feels, it’s all these games.
And this is their biggest problem, is that they’re not telling each other how they feel.
They’re not telling each other the truth really until the end of the movie.
It really reminded me of old school rom-coms with Cary Grant, the bickering back and forth.
We were certainly trying to capture a bit of that banter.
Lucy and I kind of have that in real life.
Not that we’re fighting, but certainly we can keep up with one another.
And it’s why we’re friends.
Austin Stowell is a rom-com fan
Are you a fan of romantic comedies?
And do you have a favorite?
My favorite’s “When Harry Met Sally.”
It’s classic to me.
And Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan just are …
I love the story where you know the end of it.
I just watched “The Rescue,” the documentary.
The Thai soccer team that got stuck down in the cave.
I know the news.
I know that they all got out.
And there I am on the edge of my seat the entire time because of good storytelling.
How they figure it out, because we all want that in life.
We all want love.
We all want somebody in our life.
And so to get the satisfaction of the journey together and that struggle to venture to figure it out.
And especially when it’s somebody you work with.
And especially when it’s somebody that’s so different from you.
You find yourself falling in love with someone that you didn’t imagine.
You couldn’t imagine, and you fight yourself on it.
Much less tropical, little more snow.
Whereas on “Fantasy Island,” we got separated.
Especially when we’re out of the office, it’s just the two of us.
I found that to be really gratifying as an actor and as a friend to Lucy.
“The Hating Game” is available in theaters and on demand on December 10, 2021.
