John Krasinski, Emily Blunt and Millicent Simmonds on ‘A Quiet Place II’

Los Angeles — We've always known John Krasinski as a comedian in “The Office.” But when he directed the horror film “A Quiet Place” starring his wife Emily Blunt, we started to see him as an aspiring director with the talents to make it as a respected filmmaker.

After the success of his debut film, John presented his sequel to the 2018 hit film. “A Quiet Place Part II,” which had its world premiere in New York City on March 8, 2020, is finally going to be released this year after over a year of postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The film, which now highlights Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe as they reprise their roles from the first film, received critical acclaim from critics which heralded it as a worthy sequel.

We interviewed John, Emily and Millicent and below are excerpts of our conversations with them:

John Krasinski

Courtesy of Janet Susan R. Nepales/HFPA

How has “A Quiet Place” changed your life?

It’s changed my life, in the biggest way for me, which is creative freedom, the idea of doing the most personal thing I’ve ever done in my career, the most personal story I’ve ever told.

Getting to do that increases this level of confidence and this sort of insatiable new need to try it again and keep doing bigger and more different things. I never would have the confidence to try to do a sequel or try to do any other type of thing if it wasn’t for this first movie. 

I was so creatively satiated in a way I never expected to be. I was so genuinely happy, Emily and I were so emotionally blown away by the response from the first movie, and that’s not a line. People who saw it at South by Southwest the first time were shaken. I mean that response was — we expected a couple of our friends to give us a high five. I didn’t know that we had so many friends.  (Laughter)

To me, that’s what’s changed the most, I think. I have been the luckiest person in this business because of “The Office,” and then this was a whole new level of lucky for me that I got to do something exactly how I wanted to and tell a story for my family, for me, get something inside out, and it was everything I could have ever hoped for. 

As far as how it’s changed me in public, probably not so much, people don’t yell out, what’s up bearded dad from “Quiet Place!” (laughter) It’s usually still Jim or Jack Ryan for now.  But that’s a mouthful, the bearded guy from “A Quiet Place.”

From acting to directing and writing, what were the most precious tools that you used to educate yourself in that?

To be really honest with you, I went to the greatest film school in the world, which is the set of “The Office.” I was a waiter before I got that job. 

When I got onto “The Office,” I had no clue what I was doing or what anyone else did in this business and got the greatest crash course in all things this business. 

From the moment we started shooting the Pilot, in between takes, 14 writers would pop out of the closet that we never explained what the door was in “The Office,” that’s because it was the writer’s room and they would pop out immediately with all this enthusiasm and say, 'try this, do that, try this.' 

On one of my breaks, I would go up to the writer’s room and see how an idea is formed and every idea is a perfect idea until it wasn’t. Then I would go down to the editing room and those guys would show me not only how to use an Avid and things like that but why certain cuts mean certain things.  And “The Office” was the first group of people who even made me think of being a director. 

They asked if I wanted to direct an episode long before I was prepared to do something like that. And so, I was then given the most trial by cotton balls version of directing that you could have, it was the gentlest, amazing, warm environment to start directing. 

And yeah, I got bit by the bug there, but I learned all those tools from “The Office.” And it really is project first right? Movie first, television show first, nothing else matters, nothing. 

So you have got to be prepared to kill your favorite scene, you have got to be prepared to tell your favorite actress/wife to do it again even though she doesn’t want it, like you have got to do everything that it takes to make a good show, and I learned all that on “The Office.”

I also asked this question to Emily and we were talking with the producer and he said that you are the kind of man who doesn’t take “No” for an answer.

Oh boy.  What did Emily say about that?

She said you are passionate about it and you really set your mind to doing it. Like a lot of people told you that you cannot hire a deaf actress or we don’t have a script. So did these attitudes heighten when you became a filmmaker?

For sure, yeah absolutely. I think that there’s, it’s funny I look at a lot of my heroes in directing and there is a consistent quality of being uncompromising. It’s just about how you are uncompromising. 

There are people like Rob Marshall, who are as uncompromising as I have ever seen as a director, and yet he’s the nicest person I’ve ever met.  So, I tried to achieve that because the other version is you are uncompromising and everyone knows you are uncompromising and they have another word for that and it’s not as nice. (laughter)

So I try to go the Rob Marshall route, I think someone like that, who is a true artist and I watched first-hand in his direction of both “Mary Poppins” and “Into the Woods” from the music to the acting to the performances to the production design and also in editing, he goes through every single take and he’s tireless.  And so, I wanted to do that. 

And so yes, the uncompromising thing definitely means that I don’t take no for an answer, but I hope that all my department heads and team members know that when I don’t take no for an answer it’s because the movie comes first.

It is that thing that I learned on “The Office,” that you can’t do anything great if you are willing to even let one of the scenes or one of the moments be mediocre.  You have to make them all amazing and fight for that because if you start fighting for mediocrity, you will let mediocrity in anytime.

Were you aware that silence was scary or could scare people?

Yeah. I remember silence, but to me silence is so scary because it allows your imagination to do all the work and that’s not where any of us want to be because your imagination is scarier than anything than you can see, I remember my mom saying that. 

The first movie I directed was “Brief Interviews with Hideous Men” this David Foster Wallace book and there was a very brutal scene in there that is recounted in the book. And I remember telling my mom about it and she was like well, 'you are not going to shoot it right? How are you going to shoot it?' 

I said I am thinking about it, and she said, 'you should just have the person talk about it because what’s in my head will always be scarier than anything you can do.' And I said you haven’t seen me as a director yet. (laughter) But that didn’t go well, and I ended up not shooting the scene for that reason. 

And so I think silence for the same reason, here I think people get very, very unnerved by silence, because they don’t know what’s coming, they don’t know what else to expect and I think it does turn on a part of your brain that is usually off, because there’s so much information flying around and when you don’t have the information, I think your brain gets a little scared.

Emily Blunt

Courtesy of Janet Susan R. Nepales/HFPA

You are fighting in this movie and you are fighting an enemy and you have to be silent. How do you compare the two and which is scarier?

It’s interesting because I think John does write in that metaphorical sense of —this is not a superficial horror film, the second one is certainly not that either. Really what the film is about is yes, you’ve got this enemy and this idea of being invaded by something that scares you and the fractured sense of community that happens, the shutting down that happens.

But ultimately, I think this film is fairly hopeful because it’s about people’s need for togetherness, people’s need for that fractured community to resolve itself.

How affected were you as an actress who was in this movie where being silent is important? Tell us the whole process of this movie.

It is very personal for me to play this part so certain scenes to do with the loss of a child or potential loss of a child or loss of a partner were quite painful at times to do. Those scenes certainly take it out of you because you do have to go somewhere else and it’s not a fun place.

I would say that this film would have more of an effect on me than others which were easier to shake off because they weren’t as piercing in such a personal sense. I think what John was good at with those scenes, he’d give us a lot of space but then you can see these huge action set pieces to do with the reveal of the creature or the horror and those were quite highly choreographed so those were not…they frighten the audience but to do them you can hear John and edit going…and creature…(Laughter)…looking at the creature simultaneously so it’s all very orchestrated and the reveal of the creature needs to be perfectly timed with the camera. So certain sequences were very rehearsed, like the car sequence in the beginning, they rehearsed that stunt for two weeks and I still was terrified when we shot it because it was so real. But it was sort of a mix of being really painful emotionally at times and then like some weird horror dance of certain set pieces.

Two females are driving this story. Can you talk a little bit as a modern woman where you are at now in your life? What do you like that you have accomplished in your life as a woman? And where do you think more work needs to be done?

I think it’s an exciting time for women because you can feel the tide’s turning and you can feel that women now have the space and the platform and it’s in the vernacular now that women can speak out and be heard and be productive and things are going to happen.

And so I think myself and my girlfriends, we talk about it a lot in that the time has shifted. There’s more work to be done always, I really respect Lulu Wang for what she said at the Independent Spirit Awards because she said it’s not that we need any encouragement to go into the film industry, there’s plenty of women who want to do it, you just need to give us a job. So that’s really what still needs to happen.

It’s not about encouraging — we all want to do it, we all want great parts, we all want to do exciting, challenging work, whether you want to act or direct, whatever you want to do. But it’s now just that the opportunities need to keep coming and keep coming.

You have demonstrated a wide range of emotional empathy and quality from “Devil Wears Prada” to “A Quiet Place II.” Are you now artistically in a great place where you can allow things to happen for yourself?

Thank you very much for all of that. I appreciate you saying that so much and I am feeling very fulfilled creatively and I continue now to be very selective about what I do because I do want to keep stretching the parameters of what I think hypothetically I might be able to do or not do.

I usually sign on to stuff that scares me a little bit and I’m unsure of how to approach it initially. And those projects are quite rare. They are quite rare because of what’s happening in the film industry, you know that a lot of these mid-budget movies, the 35 million dollars, they’re films I’ve built my entire career on, those are not happening anymore, it’s these big budget movies which can often, not all of them but a lot of them be quite derivative of number crunched or whatever else has worked at the box office or programmed to an opening weekend.

And you’ve got some fantastic little independent movies that are happening that people really cling to because the stories are so extraordinary. So I found myself for a long time wanting to get in to do a long form storytelling, find a limited series.

When things happen, we tend to isolate ourselves. Do you think we’ll learn something through this movie? Do you have hope for the world in general?

I do. I really do try to walk into most days with great hope and I think I’ve always tried to remain optimistic. I don’t like a doom and gloom outlook on anything. And ultimately as harrowing as what these characters experience in “A Quiet Place II” is, it is hopeful.

At the end, you are left with a feeling of empowerment or embolden-ment that this kid’s going to figure it out and she has and she was right. And you’re right to be brave. I think that’s what it’s about, you are correct to be courageous. And that’s Cillian’s moment that he has with her at the end.

Millicent Simmonds

Courtesy of Janet Susan R. Nepales/HFPA

How much exciting was it for you to be in the second one? What was different and what was new?

It was amazing and such an honor to be a part of the second one because you don’t often get that opportunity to do a sequel. 

And what’s different between the first and second one is “A Quiet Place II” really has a lot more action, I had to do a lot more stunt work, which of course was a lot of fun.

You also went out into the world on your own which was a new thing. Before, it was more family oriented. How exciting was that, that you actually had your very own scenes and your storyline?

Very exciting.  It was interesting to see where Regan would go, my character, but also a little sad, because I didn’t get to spend as much time with the rest of the cast.  But we did have a lot of fun going to new locations and that was definitely a bonus.

You have become a role model to a lot of teenagers. How do you feel?

It’s really kind of crazy, I have to say. Growing up I never thought about that, I never thought this would be possible. And especially with my parents helping me it’s become true.

But it’s really fun, it’s really an honor to become a role model, I’m still learning so much. I’m trying to be a better person, I’m trying to think about how I can educate the world about humanity and our deeds and I hope I’m a good role model for the teenagers to look up to, because it’s a big responsibility.

Being the face of ASL (American Sign Language), how can you promote more actors to get involved in the entertainment business?

Yes, I think that, my suggestions for young talent out there who are deaf, to be involved with the drama club, to take acting classes, to find and seek out those people who could help you, and also to let go of those people who don’t help you, who are obstacles.  And make sure that whatever you are doing makes you happy and if you find that, go for it.

Who are the women you look up to?

For sure my mother, she is definitely the principal one. She’s so courageous, she’s so independent, she’s the woman who has inspired me the most in my life and I just have so much respect for her. She’s raised five children and she has this amazing life. 

And it’s just crazy, she has so many goals she’s working on and she does it.  Her opinion is very important to me, what she thinks of me and we go through everything together. We are very close.  She’s such a big part of my world.

Among the actresses, I would definitely say Cate Blanchett is one of the inspirations for me.  And Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams, Emily Blunt of course, (laughs) so I think they’re all just amazing women and how they have gone through their careers.  And they are also so friendly and they bring their children on set and they go out of their way to have conversations with me and I just think that’s kind of amazing.

I also admire those women who are fighting for women’s rights.  Malala, I read her book and learned so much about her in school, she’s definitely an inspiration. I can’t believe how she had to fight so hard and her fight has helped everyone and I have so much respect for her and her journey.

What is the best advice you would give teenagers about bullying?

I feel like, speaking of Regan in “A Quiet Place II,” I think she’s the role model of what you need to remind yourself of.  She finds courage, she finds confidence, after the loss of her father, it affects her very deeply and it’s not only her but her family and she has to search deep to find hope for herself.  And I guess that would be my message to teens in general, find the confidence within yourself, be true to yourself and no matter what situation you find yourself in, it will be okay.

I read that you had some hesitation to use your own voice. What was the reason for that and do you see yourself using your voice more?

Well that’s a good question. As I said, I was in a deaf school, I went to speech therapy. And I never really had the confidence in myself to speak, to use my voice, because I can’t hear my voice. When you speak, you hear what you are saying. I don’t, so it’s hard for me to monitor my voice or make sure I am understood. And I mean I am comfortable with who I am now, I am not ashamed of my voice, I am not afraid to use it, but I still want to have people be able to understand me clearly. — LA, GMA News