EntertainmentMoviesFantasy MoviesBeetlejuice BeetlejuiceBeetlejuice Beetlejuice star explains how his mom’s ex-boyfriends inspired his new “cringey” character: “He’s sort of a shake bag of people I know"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
EntertainmentMoviesFantasy MoviesBeetlejuice BeetlejuiceBeetlejuice Beetlejuice star explains how his mom’s ex-boyfriends inspired his new “cringey” character: “He’s sort of a shake bag of people I know"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)
Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, and Michael Keaton are back inBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, 36 years after Tim Burton’s beloved original was released. With so much time having passed, there’s a bunch of new people in Lydia and Delia’s life, including the former’s daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) and her producer-turned-partner Rory.
In a new interview withGamesRadar+andInside Total Film, Justin Theroux, who plays Rory, explained how he combatted his initial on-set nerves and revealed the unlikely inspiration behind the character, too, citing his mother’s exes as influences.
“He’s sort of a shake bag of people I know, some people that we’ve all met. It’s so fun to play someone who is so codependent. I would often think about my mom, who was a single mom, so occasionally she would bring back a boyfriend that would be a little bit too, like, familiar in the house, you know?” he laughs.
“That kind of thing is just cringey. So I was really trying to capture a little bit of that, and then stuff that just made me and Tim laugh, like the stupid ponytail and the bad haircut; how he’s so quick to tears and too emotional. All those little elements just made us giggle.”
When we first meet Rory in the film, he’s coaxing Lydia from the sidelines as she hosts a new episode of her paranormal reality show. Think Most Haunted and Ghost Hunters… After seeing an apparition of Beetlejuice in the audience, Lydia freaks out and pops a pill in the studio bathroom that, we can only assume from Rory’s reaction, blocks her clairvoyant capabilities.
(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
Giving his gothy girlfriend a pep talk, Rory chucks the pills away, but soon finds himself frantically fishing through the trash, sweaty fringe falling in his face, when he realizes how flustered Lydia is.
Did Theroux find joining the Tim Burton-directed sequel a similarly flap-worthy experience? “I didn’t really even think about the outside noise, because the script was really good; the sets were really good, the costumes were really good, and Tim isreally fuckinggood at what he does,” he tells us. “In a weird way, 95% of the work is done for you, and then all you have to do is remember your lines and try to make them funny and play them with intention.
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“I got less nervous the more I was on set, because I felt like I was in such good hands. We were really giggling a lot. Sometimes when you go to work, you’re like, ‘Long day ahead. We’ve gotta shoot a lot of stuff.’ This was the opposite, where you were giddy to get to set, and then at the end of the day you were like, ‘Oh man, I’ve gotta go back to my hotel and wait until tomorrow.'”
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice releases on September 6. In the meantime, check out our guide to the most excitingupcoming moviesheading our way.
Listen out for more of our chat with Theroux on the upcoming episode of the Inside Total Film podcast, which is available onApple,Audioboom,Spotify, and more.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”