2012, lace up for Morgan Krantz. He's not only a fireball up and coming filmmaker, he's also a former American Apparel model (yes), and break-out actor (double yes to that). Next up, you can catch Krantz starring as a revamped Superman alongside Mandy Moore and Elijah Wood in the beyond zany The Death and Return of Superman. And later this year, catch the magnetic young star in Girls, the super buzzworthy new TV series.
The crazy funny and massively creative Krantz took a time out to talk about working with Mandy Moore, his aversion to v-necks and the new "web-only" project he's launching that will 100% make your mind explode – in a fun way.
MM: Your first role was in The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen: The Case of the Mystery Cruise...Interesting. Very interesting.
Morgan Krantz: My stepfather at the time was the director, so of course my family was on the cruise, and they needed someone, so I did it. I think my stepfather gave me $50 cash out of pocket [laughs]. I had no interest in being an actor at that point, I was interested in earning $50 bucks.
It was only in the last couple of years that I took an acting class to gain a better perspective as a filmmaker. That’s when I started liking acting.
MM: Your mother is a working actress. Did she give you acting lessons?
MK: I don’t know if we’ve ever had an “actor to actor” talk. Growing up, I was always her reader to help her prepare and she always said I was “very good” [laughs]. My mom is very supportive but we don’t necessarily geek out about acting.
MM: In The Death and Return of Superman , you play Superman and star alongside Mandy Moore and Elijah Wood. Hello, awesome?
MK: It was definitely fun. I don't think I was going classic Superman as much as updated Max Landis Superman.
I met Max, the director and writer, through a mutual friend. There’s nobody else like Max. On the set, I met Mandy Moore and asked her how she met Max. She said she was at a party and Max ran up to her and asked her to do the part. Then I met a guy on set and asked him how he knew Max. He works at the Griddle and said that Max came in and said he should do the part [laughs].
MM: Now's the time to reveal any of your own secret Superman powers...
MK: It's a secret, next question! [laughs]
MM: You're in the super hot new TV series, Girls. What's your character like?
MK: I’m basically one of the dudes that falls victim’s to Jemima Kirke’s character’s seduction. She picks me up at a bar and there’s some pretty funny and shocking twists that occur. That’s all I can say.
MM: How are your girl skills in real life?
MK: Back before I had a girlfriend, I definitely didn’t have a girlfriend. Know what I’m saying? [laughs] Having a girlfriend is great.
MM: You recently starred in a beautiful/heartfelt/funny short aka The Cyclist. How did you get involved in the project?
MK: It was written by my girlfriend, Jessica Garrison. Bruce Livingstone and Tyler Stalman came along and got the rights and adapted it. My girlfriend really wanted me to play the part – so she set me up with the director. What’s interesting is that the short story is very different from the short.
MM: What's up with your upcoming genius feature 0s and 1s?
MK: It's coming out on Netflix soon. In the movie, my character’s laptop is stolen and it’s a whole odyssey to get it back.
MM: You're a former American Apparel model. So the obvious question is...Do you still rock deep v-necks and leggings?
MK: I’m not a v-neck person at all. When I work sometimes they put me in a v-neck and I don’t like it. I’m very much a crewcut person. I have complete lack of chest hair [laughs].
MM: Besides crewcuts, what are you most excited for in 2012?
MK: I’m doing a series of short films. Guess you could say“webisodes.” I have a grimace on my face as I say that [laughs]. I don’t have anything against webisodes, but my partner and I prefer to call them “web only” [laughs]. It’s called "Neurotica"...And it's like "Seinfeld" on salvia. It’s about this neurotic guy that gets confronted by some taboo thing. He's in a 30 second nightmare and does this rapid fire inner mind monologue that’s animated. At the end of the monologue, he comes out with a response and it’s invariably the worst thing you can say or do [laughs]. My partner and I are making it as crazy and jam-packed as possible. The first one comes out in March.
I’m also getting ready to do "Ray Ray." It’s a comedy feature I'm going to direct, and I also wrote it. It’s about a debaucherous young guy who after cleaning up his act while abroad, returns home to discover that his sister has essentially grown up to become who he used to be. And in the process trying to undo his past, he only manages to get completely entangled in it again and makes everything a whole lot worse.
MM: In your less than zero percent free time, what do you like to do for fun in LA?
MK: Recreationally, I frequent movies, I like bicycle riding…astrology. Just kidding. I hate psychics. There’s this astrology site that does monthly readings. One time, it was spot on. And since that, I’ve had this hateful relationship with this site. I’ve got to restrain myself not to check the thing [laughs]. Otherwise I wonder "Am I fulfilling her prophecy?" I’ve actually written her a letter telling her to stop. Actually, maybe I drafted it and didn’t send it [laughs].
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