Acclaimed actorJohnny Flynnpulls double duty inThe Score. The songs from his band,Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit, are used throughout the film. The heist musical follows two small-time crooks on a fateful day. They drive to a rural café for a meeting with an expected big payoff. Flynn plays a supporting role as the older, duplicitous Mike. His plan’s go awry when Troy (Will Poulter) falls in love with a feisty waitress (Naomie Ackie).
The Score, written and directed by Malachi Smyth, was a passion project for Flynn. He was presented the script by producer Ben Pullen with no knowledge of hismusic as the story’s backbone. Flynn was thrilled to see his songs used in a way he could never have imagined.
Johnny Flynn’s Music in a New Context
What was the impetus for a heist musical? Were your songs always a part of the script?
Johnny Flynn: I knew one of the producers of the movie, Ben Pullen, for a long time. I’d composed music for some of his short films. I’d met Malachi [Smyth] several years ago. I did a reading for him. Years later, I was catching up with Ben. He’d always stop me and say, “One day we should make a musical together.” I was like, yeah sure, when that happens (laughs). We went for coffee. At the end of the meeting, he just handed me this script. I knew nothing about it. I was totally surprised, on page one, the characters were singing a song of mine. I loved the idea of hearing my songs in a context I couldn’t possibly have imagined.
Johnny Flynn: I’d harbored a dream of one day using my songs for a musical. Well, somebody’s done it for me. I just enjoyed that aspect of seeing my songs in a totally fresh environment. Malachi was very cool on me being a collaborator. He let me feed back into the script. Originally, they wanted me to play the part that Will Poulter plays. I wanted to be the nasty guy (laughs). I also thought it would be weird if I was the lead in a film using my music. It was more interesting for me to see another actor playing the main role and singing more of the songs.
Working with Will Poulter & Naomie Ackie During Lockdown
The Scorewas filmed in England during the height of the coronavirus lockdown in 2020. The cast had to rehearse, record the music, and then eventually film under strict COVID-19 protocols. Flynn developed strong bonds with his cast mates during the process. He talks warmly of guiding his fellow actors. Who had never sung professionally or been a part of a musical.
Will Poulter was a huge fan of your work. Talk about meeting the other cast members and rehearsing the music?
Johnny Flynn: It was amazing. Those two, it was really beautiful. I’d seen them both in tons of stuff. I was a fan of their acting work. It was so exciting to have actors of that caliber be in a movie I was so invested in. Will is such a generous, beautiful collaborator, and the same with Naomie. We had to get into the studio. Up until this point I had no idea if they were really able to do it. It was so good. We all had such fun in the studio sessions. They nailed. Neither of them had done that before. That was thrilling. It was really cool pulling something off when you don’t know if it’ll work. They were amazing on set, wonderful friends to work with. We laughed a lot. It was a small cast with good people, mostly in one location.
Related:Exclusive: Will Poulter Sings in The Score
Johnny Flynn: It was September 2020 when we finally got to making it. We got postponed for the first period of lockdown in March 2020. Just that we go to the point of making it was exciting. It was the first thing that I had done in the covid times. It was a lot of new culture on set, testing, and mask-wearing, and not mixing with people in different groups. Normally, sets are a hive. You make friends with th lighting department. You make friends with the make-up people. Everyone is cross-pollinating. Sadly, lots of experiences now are you have to stay there, the camera team over there, you’re in these tight bands. Hopefully that will change.
Extrapolate further onthe musical aspects. Your cast mates haven’t sung before. How much guidance did you give?
Johnny Flynn: I tried to stay calm, to show them it’s okay, we can do this. Inside I was freaking out. We laughed our way through it. There were times I couldn’t get through a scene from giggling too much. It was a very relaxed atmosphere. I wanted everyone to feel safe, happy, and that their voices were trusted in the conversation.
Johnny Flynn: I work with my band a lot. I’m the leader in the recording sessions. I also work with actors in theater when I’m the composer for a show. Or even if I’m not in the show and just working with the actors. I have had experience doing that. It’s something that I’ve had to learn on the job over the years. Teaching is not a part of the job description, but you do it and show people how to engage with the piece you’ve written. I love that. I love working with people. I love mentoring young musicians who are writing their own songs. I loved using it in this context with two beautiful, talented, generous human beings.
The Best & Worst Days Filming The Score
Flynn had nothing but positive experiences on set. There was a lot of laughter, much to the chagrin of the director and producer, who had limited time to complete the shoot.The Scorewas shut down in March 2020 and resumed filming in September.
What were the best and worst daysworking onThe Score?
Johnny Flynn: Honestly, every day felt great. A couple of nice memories stand out. The last day of filming, we were in the car, and really were running out of time to get the scene done. Will and I were supposed to be arguing. It’s the scene where we come away from the gas station. I’m questioning why he beat those people up. I still had the phone that I’d ripped out of the store. So I improvised, “Hello, they’ve got your brain! They want it back.” Then throw the phone at him. Every time I did it, Will found it too funny. We just couldn’t do it. We couldn’t get through it. In the blooper reel there’s a hundred takes. Malachi and Ben were getting really upset. We had to wrap that night. We just scraped through with one usable take. That stands out as a funny memory.
Johnny Flynn: The day with the piano player, that’s my son’s piano teacher (laughs). A few weeks before we started, I was talking to Malachi, like a reference to Casablanca, a character walks in like Sam. I know the guy, he’s just amazing! He always wears a trilby hat and three-piece suit. I called up Louis, you want to be in a movie? When Will and Naomie were doing the last scene in the car. I was watching from the monitor. It was a night shoot, doing the last number. I found that so moving and so powerful. Watching it happen, I had tingles.
Johnny Flynn: The worst day might have been day one of original shoot in March. On the first day of shooting, everyone turned up to work, and we got shut down. I was calling the night before. Some kid in my son’s class has covid. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t go in, so they couldn’t work. It was all such a scary, unknown thing. When we all got back together in September, we’re excited and happy to be there.
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The Diversity of Experience
Flynn has had tremendous success across multiple genres. He embraces the challenges of doing different mediums. Flynn fondly recalls working onThe Outfitwith Mark Rylance and Beast with Jessie Buckley as his favorite film experiences. He establishes a close family group with every new project.
You’ve had quite a varied career in theater, film, and music. Which is your favorite setting and why?
Johnny Flynn: I like them all. I think it’s really fun going from one thing to another thing, the diversity of experience. I’m so lucky I get to do an array of different styles. I love doing comedy as well. The thrill of this job is that no one gig is like the other. I loved doingThe Outfit. That was one of my favorite movie experiences ever. That was another film shot during the lockdown. It was a bit likeThe Scorewhere you had one location. It was a small cast. We shot chronologically, almost like doing a play. That was a thrill. The actors are some of my heroes. Mark [Rylance], Zoey [Deutch], and Dillon O’Brien, such great actors. I also had such a great time doing Beast with Jessie Buckley. Michael Pearce, the director, is so fantastic. That whole crew became a tight family. For me, it’s about making a new family and relationships.
The Scoreis a production of Sentinel Entertainment, Stigma Films, and Trigger Films. It’s currently in limited theatrical release with a VOD debut on June 10th from Gravitas Ventures.
