A Different Man: Adam Pearson Explores Self-Image, Beauty, and Authenticity
In A Different Man, Adam Pearson takes on a role that aligns closely with his lifelong advocacy for disability rights and authenticity. The film, produced by A24, delves into profound questions about identity, beauty, and society’s perception of difference. Pearson’s portrayal of Oswald challenges audiences to confront their subconscious biases, offering a raw exploration of what lies beneath the surface.
Speaking about his role, Pearson emphasises that A Different Man holds up a mirror to viewers, encouraging them to question how and why societal beauty standards shape our beliefs. Alongside co-star Sebastian Stan, Pearson delivers a compelling performance that blends dark humor with unsettling honesty, bringing a unique voice to the ongoing conversation about inclusivity and self-acceptance. Are we ready to see beyond appearances and truly understand each other?
Photography @David Reiss
SD – You’ve been a passionate advocate for disability rights for years. How do you feel? Your role in A Different Man aligns with or expands upon the conversations you’ve been driving in your activism.
AP – So, A Different Man asks a lot of the same questions I’ve been asking for years; is who we are on the outside, who we are on the inside? Is the grass greener on the other side? And it highlights the assets of disabled actors playing disabled roles. What is and isn’t exploitation, inclusivity and all these questions that have come to a head in the film, but it’s done in such a way that rather than preaching to an audience and telling them what to think – we hold up mirrors and sort of try to challenge how they think and the thoughts that we have subconsciously or not, which we are precondition to think. Why do they exist? And that’s what this movie is setting out to do, and it’s how it aligns with activism. It’s always asking why.
SD – Thank you. In A Different Man, your character’s journey touches on things of self-image obsession. What was it like for you to explore those things? As someone who has been open about societies’ perception of beauty and difference.
AP – It’s always fun when you can like rock up to work and play a character that’s a little bit like you but with the volume turned up but in a role that sort of has almost a deeper meaning. And I was very fortunate we had a really good writer and director in Aaron Schimberg and I’m getting to bounce off a fantastic actor and great bloke in Sebastian Stan, so, that interplay and those two character dynamics colliding on screen, is where a lot of the heavy lifting happens. But to me certainly working on something that resonates in my core beliefs anyway was good fun. I’m incredibly happy with it. It asked a lot of smart questions. Let’s the audience, as I say, find their own answers. So, I’m extremely fortunate to have gotten to play Oswald.
SD – Fantastic. Thank you. I really look forward to seeing the movie too. Your Co-star, Sebastian Stan is known for his powerful performances. How did the dynamic between the two of you develop? On set, how did it shape this film? Intense exploration, exploration of identity?
AP – So, we had already met, we had a very long zoom meeting before I got to New York to discuss both our lives, upbringing, characters, and how all this might work. And then you get to set, you meet in person, and we quickly found a good kind of chemistry and dynamic and we got on. It’s always nice when people are nice, right?
He’s a good bloke. He’s, as you say, a fantastic actor. And when you work with good actors, it makes you better as well. I always say to up and coming actors find people who do what you want to do well and just get in their way but have a little bit of humility. Just sit under the learning tree for a while and sort of learn the osmosis. And again, Sebastia’s on top of his game. Renate Reinsve, top of her game. And so, they sort of bought me up that like next level where you must raise your game to hold your own and not get lost in a film. So great guy. Love him to bits; a really good dynamic. And I think you can tell in the way that Edward and Oswald all bounce off each other, that it’s just a beautifully written and well thought through character study and character dynamic.
Photography @David Reiss
SD – Thank you very much. The film is described as both surreal. And unsettling. With the dark humour woven throughout, how do you balance the gravity of the themes with the satirical elements of your performance?
AP – The great balancing act. I think a lot of people tend to agonise over humour and more serious notes and that kind of almost paralyses the whole project, and no one really does anything. And so, I think they tend to find themselves when the script’s good.
Tone and balance just somehow magically work themselves out, as we had a really good script. And you need to give audiences permission to feel awkward and uncomfortable, but then also permission to laugh and have that little bit of brevity so they can kind of decompress the rest few seconds before you drag them back into those moments of awkwardness. And there are some moments in the film that are kind of deliberately visceral, confrontational, discomforting, but those aren’t necessarily bad things. I think it’s okay to feel uncomfortable with something, and so you push through that discomfort, to get to the other side.
I’m made uncomfortable by boy bands. That doesn’t mean that boy bands are inherently bad! But sometimes when we’re confronted by our own kind of Un comfortability, we don’t ask ‘Okay, but why? Where is this coming from? And is this thing the problem or am I the problem?’. And then you can do some sort of like heavy lifting in your soul at one point or another. A little bit of discomfort and confrontation can be an extremely healthy thing.
Photography @David Reiss
SD – You’ve been both. You’ve been in both documentaries and narrative film formats. How does your approach to acting differ when you are playing a character? In a fictional setting like A Different Man versus when you’re presenting as yourself in documentaries.
AP – So, both are forms of storytelling. There’s a lot more crossover between documentary and films than people tend to realise. Documentaries are way more exposing than film because you don’t have that kind of shield or façade persona to lean into or hide behind. It’s as real as real can be. And so, you must bring all of yourself to work. Whereas acting, you’ve got something like scripts, wardrobe and character to play with it. You’ve got to figure out a lot more things in one go on the fly. But it all stays on set, you don’t take that work home with you. Oswald very much stays in the trailer or on location. And then Adam Pearson goes home to his family. While documentary you, that person brings everything home. You live that and there’s no downtime. On film you hear cut and that’s a wrap for today and then everything kind of goes back to normal. So, you have that, little bit more separation at the end of the day on film – but documentaries, it’s all you and it all stays with you.
SD – Thank you. As an actor, what was the most challenging part of portraying a character whose life undergoes such a dramatic transformation? How did you prepare mentally and emotionally for this role?
AP – Preparation you read the script, and you sort of learn your lines. And then I’m a big fan of just getting to work, being a nice guy and doing the job; be nice to everyone. Do your job and do it well. We were on a really tight schedule. We shot the whole film in 22 days. We were also shooting on tape on Super 16 as well, so you can hear the money burning through the camera. So, every mistake sort of has a little bit more weight to it, which means everyone must be on their A game. We even had 10-minute scenes that are all done in one continuous shot that you’ve got to nail first time every time. So, I think the prep is learning the words. Learning your character, everyone else’s characters, and how they interplay. And then when they yell action, when the rubber hits the road and the chips are down, you got to just turn it on. You’re just like rock up and like nail it. Going to everything like it’s the first time and the last time.
SD – Wow it isn’t that a lot more pressure to make sure that it’s hit the first-time round?
AP – I like pressure. I think pressure makes us better cause, it’s what turns coal into diamonds. And if there’s no pressure, it can make people lazy and a little bit complacent. So yes, I quite like that good kind pressure and that good kind of fear. Where your mistakes matter. Because it makes you think things through in a way more succinct deep way than you would if you were shooting on digital or if you’re all working on a smaller project. So, pressure is ultimately good because it makes you better.
Photography @David Reiss
SD – Fantastic. Thank you. Aaron Schimberg, the director of A Different Man is known for his bold and conventional storytelling. How did his vision influence your performance and what was your collaboration like on set?
AP – So, if it’s in the film, it’s in the script. There wasn’t much freestyling. I saw the script was very beautifully written and very deliberate. I was thrilled when he asked me if I’d worked with him again, because we did his previous film Chained to Life.
I think it’s important that you let writers and directors go away, write and direct. Otherwise, you wind up with, like, too many cooks spoiling the broth and death by studio or death by a thousand stupid opinions. So, I was like, I’m going to let you do your thing then I’ll read it and give you, my notes. I read it, realised what we’re doing and was like ‘Yes, we ‘so do doing this, put me in’. I think my only notes was I had to learn to yodel, but you know you can go away and do that, can’t you?
SD – OH. Fantastic. Thank you so much, Adam. Insecurity and societies, standards of beauty are the core of A Different Man. How does the film challenge traditional notions of beauty and how do you hope audiences will engage with its commentary?
AP – So again, it comes back to asking the question about who we are on the outside and who we are on the inside. There’s this old Jim Carrey quote where he says, ‘I wish everyone can achieve all their hopes and dreams so that they realise it’s not enough’. And that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. And I think particularly now in 2024, we all have our own little low self-esteem machines in our pocket for doom scrolling through like an ex or what have you, comparing yourself to other people’s greatest hits. All behind the scenes, the pressure to be perfect has never been higher. And I think we’ve done the word ‘beauty’ a massive disservice by quantifying it. We shouldn’t be saying this is or this isn’t beautiful because ultimately, it’s in the eye of the beholder, right? And so, I think we all need to maybe put our phones away a bit more, and maybe we all need to get over ourselves a little bit and realise that we’re not the centre of the universe in a very positive ‘letting go’ kind of way.
SD – You’ve been a prominent voice in reshaping the way disability is portrayed in the media. How do you see the film industry evolving in terms of representing diverse and authentic voices, and where would you like to see more? Change.
AP – I don’t think there’s one area you can pull out in isolation and say that this is the problem. We should be having disabled voices in the writing rooms, telling these stories, I think you should write what you know and know what you write. And if you don’t, it comes across really badly on screen. There’s a litany of disabled films written by non-disabled people and more often than not they aren’t great. We’re getting films now like Snow White where, rather than hiring little actors, they’re CGIing it all and it’s just really counterintuitive to what we would regard as inclusion in 2024.
And we also need just more incidental roles for disabled actors, whereas their disability isn’t their defining characteristic or sole plot focus within the storytelling. I think slowly but surely, we’re getting there. I mean, not quick enough for my liking. But I mean any change is slow and as long as we’re all making baby steps in the right direction, I’m easy going enough. But we can be and should be doing better in representing not only disabled actors in the industry, but also disabled people on screen. One of the biggest compliments we can get was at A Different Man New York screening. We had several people from various charities at the advanced screening. And then afterwards they just all came up to me and Sebastian and said thank you, that’s the first time I’ve seen myself represented properly in a film, I feel seen, and I feel heard for the first time in my adult life, and for me, that’s the biggest compliment we can get with this film.
Photography @David Reiss
SD – Thank you. This is now the last question. A Different Man is said to be distributed by A24. A studio known for taking risks. On unconventional films, what do you hope viewers will take away from this movie and how do you feel it stands out in today’s cinematic landscape?
AP – OH, as you say, A24 are really good at risk taking and filling up really bold unique verging on like wacky films. And so, it will stand out. I’m not a big fan of telling audiences what to take away from things. I think if you take away something then we’re golden. Everyone I’ve spoken to has needed a few days to think it about to all and like do the heavy lifting in their head. As long as people are leaving different to how they walked in, it’s done its job. It holds up mirrors rather than placards. It’s really intelligent and it’s quite a lot. You’ll leave questioning yourself and the world you live in. And so, if you want to go and see a deep, dark, challenging yet beautiful film go and see A Different Man.
SD – Adam, it’s been a pleasure talking to you. Thank you so much. And I really look forward to watching A Different Man.
AP – You too. No problem at all. Thank you.
Photography – David Reiss
Grooming – Charlie Cullen
Styling – Sara-Rose Harrison
