‘The Greatest Hits’ Stars Lucy Boynton and Justin H. Min Bonded by Singing ‘Shallow’ and Black Eyed Peas at Cast Karaoke Nights
Like many people, Lucy Boynton uses music to reminisce on special times in her life. So much so that she felt like she was holding up a mirror while playing her time-traveling character in “The Greatest Hits,” who discovers that certain songs can literally transport her back in time.
“It was a full spectrum of emotions that, as an actor, I think is so appealing to get to dive into,” Boynton told Variety at the premiere for the film, which debuted on Hulu on April 12, at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on Monday. “I love the way that the film handles grief and loss of self. It’s such a grounded take on that. Even if you take away the sci-fi element of this film, it still stands out as a psychological investigation of what music does to us.”
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Harriet is launched back through time while listening to specific tunes that trigger memories of her boyfriend Max (David Corenswet), who died in a car accident. But soon enough, her time traveling collides with a burgeoning new love interest (Justin H. Min), whom she meets at a grief group. Min said he was grieving the loss of a loved one when he read the script, which helped draw him to the project.
To help the cast bond, Ned Benson, the director, writer and producer on the film, held karaoke nights at his house. (Min tells Variety his song of choice was “Where Is the Love?” by Black Eyed Peas.)
“Let me be clear, [Benson] forced us. None of us did this voluntarily,” Min joked. “He locked the door. He didn’t allow us to leave until we sang. ‘Where Is the Love?’ has a little rap, it has a little melody and gives me a bit of everything to showcase my horrible karaoke abilities.”
Boynton, who opted for “Shallow” from Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born,” said despite their hectic and busy filming schedule, the cast and crew still wanted to be around each other on their few days off during the weekends.
Nelly Furtado, who appears briefly in the film, crafted the original song “Never Lost” with Ryan Lott. She told reporters that approaching a song for a film is very different than her other musical endeavors, and that while she didn’t participate in any karaoke nights, her go-to is any Boyz II Men hit.
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