Pavone starred in Barker’s 2023 horror short, “The Chair,” playing Reese, a man whose decision to bring home abandoned antique chair sends him spiraling into paranoia and terrifying unraveling of reality. The short earned recognition on the festival circuit before 10 million views on YouTube, helping introduce producers Mark Lane and James Harris to Barker’s work and paving the way for his feature debut, Obsession.

Barker’s breakout horror film follows Bear Michael Johnston), a young man who wishes for his crush, Nikki (Inde Navarrette) to love him. It premiered at the Toronto Film Fest before becoming a box office phenom. Barker wrote and directed the film, Tomlinson starred as Ian, and Pavone appeared as Reggie during the film’s party scene.

Pavone talks about watching Barker’s career take off from inside their shared home, the early days of making The Chair, auditioning for Obsession

How did you meet Curry and Cooper? 

So I did not go to NYFA. I met Curry first in an acting class where I was actually working as the acting coach’s assistant when I first came out to Los Angeles about seven years ago. When the class wrapped, Cooper came to the [class wrap] party because he’d actually recommended it to Curry after taking it himself a year earlier. The coach introduced us, we hit it off and that was right before COVID. We shot their first short film, Meanwhile Outside the Bank and I helped produce it. The rest is history.

What’s it been like living with them?

It’s been pretty awesome. I’m just really happy for these guys, because a lot of times you’ll see online, “Oh, it’s overnight success.” But they’re always working. So, that’s really motivating and inspiring for me. These guys are doing it in a way that hasn’t been done before in this new world of entertainment media, online internet [culture]. They’re setting some serious ground rules for people who actually want to be successful.

Did you ever audition to play Bear or Ian?

I auditioned to play Bear, just because I was like, “Why not put up a tape? See if Curry likes it. See if Skyler [Zurn, Obsession’s casting director] likes it.” They obviously went a different route, which is the right choice. I thought Michael did an unbelievable job. But that was just me trying to get an audition as an actor and say, “Hey, this is what I can do.”

We are in a townhouse, and Curry has literally been editing Anything But Ghosts in our basement. Cooper and I always joke about how he’s editing huge movies down there. I’ve seen every cut of Obsession. We had early screening, and I’ve seen clips nonstop since he started editing the film. I’ve seen it one too many times.

Being part of Obsession

Was your Jell-O shot line improvised, or written?

That was written. He came up with the Jell-O shot line. I think maybe at a couple of July 4 parties we took a couple, so he’s probably like, “Yeah, Anthony can say that line.”

What scenes were you on the set?

I was there for the Obsession title card on the bed frame scene, some of the pickup days, the diner scene and then some of the stuff in the bar at Barker’s Pub. That sign is still hanging up in his room right now.

Obsession is a hit, more opportunities in the industry

Your career goals?

Ideally, what I’d like to do is just be an actor who produces his own stuff. Whether that be with a production company I start one day, or finding the passion to write projects. But at the end of the day, it is just about finding good material to work on and enjoying the people I’m working with, whether that’s big or small projects. I just want to provide good art to the masses, and if that touches somebody or millions of people, then that’s what I’m happy to do.

I auditioned for Anything But Ghosts, one of the smaller supporting roles and didn’t get it. So, as of now, I will not making an appearance in Ghosts. But I would work with Curry and Cooper on anything they do if they ever wanted to cast me in it. I’m really excited to see it. I told Curry, I don’t want to see any cuts of Anything But Ghosts until it’s almost done. I want to see a Curry Barker film for the first time without seeing a cut of it where it’s like, “OK, and there’ll be VFX here.” I want to see the whole movie.

You and Curry are friends and roommates

Not at all. That’s why we’re still good friends and able to live together and hopefully move into a new place here soon. To be able to be like, “Hey, man, we’re gonna go a different route” and “Ah, all right, can you get my coffee this morning?” It’s super casual. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t care. It’s an acting part at the end of the day. It’s not life or death. So, if they, or whoever’s casting, believe that that part should go to somebody else, OK, great. Good luck. I want their movie to be the best it can be. And I’ve mentioned that to Cooper and Curry. It’s like, listen, if you guys are going to continue to do projects, don’t just hand me a role because it’s your friend. I want to be the right person for that role.

Yeah, if the right idea comes to Curry, I think he can definitely execute a feature-length Chair. Obviously, the idea’s got to be good, but I think 100 percent it could be. It definitely depends on what Curry wants to do with that. It’s his idea, so I’d be open to checking out The Chair, not even being involved. I would just want to watch the feature.

The success for Obsession 

It’s awesome. If this were to lead to a Chair feature, great, that’s perfect. But if this is just a stepping stone into a career that is built on horror films, that’s even greater too. I think whatever it chooses to be, it’s the right way to do it. So, I’m just really happy for Curry, and he’s found success in Obsession, The Chair and Milk & Cereal. It’s awesome to see somebody who you’ve known for years work hard at something and be successful at it. Half the time you get people that move out here, don’t find success early, and then they’re like, “All right, I’m done.” It’s all about being consistent and persistent. It’s not an overnight success. He is skyrocketing, but the guy is always working. Whether it’s on his next project, editing, or taking meetings, he’s always doing something, as is Cooper.

He’ll be totally fine. He’s got good friends around him, family that loves him and good team representing him.  I feel confident in that answer.

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Obsession is playing in theaters and available to stream digitally.