Being Directed by Fellow Actor Eisenberg: “B****, I Got Notes for You, Too”

The actors play cousins who return to Poland in Eisenberg’s Sundance Film Festival entry, A Real Pain, which debuted to a standing ovation on Saturday in Park City.

Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg NEILSON BARNARD/GETTY IMAGES

Culkin joined his A Real Pain collaborators at the Eccles Theater on Saturday for the world premiere of the film, directed by Oscar nominated actor Jesse (Social Network) Eisenberg, and starring himself alongside Culkin, Will Sharpe and Jennifer Grey.

Mismatched cousins David and Benji reunite for tour through Poland to honor beloved grandmother.

After the credits rolled, the film got standing ovation and the Q&A had some amusing moments. When Culkin described what it was like to work with and for Eisenberg. “There was a pretty good rapport right away,” said the Succession star.

“But right after the first scene, he’d be like, ‘Cut,’ and start giving me notes. And my first thought is, like, bitch, I got notes for you, too. I don’t want to be noted by an actor. Get out of here. Fuck you.”

Eisenberg doubled over with laughter and the audience. It wasn’t all jokes, however. “I’ve never seen greater performance in person, and maybe on screen, except On the Waterfront, and I don’t even remember it that well,” Eisenberg praised Culkin’s work in his film.

Eisenberg detailed how he came to cast the vet actor in his film. “My sister read 20 pages of my script, and she said there’s only one person in the world that could play this part. I said, ‘Who?’ And she said, ‘Kieran Culkin.’ She loves Succession, and I hadn’t seen it. So, I looked it up, and it immediately became clear that he’s just perfect for this because he can bring a sense of humor, as well as intensity, that makes this character so unknowable.”

It’s been a busy spell for Culkin as he spent much time in Los Angeles where he attended the aforementioned awards shows and earned trophies for his work as Roman Roy on the last season of HBO’s Succession.

While he touched down in Park City for A Real Pain, he’s soon heading back home to New York where his sole focus will be fatherhood for the coming weeks.

“I’m really looking forward to it when I get home because the last couple weeks I haven’t really been much of a parent, which makes me feel like shit and makes me feel like I’m not me,” the actor said during the Sundance Film Fest earlier. “I’m going to turn the world off for about a week and just be a dad. ‘Did you read the email?’ No, I did not. I’m doing nothing at all, except just diapers and bath time and stuff for like a week.”