‘I was in the worst movie ever made’ – The Room actors speak out Every actor has skeletons in their CV. But what happens when you become synonymous with the “Citizen Kane of bad […]

Every actor has skeletons in their CV. But what happens when you become synonymous with the “Citizen Kane of bad movies”?

As a young aspiring actress in LA back in 2002, Robyn Paris answered a casting advert for a film – and ended up being invited along to the strangest audition process imaginable.

The director shouted instructions constantly. She was asked random questions about chocolate.

And finally, when she was offered a role and welcomed into the latter stages of the movie’s production, things only got weirder from there.

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“It was obvious from the beginning that the script was poorly written,” she recalls, “and I assumed from day one that the film would never see the light of day. “My only hopes were to get some footage for my demo reel, and get some experience on a film set.”

But things didn’t quite turn out that way.

The movie that Paris appeared in was The Room. And more than a decade on, it remains one of the world’s most cherished and talked-about ‘good bad films’ – a cult oddity adored by cinephiles for its sheer ridiculousness and incompetence.

Fifteen years after its release, it regularly screens to delighted fans around the world.

James Franco and Seth Rogen have starring in a film about the making of The Room, called The Disaster Artist.

Its place in movie infamy seems assured. For Paris, however, her connection to the film didn’t end when shooting wrapped.

‘It isn’t going away’

Despite having a relatively minor role in the film, playing the female lead’s best friend, Paris notes that a quick Google search of her name brings up The Room immediately.

It was five years after its initial release, when she was at film school at UCLA, that she first realised it was becoming a pop culture phenomenon.

Entertainment Weekly contacted her for an article about the movie. People started asking her to attend screenings.

Once, in line for one of those screenings, she bumped into Arrested Development and Juno actor Michael Cera, who explained he was a big fan of The Room – and going to see it in a packed cinema was one of his favourite things to do in LA.

“Around that time,” says Paris, “I stopped ignoring The Room’s existence and started officially admitting and embracing the fact that I was in the worst movie ever made. “I can’t say I was proud, but the fact is that it wasn’t and isn’t going away.”

Embracing the ‘cult craziness’

About five years ago Paris, who has a background in comedy writing and improvised performance, had the idea for a spoof short film – based on a concept involving the real Room actors playing alternate versions of themselves.

Consequently, The Room Actors: Where Are They Now? was born. Fan support via Kickstarter helped raise funds, and as interest increased it was decided to expand the concept into a ten-episode web series.

Half a dozen fellow cast members from The Room came on board, while familiar comedy faces including Austin Powers’ Mindy Sterling and Veep’s Craig Cackowski also joined the project.

Paris’s creation had its world premiere at Raindance Film Festival in London in 2016.

“Christopher Guest and his films like This is Spinal Tap and Best in Show were big influences,” she explains, “along with the television mockumentary style so prevalent today, The Office, Parks and Rec and Modern Family are favourites of mine. “I created [the show] to give The Room actors a chance to fully embrace the cult craziness, and add to the insanity in an interesting and unique way.”

‘An odd blessing’

Paris isn’t the only cast member who has seen her creativity fuelled by her association with, and memories of, The Room.

Greg Sestero, who played the lead character’s cheating best friend Mark, went on to write a book about his experience working on the disastrous drama – which was masterminded by eccentric screenwriter, director and lead actor Tommy Wiseau.

The resulting memoir, The Disaster Artist, became a bestseller, won awards, and was used as the basis for Rogen and Franco’s big screen comedy, with Sestero himself played by James Franco’s brother Dave.

“I think the obvious instinct would be to erase it entirely from your past,” says Sestero. “But honestly…I see it as an odd blessing. “It’s obviously not a movie that will get you more credible acting work based off your work in it, but if appearing in The Room is what allows me to continue to be creative, then I’m grateful.”

Biopic immortality

Paris confirms that the other Room actors are (in general) completely at peace with the fact that they were in the movie, and have a shared sense of humour about it.

She enjoyed Sestero’s book, and was excited to see Franco and Rogen make a movie about the story of The Room.

But she also admits to feeling rather strange about being depicted on screen herself, with sitcom actress June Diane Raphael stepping into her shoes in The Disaster Artist.

“I’m a huge Burning Love fan so I’ve been familiar with June Diane Raphael for a while – and I think she’s great,” says Paris. “I also watch Grace and Frankie on Netflix. She’s extremely funny. “It is weird that someone is playing me. Particularly since I’m not Mother Theresa or the Queen or anyone who’s done anything inspiring. “I was in the worst movie ever made…and someone is playing me now and memorialising that fact for all eternity.”

The Room Actors: Where Are They Now? is currently raising finds via Kickstarter for episode 5-10.