Exclusive Interview: Andy Nyman Talks Nine-Year Saga Of THE GLASS MAN
David Gelmini
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Although it originally premiered at FrightFest in 2011, the psychological horror-thriller The Glass Man went for almost a decade without receiving an official public release due to legal issues that arrived when the film was sold to a distributor. However, we are happy to report that nine years after its initial screening at FrightFest, The Glass Man will finally be available to purchase on various video on demand outlets on December 7th, so we don’t have much longer to wait before we can finally enjoy this long-awaited thriller. It may be coming out nine years later than expected, but it’s still better late than never, we suppose.
In The Glass Man, a recently unemployed man named Martin is forced to make a terrible decision when a loan shark comes to collect his dues. Martin agrees to serve as the loan shark’s accomplice for one night in return for his debt being waived, but the foul deeds he is subsequently forced to commit quickly make him question this decision. The film was written and directed by Cristian Solimeno, and it also stars Neve Campbell, James Cosmo, and Brett Allen.
To celebrate the heavily delayed release, we spoke with actor Andy Nyman, who plays the character Martin Pyrite in The Glass Man. You may also know Nyman as the creator of the play Ghost Stories, and he went on to co-direct the subsequent film adaptation. He’s also appeared in films such as Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, The Commuter, and Judy, and he will next be seen alongside Dwayne Johnson in Jungle Cruise. Throughout our Skype interview, we discussed everything from the process of filming The Glass Man to why it seems like a relevant film in today’s social climate, so we hope you enjoy reading the transcript of what he had to say.
Dread Central: Hi, Andy, I guess you must be glad that The Glass Man is finally being released after it premiered back in 2011. Why the long wait?
Andy Nyman: Hi, David, it’s great to talk to you. The film was sold to an American sales agency, and then it got tangled up in legal issues, which is why it hasn’t been released until now.
And I think the thing you’ll see when you see it, is in a strange way, now is the perfect time for it to come out. One of the main themes of the film is male mental health and that’s really an issue that wasn’t discussed a decade ago. Whereas now, you know, it’s very much an important issue which is more widely discussed. It’s an important topic which needs to be addressed, and it’s an important theme in this film, because it’s about a man who’s lost his job and is struggling to make ends meet for his family. And of course, that’s the situation that everybody’s in at the moment with the pandemic. People are really struggling to make ends meet, so strangely, this seems like the perfect time for the film to be released.
DC: So, the film is about a debt collector.
AN: Yeah, it’s about a guy who loses his job, and he hasn’t told his wife. So, he keeps going out every day, and a debt collector he owes money to shows up. And it’s about where that journey goes. I think people will find it’s quite a journey.
DC: So, could you talk a bit about the experience of making the film and working with Neve Campbell?
AN: She was really fun to work with, she’s a great actress. We play husband and wife. It was really lovely to be able to work together and she’s a fantastic actress. She’s playing English in this, and her accent was tremendous. It was great to have the opportunity to work with her, and it was very interesting to shoot some very emotional scenes alongside her. The script is very truthful and very dreamlike all at the same time. So, they were really interesting scenes to get to perform.
DC: What about the director, Cristian Solimeno? How does he feel about the release?
AN: He’s over the moon. It’s been a struggle for him, as this piece of work he created and was deeply passionate about had not been released. So, now to be able to have it released and to be able to have these conversations is great. It’s getting wonderful press again, which is lovely. It’s very exciting, and we are delighted as always. And it means a lot to us that journalists are talking to us.
DC: Thanks. Did you want to add anything about Ghost Stories?
AN: Well, it’s not being performed on stage at the moment, because of the pandemic. But it was halfway through its UK tour, and hopefully when theatres reopen it can go back on tour. And David, I hope to meet you in person at a future FrightFest when things return to normal.
DC: Thanks. I hope to meet you too. Bye.
AN: Bye.
Categorized:News
