Glamour: Growing up, was there a TV couple or rom-com that you watched where you remember thinking, “I want that one kind of relationship one day?” Or one you most related to?
Brett Goldstein: Probably Beauty and the Beast. I related to the guy. [Laughs] No. Hmm, what did I want? I don’t know that I ever thought of it. I always had crushes, and I had favorite actors, but I don’t know that there was a couple that I was like, “I want to be that couple.” Although I did love Sam and Diane from Cheers. Maybe it was Sam and Diane.
How much of you comes through the character of Simon in this film?
I don’t know. We’re just writing these characters, telling these stories, and then years later, I look back at it and I go, “Oh, I know what that was about in my life.” But honestly, I’m also Laura [Imogen Poots]. I’m also Lukas [Steven Cree]. There’s probably a part of you in all of the characters, and that’s the truth of it.
Have you seen The Summer I Turned Pretty?
I haven’t. I heard it’s great.
We published a piece about how most women were in love with the notion of Conrad, but in real life, that kind of dream guy doesn’t exist. And with Simon in All of You, he’s a guy, who, like Conrad, only has eyes for this one woman, and will do anything to be there for her. It makes you wonder if men like that exist? That person who is your best friend, who is always there for you, and only has eyes for you.
I think if you look at Simon…I don’t know that this is the greatest guy. He’s the guy who keeps giving up his own life because of his pull towards Laura. He has opportunities for himself that he keeps letting go of. I think as the film goes on, you see him almost strung out like an addict. I don’t know that he’s this pure guy.
There’s something that’s almost self-harming about it for him. There’s always the question in it, does their relationship work like it is? Would it work if they were together and had all the time in the world? Is the attraction the fact that it’s forbidden and only exists in these short bursts? I don’t think it’s as clear as “he’s just a wonderful man who loves her.” I think he’s also quite messed up.
Tereza Cervenova
