Cha Cha Real Smooth S Cooper Raiff Is About To Become The Next Big Thing

It's the guy in the movie theater with the weird name, but after this summer you won't forget The Boy (Cooper Reiff) or his Strange Name (Cha-Cha, real smooth). (In the last part of "In Cha Cha Slide" there is a part where the cha cha is very subtle and this is the part of the song where you can do your little boogie woogie and this film is about producers and collaborations, is part of your life, understanding who you are, and doing your job.")

As you watch, you'll want to know what Raiff's story was and how he orchestrated, wrote, and starred in two films (the first of which was SXSW's favorite toilet) before he turned 25. And how he became a superstar. Join film talents like Dakota Johnson, Leslie Mann, Jay Duplass and David Harbour.

When we use Zoom, I tell Raif it reminds me of Sylvester Stallone, who wrote and starred in the 1976 Oscar-winning film Rocky and later wrote, starred and directed Rocky II. "That's the best compliment in the world," said one Texan. “Rocky is one of my favorite movies and the best romance novel of all time. This is not a war, this is the best love story."

Raiff, who wasn't even around when the first five Rockies were released, knows a thing or two about romance, or rather the long, awkward, winding path he often took. That's why there's so much heart (especially in the pub and bat myth) in this character-driven movie about starting a party that loses over 20 things thanks to the help of a mom named Domino (Dakota Johnson). ) and his daughter Lola (Vanessa Burghardt), who need special care. For example, Domino and Lola attend the same event they are working on with Andrew (Reiff) and develop a very interesting friendship without ruining anything.

The film was such a success at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival that it received numerous awards from festival goers. Apple immediately bought it for $15 million. Cha Cha Raiff premieres Friday, June 17 on Apple TV+. Not bad for a man with several short films to his credit.

the story goes on

But you don't just decide to make a movie and be the next Stallone or Reiff. It takes a lot of effort to find the right people (Duplass was the first mentor) and talents. Here, Raiff tells us how Johnson had an affair with Cha-Cha, their very suspicious first kiss, and how he spent part of his hefty paycheck.

Glamour: How did the idea for Cha Cha Real Smooth come about?

Cooper Reiff: When I was in college [Western College in California], I wrote as much as I did in my freshman year, and there was a character called Kate who played Domino (Dakota Johnson). It was about the mother of a disabled child, and I wrote her a little sketch; character is the source of the idea. Then I started posting pictures of me just graduating from college. He is someone who I think will thrive in his 30s; But at the age of 20 it is so bad in the floating moments of life that you need to understand who you are. At some point, I thought that these two characters should get to know each other better, because they shed wonderful light on each other's inner workings. So I had to find a way for them to meet again. It all opened up when I had the bar mitzvah idea. I have a feeling this could be a great movie. After I had it all, I gave Dakota and Roya this title and two characters.

Are you Jewish and did you go to bars or Bat Mitzvahs a lot as a child?

No, I'm not Jewish, but I went to K-12 in Dallas and 40% of my class was Jewish. I didn't care until seventh grade, until I went to church services and parties every Saturday for a year. I also met a Jewish girl in high school for three years. So my childhood was shaped not by being a real loser, but by studying the Jewish community and being envious of it in many ways. When I had the idea to create my character to kick off the party, I wrote this montage where his family and dominoes are at this party and this song is sung when the candles are lit. In this last tradition, only these two families break up, and one becomes one person. I don't have any of this. I'm a Christian, but I don't go to church and we're not allowed to eat on Saturday through Fridays. It was always very interesting to me: Andrew and Domino will not be Jews, but they will go to all these parties. In fact, I had my first kiss at a bar mitzvah. This is a fish-themed bar mitzvah that takes place in an aquarium.

I like it! Did anything come out of the kiss?

This does not work. I asked him if he wanted to see the penguins, we went outside and it smelled really bad, but I planted one for him anyway. good first kiss romantic

How did you come up with the idea to call this film Cha Cha Real Smooth?

When I think about it, I say that's how it should be. When I told Dakota and Ro Donnelly [Dakota's production partners] about this, they wouldn't let me think of anything else. I was listening to Charlie XCX's "Party 4 U" and I was thinking about what would happen to the movie if it was called "Party for You" or something like that, and they said, "Don't talk about other titles."

Was there any personal inspiration for these characters in the film?

My sister is disabled, and here comes the character Kate, who turns into my mother's dominoes. Freud would have something to say about the film. [laughs] But yeah, it's personal inspiration. I really feel about Andrei and his conversion, because in the films he is 120%. It's about dominoes. He had absolutely no idea who he was and I actually attribute it to my fear of drowning in something and spending time alone in my room.

Does your sister know Vanessa Burgardt, who plays Domino's daughter Lola?

No. There will be hydrotechnical works. Andrea, my sister, is not autistic. He has a condition called holoprosencephaly, in which the brain cannot walk or talk because it is not divided into two hemispheres. People ask me if Andrea liked the movie, but she didn't. He hates cinema. Honestly, I wanted to make a movie about her, but she would be a bad actress and always look at the camera. I decided to do it... she went to school all her life with autistic children who inspired Lola. But when we met Vanessa, she didn't look like the people on the site. So the process of creating Lola just followed Vanessa.

Returning to character and friendliness, is there a song that makes you want to get up and head straight to the dance floor?

Yes, "Magic 24K" by Bruno Mars. This song always gets me on the dance floor. It was originally a script, but we decided to be more economical with our music.

Noticed. So, using Hebrew terms, where did you get the courage to film, write and star in this movie? Do you need to convince someone to do all three?

You must convince me. I really don't want to be in this movie. There are people who really want to act in films [I don't want to]. Dakota and Ro saw my first film Shit, which I did all the roles in, so they wanted me to do this film because my DNA was all over the place. When I'm not filming a scene, I pay for the monitor. So I feel like they are all the same world.

How did you meet Dakota?

When I met him on Zoom I spent the first 10 minutes talking about what I love most about his game and how funny he is and how I always look at his stuff and I was like, “Oh my God, I I wish this guy would leave him." ... do this and more. Because when you give him space to do his job, it's phenomenal. I found it very funny. I got into a five-year engagement with Jason Segel, who was in love with her. very funny.

The massive $15 million sale of Cha Cha Real Smooth on Apple TV+ has been well documented, which is pretty confusing. How do you say something like that?

I hit a lot. When I found out it was already morning, my boyfriend and my best friend Daniel and I went to get some mimosa or something. The most interesting thing was when we got the first offer for the film, because we didn't expect it... especially the first offer, because you made the offer. But this is much higher than what we first suggested. I think we went looking for mimosa. It's like, "Well, now let the salesperson do his job." We are very excited to make another film because it will show that I can do something special and personal to get your money back.

What was the biggest purchase you made since that amazing deal?

I'm not a big shopper, but I'm more comfortable not shopping. My family is so cheap that I'm getting smaller...cheaper. After me.

Is there a place you want to visit or buy something?

Did you know I'm going to Paris this summer with my girlfriend? So, in my opinion, this is perhaps the biggest expense.

Are you ready to make your fans fall in love with you after this film?

No, but I think it's very easy to deviate from what they write about me. And I don't go out much. So that's good.

How do you like to spend your weekends? Or are you always working?

No. Especially this year I try to be careful not to be in work mode. For five years, I was constantly trying to find a way to make money doing what I love. But once we accepted that initial offer, all that weight was gone because I felt like I could relax and figure out who I am as Andrew, how I want to spend the weekend and what I want to do. in a room where they don't write scripts. That's why I love going to the beach, walking and spending time with friends, family and girlfriend.

If shooting was an advantage for you, what would it be?

you could cry I was the child who cried the most.

What motivates you?

I cry every time Vanessa does something because it's so beautiful and makes me emotional. There were moments during filming when I couldn't believe what was going on or that people trusted me to direct them. thank you i will cry

How do you find the confidence to wear all those hats and do what you do?

I work a lot and think about a lot of things, so I'm very confident and can get back to work. I am the first person to always talk about how stupid I was, but I know how much I worked on this particular story and how much I thought about how to make it. But filming requires a lot of people. I think I am a good listener and I really want to work together. I'm not very happy, but those closest to me will tell me that I'm always looking for the best idea or way to tell a story. So I think the confidence comes from here.

What's your favorite snack or drink on set?

All. I will literally eat anything you put in front of me. One day they were eating a plate of M&M's and everyone was so excited, "We won't be doing this again. We're not going to play M&M on set because Cooper is going to really pass out."

David Harbor (who played Hopper in Stranger Things) is starring in your next film Scavengers, but who is the most famous person who still doesn't believe in being able to call you or text you on your cell phone?

My God, Dakota, of course.

Given your success, is there a platform or reason why you really want to become a lawyer?

AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention). I want people to know that wherever they are, they can join a local chapter in their community because AFSP has programs and activities in all 50 states. Your loved ones will find great help and support there, which is why AFSP resonates especially in North Texas.

West Coast Glamor Editor-in-Chief Jessica Radloff is the author of the forthcoming book The Big Bang Theory: The Latest, Inside Story of a Series of Epic Hits (October 11, 2022). Follow him on Instagram @jessicaradloff14.

First appeared in Glamor

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