Why John C. Reilly Loves Starring in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Movies

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Much-loved character actor John C. Reilly comments on his frequent roles in director Paul Thomas Anderson's films. Reilly's acting career first began in 1989 with his debut film role in Casualties of War. He gained further exposure with roles in Days of Thunder (1990), and What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993). Most recently, Reilly turned to television to play Lakers owner Jerry Buss on the HBO series Winning Time.

The start of Anderson and Reilly's collaborative relationship began with Reilly's appearance in the film Hard Eight in 1996, which was also Anderson's debut as a feature film director. Quickly following in Hard Eight's footsteps were the hilarious Boogie Nights in 1997 and psychological thriller Magnolia in 1999, all of which featured Reilly and received critical acclaim, with particular praise noted for Reilly's performances. Both Reilly and Anderson's careers have grown exponentially since the release of these now-classic films, yet those collaborations remain some of the most beloved of both of their respective works.

Related: X's Boogie Nights Homage Explained (& Why It's So Perfect)

In an interview with Vulture, Reilly reveals exactly why he loves being in Anderson's films so much.  He sings Anderson's praises and notes the emotional connection and enthusiasm the director shares with his actors and their performances. Check out Reilly's reverent comments on working with Anderson below:

I can tell you what it’s like to work with Paul. He’s someone who’s so excited to see what you’re going to do next. That sounds like an obvious thing, but having one person’s complete attention while you’re acting is important. You would be amazed at the number of film sets where the director is looking at the monitor or