Most of us might pretend we never had anything to do with such an ordeal. But Greg Sestero, who starred in the infamous 2003 film The Room, has made a career out of his role in what’s been celebrated as the best bad movie of all time. After the film gained a cult following in the mid-'00s, Sestero wrote a tell-all book, The Disaster Artist, about its troubled production and his unlikely friendship with
“I thought The Disaster Artist was a great adaptation,” Sestero says of the film. “There’s nothing that stood out to me that made me feel uncomfortable or felt untrue.”
The film depicts Sestero and Wiseau’s friendship from its beginning in a San Francisco acting class through the making of the film. As played by Franco in a Golden Globe-winning performance, Tommy is eccentric and attention-seeking yet also immensely private, refusing to give basic info such as his age or explain how he makes money. The two become fast friends and move to Los Angeles to chase their Hollywood dreams but fail to find work. “No one would cast Tommy, not even as a villain,” Sestero recalls.
Frustrated, Tommy decides to finance his own film, and audiences witness the making of The Room in all its absurdity. As production wears on, tempers flare between the professional cast and crew and an unprofessional director/star. Tommy spies on gossipy crew members. An actress faints because the set isn’t air-conditioned. There is gratuitous nudity. Somehow the film gets made, but between Tommy’s secrets and his tyrannical behavior, Greg begins to question his loyalty.
Today Sestero sees Wiseau’s secrets in a different light. In the two decades he’s known Wiseau, he still hasn’t learned much more about his friend, and he’s made peace with it.
“With Tommy, still having that element of not knowing a lot of things is what keeps it interesting,” he says. “Some of it is obviously still a mystery, and I think that’s what’s fascinating to me. I love the mystery.”
Whatever that mystery might be, it hasn’t stopped the pair from working together again. Their new film, Best F(r)
“He had been kind of pigeonholed after The Room as kind of being a caricature and hasn’t been given the chance to play a part that fits him,” Sestero says. “I thought this would be an interesting
In Best F(r)
“I’m glad I didn’t let The Room experience define everything. I’m glad we got another try,” Sestero says. “I think people, hopefully, want to see you succeed. Ultimately, they want a good film, they want to be entertained, and I think if you can do those things, they’ll be into it."
Best F(r)
