Interview by Ananya Prakash
Photography by Ryan West
Hobart began his music career in 2006 writing songs, singing, and playing the guitar. He has played thousands of professional rock shows around the world including the famous Warped Tour. In 2012 he moved to Los Angeles to chase his music dream, and pursued acting, steadily booking commercials. He continues to release original songs and compose for video games including Rock Band, ESPN X Games, Deadpool, Age of Empires, and Watch Dogs.
You’ve gone from musician to actor to now starring in I Am Ryan. What’s the common thread that ties all those creative paths together for you?
A deeply unhealthy need for attention and a complete inability to stick to one thing. But if I’m being slightly more generous to myself, I think the thread is storytelling. Whether it’s a three-minute song or a two-hour film, I’m always trying to create something I like and possibly make someone feel something even if that something is just “wow, that guy has a lot of nerve.”
The idea came from your real-life experiences and even your time working as a body double for Ryan Reynolds. At what point did you realize that story could actually become a full film?
It was 2017. I had just body doubled for Ryan Reynolds for the first time. It was a movie poster and I realized this is absurd. I’m getting paid 350 dollars to stand here and look like myself but I happen to look like this Canadian beefcake at the same time. I’m writing a movie about this.
You’re starring, writing, composing, and producing this project. What role challenged you the most and which one came most naturally?
Composing was genuinely the hardest. Which is almost embarrassing to admit given my background. Crazy I know, you’d think that would be the safe harbor. But scoring your own story, trying to serve the film emotionally without being too self indulgent was difficult. That’s a particular kind of torture. Acting, strangely, came most naturally. Probably because I’d been rehearsing this story in my head for years. Writing was also not too taxing, thank goodness. I enjoyed it all.
The film blends the awkward humor of The Office with the satire of This Is Spinal Tap. How did you approach balancing that style of comedy without losing authenticity?
Very carefully and then somewhat recklessly. The rule we kept coming back to was: nobody in this film thinks they’re in a comedy. The moment a character winks at the audience, you’ve lost it. Michael Scott never knew he was Michael Scott. That’s the whole tragedy and the whole joke. We just tried to play everything painfully, sincerely straight and trust that the absurdity would do its own work.
Having worked on major sets like Free Guy, what’s something about the entertainment industry that you wanted to playfully expose or challenge in this film?
Holy crap. Great question. I’m so glad you asked. The hierarchy of perceived importance. On a big set, there is a very clear pecking order and it’s absolutely absurd. You could see the Executive Producer at Mickey D’s a hour later getting ignored by the employees but during the shoot, they are the top of the heap. I found it fascinating how seriously everyone plays their role in that ecosystem, including the people at the bottom. We all just… agree to it. I wanted to poke at that unspoken agreement. The industry runs on a kind of collective delusion, and I say that with complete affection. I’m fully part of the delusion. It’s so fun!
When audiences see I Am Ryan in theaters, what’s the main feeling or takeaway you hope they walk away with?
I want them to laugh. I hope they feel seen, specifically anyone who’s ever been mistaken for someone more important and briefly, shamefully considered going with it. But underneath the laughs, I want people to leave thinking about identity: how much of who we are is just the role we’re playing, and what happens when someone offers you a better one? That’s the real question the film asks. And I hope they leave with a smile. That’s really all I’ve ever wanted — from the music, the acting, any of it. A smile for you, and a smile for me.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
