Choosing Himself

Q: What's the hardest thing about directing someone who is playing a version of you?

A: The important thing to remember when you're making a film that starts out autobiographical is that you have to make it work for the actor. But I supposed I naturally picked someone who reminded me of myself. When I went to get this guy Andrew (Shim), he was obsessed about food. All he's bothered about is eating, and that's me from the age of 5 until -- well, still! If I don't eat, I'm the worst person on earth! Blood sugar goes out the window, I could cry my eyes out. People bring me cakes and chocolate bars on a regular basis because if people see me going down...
Anyway, this guy's the same. The first time I met him, he's got an ice cream bar in his pocket. He brings it out, squeezes it, and puts it back in his pocket. I said, "What are you doing?" He says, "Oh, it's an Oreo ice cream sandwich. I always leave them for about half an hour because they taste much better." I mean, that obsession to the delicacy of the worst kind of junk food reminded me so much of myself that I was really drawn to him. So once I'd found the right guy, directing him was never a problem. It was just a case of choosing that person that felt like you.

Q: So casting Andrew was all about the Oreo sandwich then?

A: [Laughs] I'd been going to this workshop (he was in) for a couple of weeks, and this guy said, "Look, I know you like this kid, but he's got some rough edges." And that did it for me. That just stamped his job application. Because I was that kid. I had loads of energy and a really great sense of humor, but there was a rough edge to me that people didn't want to cope with. They didn't want to give a chance to that. So when I was told this kid had an edge, I was like, "Right. You're on then. Let's get you in there."