Josh Lucas regrets not embracing his rom-com leading-man standing after “Candy House Alabama.”
The actor instructed Vainness Honest that following the success of the 2002 movie starring Reese Witherspoon, he opted to star in indies as a substitute of extra romantic comedies. Lucas didn’t wish to be identified for his appears or the rom-com style itself, regardless of the success he present in it.
“I used to be totally dismissed for it, frankly,” Lucas stated. “It was like, ‘Oh, you’re an L.A. TV man. You’re a fairly boy L.A. TV man.’ I couldn’t break via that door. After which it’s frankly all the time been a little bit of a, ‘Oh, you’re a “Candy House Alabama” man.’ I consciously — and possibly did very tough harm to my profession — was attempting so laborious to battle in opposition to that.”
Lucas continued, “I did a thousand impartial films that no one noticed. I attempted to be Sean Penn in all of them.”
Now, Lucas stars within the Apple TV+ “Palm Royale” sequence, which he credit for letting him flex a distinct muscle onscreen.
“It’s humorous to now go to [‘Palm Royale’] and have individuals be like, ‘Oh, you’re humorous!’ I can’t inform you how a lot I yearned for years to return and do this,” Lucas stated. “It’s truly the place I believe is essentially the most attention-grabbing and rewarding and tough from an performing standpoint. And to be with all of those girls, a few of whom are true comedy legends. I do know individuals get indignant with the sports activities metaphor, however I actually all the time noticed performing as tennis, and I felt like when somebody’s hitting the ball effectively at you, it’s so a lot enjoyable to play. Once they’re hitting the ball badly at you, it’s fairly straightforward to seem like you don’t know what you’re doing with them. On this case, this expertise with these girls hitting so laborious at you — it’s so, a lot enjoyable.”
“Candy House Alabama” starred Witherspoon as Melanie, a profession lady engaged to the right man (Patrick Dempsey) — however she has second ideas after operating into her ex (Lucas) whereas planning her hometown marriage ceremony.
Lucas stated in 2022 that he’s pushing for a attainable sequel — so long as Witherspoon is onboard.
“I hold listening to that others from the film would completely like to do it,” Lucas instructed Insider. “I might like to do a ‘Candy House Alabama 2.’”
Co-writer Andy Tennant has concepts.
“Andy instructed me there can be an honesty to it, that Jake would have mid-life points and that there are variations the place Jake and Melanie landed,” Lucas stated. “Hell, possibly Jake now lives in a trailer park whereas Melanie had constructed this good life.”
Tennant’s sequel concept is about across the subsequent era, with Witherspoon and Lucas’ on-screen daughter because the lead.
“Josh [Lucas] and I proceed to foyer Reese, however she’s busy,” Tennant stated. “Even Reese’s lawyer cherished the remedy. However that’s as shut as I bought.”