Asteroid City imagines an American desert settlement in 1955 through the unique lens of Wes Anderson. The director’s 11th film tells the story of a Junior Stargazer convention that is derailed thanks to a world-shaping event that consumes the lives of everyone in the titular small town. Although aspects of the story feel bold even for Anderson, Asteroid City is a continuation of the auteur’s signature aesthetic and dry writing in the best ways.
Another Wes Anderson signature is his long list of frequent collaborators. That list continues to grow, as a number of actors who first appeared in the director’s 2021 film The French Dispatch have returned for Asteroid City. One such actor is comedian and In Living Color alum Stephen Park, who discussed the appeal and joy of working in Wes Anderson’s orbit during a recent interview with Screen Rant. Here’s what he had to say:
Stephen Park: Well, sketch comedy is kind of tense. Being in a show like that, there’s kind of a level of competition–nothing like working on a Wes Anderson movie. But in terms of the fun, yes. I remember on In Living Color just dying laughing [and] being around the funniest people in the world, so that was really great. Working with Wes, it’s different; it’s more relaxed, and there’s no competition, and we’re all supporting each other. Because everybody’s already so talented, nobody’s, like, working too hard. Everybody is just naturally being their own brilliant self and just being in Wes’ atmosphere. Through osmosis, you start to absorb all of this stuff, and you just start to swim in Wesworld. That’s what we call it: Wesworld. Everything is different in Wesworld.
Asteroid City Combines Plenty of Wesworld Veterans and Newcomers
“Wesworld” is larger than ever in Asteroid City and, as this Asteroid City character guide details, still features plenty of Anderson’s most frequent collaborators. New faces to Wesworld include Tom Hanks, Steve Carell, Hope Davis, and Maya Hawke, all of whom fit into Anderson’s universe as seamlessly as if they had been there the whole time. Stalwarts like Jason Schwartzman, Edward Norton, and Adrien Brody are also back once again, and are reliably in tune with the director’s beloved quirkiness.
An even smaller club is the group of actors who were brought into Asteroid City directly from their first-time collaborations on The French Dispatch. In addition to Stephen Park, Asteroid City features the return of Jeffrey Wright and Rupert Friend, the latter of which will also be in Anderson’s next film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. It’s a clear sign of respect and appreciation for the director for these actors to immediately jump back on Anderson’s set, and one that may point to even more roles in Wes Anderson films for all three actors after Asteroid City.
