Summary
Actor J.K. Simmons explains why he refused to have a body double for his movieWhiplash. The sophomore feature from Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle, the movie is a story about an ambitious percussion student who sees his dedication and morale tested during his run-ins with an intense instructor.Whiplashreceived critical acclaimduring its 2014 release, and wonOscars for Film Editing, Sound Mixing, and Best Supporting Actor for Simmons.
Whiplashwas also nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars.
Speaking withGQ, Simmons discussed why he did not want to use a body double in the movie:
After praisingWhiplashas a piece of writing, Simmons went on to explain that director Chazelle originally wanted to get a body double for the conducting in order to take the “onus” off of Simmons. Then,Simmons informed Chazelle that he was a classically trained musician with conducting experience, and wanted to do his own conducting. Simmons then detailed the fact that Miles Teller “had been playing drums since he was 15.” Check out the full quote from Simmons below:
The first thing he [Chazelle] said is ‘JK, I want to take some of the onus off of you. I want to put you at ease with the musical aspects of this. We’ll have a technical advisor for you, a conductor for a lot of the long shots. And we can just use a body double to do the actual conducting.’ He said, ‘I want you as the actor, so don’t be intimidated.’
And I’m staring at him like, ‘Dude, I’m a classically trained musician. I wanted to be Leonard Bernstein. I’m a conductor. So I’m not just going to be some actor up there waving his arms. I will learn these scores.’ And in another piece of kismet, he had no idea that Miles had been playing drums since he was 15 years old, and he wouldn’t have to fake all the drumming either."
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This Led To Great Whiplash Performances
Looking back atWhiplash, it comes as no surprise that Simmons himself had classical training. As heightened as his emotions may be portrayed, his character, Fletcher, overall seems like he could be a realistic conductor. In his most iconic scene, Fletcher asks Teller’s character, Andrew, “Were you rushing or were you dragging?” While he bellows at the percussionist with ire,Simmons' performance is not over-the-top, but bone-chillingas the audience is aligned with Andrew and his growing anxiety surrounding this moment.
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The fact that it isreally Teller playing the drumswas also a highly publicized part ofWhiplashat the time of its release. That information may not have been made readily available to Chazelle, as Simmons' comment about kismet implies that Chazelle was not aware of both actors' musical talent at the time he cast them. Still, there are enough drumming sequences that heavily relying on a body double would have been challenging. With both actors doing the majority of their own music work, it allows their performances to shine.
Said performances led to what is considered one ofChazelle’s best filmsto date. WhileWhiplashis an entirely different film than something likeLa La Land, which Chazelle helmed two years later, its prowess is no less evident.Whiplashwas responsible for putting Chazelle on the map, allowing him to make higher-budget films such asLa La Land,First Man, andBabylon. It is even more impressive to know that the film achieved its feats with the actual actors doing their own conducting and drumming.
Whiplash
Cast
Whiplash is a drama that delves into the intense relationship between a young jazz drummer and his ruthless music instructor, exploring themes of ambition, perfectionism, and the costs of success.
