John C. Reilly Says Alana Haim Reminds Him Of Joaquin Phoenix In Licorice Pizza

John C. Reilly has the "Licorice Pizza" hook-up and he is dishing out (sorry) all of the details. While the rest of us are waiting somewhat patiently to immerse ourselves in the world of Paul Thomas Anderson's upcoming film, which promises to be full of Valley vibes, Reilly (who has worked with PTA on many movies and has a cameo in "Licorice Pizza") has already seen a rough cut and is ready to speak his mind.

The comedy star sat down with one of the stars of "Licorice Pizza," Alana Haim of the band Haim (surprise!) for Interview magazine and chatted about Haim's first-ever film role, how it felt to act with her co-star Cooper Hoffman (son of Philip Seymour Hoffman) and heaped praise on her performance all at the same time.

As Reilly explained in the interview: "When Paul sent me that first screen test [of Cooper and Alana], I was like, 'Dude, if you can keep them feeling this free, I think you've got a movie." This makes sense considering everything we've seen about "Licorice Pizza" so far. Based on the trailer alone, the movie looks like freewheeling tribute to California in the '70s through the lens of young love. Although things will certainly get weirder and more complicated than that (It's a PTA movie after all), this seems like the kind of movie that's going work its way onto a lot of people's mood boards.

Shall I Compare Thee To A Baby Or A Fireplace?

But Reilly's gushing didn't stop there. After visiting the set, Reilly was instantly drawn in by Haim's performance as Alana Kane. "You know the phrase, 'You can't take your eyes off her?' I've experienced that feeling before, watching a fireplace or a baby, but rarely with adults," said Reilly in the interview. "When I visited the set, I remember sitting there and being glued to the monitor, even between takes. I turned to Paul, and I was like, 'You can't take your f***ing eyes off [Alana].' He looked at me like, 'Right?'"

While that quote is very sweet, it makes me wonder what kind of fireplaces Reilly has seen. I mean, a baby I understand, the miracle of life, etc. But a fireplace? I mean fire is fun and I have more candles than is financially sound, but I've never considered comparing my favorite acting performances to a sick fireplace. However, the fun comparisons don't end there, Reilly kept the compliments coming, saying: 

"The only other actor who makes me feel that way is Joaquin Phoenix. Watching him is like watching a raccoon rummage through garbage cans. What is he gonna do now? Why look at anything else, while this is going on? It's hard to keep that energy on camera."

I'm not sure if Phoenix should, or even would, be insulted by that, but Haim took it in stride and responded to the whole thing with the very relatable quote, "Oh my god." Same, girl. Same.

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