‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ Star Rose Byrne and Director Mary Bronstein Praise ASAP Rocky’s Acting Chops Amid Ongoing Trial: He ‘Brings a Natural Charisma That Cannot Be Taught’

variety.com:

Ellise Shafer “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” star Rose Byrne and director Mary Bronstein discussed working with “renaissance man” ASAP Rocky at Berlin Film Festival ahead of the film’s international debut on Monday night.

The rapper and actor has not been on the festival circuit for the film, which world premiered at Sundance last month, due to his ongoing trial for allegedly firing a gun at a former collaborator.

When asked about casting Rocky, Bronstein said that she “wanted to have non-traditional actors for the supporting roles,” which also includes Conan O’Brien. “One, to give Rose an interesting thing to work with, and two, as a sign to the viewer that I’m not playing into any expectations.” “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” follows Linda (Byrne), whose life comes crashing down around her as she “attempts to navigate her child’s mysterious illness, her absent husband, a missing person and an increasingly hostile relationship with her therapist,” according to its official synopsis.

In the film, Rocky plays a motel superintendent named James who shares several scenes with Byrne’s Linda. “Rocky brings a natural charisma that cannot be directed, cannot be taught,” Bronstein continued. “In the script, it says ‘wink at Linda’… This is a guy that has winked at people before and it’s effective and you cannot teach that and and I wanted to harness that and use it.