Sometimes, a movie set needs a quarterback, just as Prime Video's Play Dirty did. Luckily, the new movie featured A-list and experienced actors like Mark Wahlberg and Keegan-Michael Key.
Speaking to ClutchPoints about Play Dirty, which was written and directed by Shane Black, Wahlberg and Key had high praise for each other. Wahlberg credited Key's most quarterback-like trait being his ability to “enhance scenes” without overstepping boundaries.
“Keegan has a very innate ability to, if there is a dead or dull moment, to not only fill those gaps, but enhance the scenes,” Wahlberg praised. “It's always within the context of the scene, you know what I mean?”
There are times when some actors go overboard when improvising, but not Key. He finds the right notes to hit, “outworks” everyone else, and, like a great quarterback, elevates everything around him.
“[Some] people start improvising about some random s**t that has nothing to do with what the movie is,” Wahlberg explained. “But he is there, and he is very gracious, because he could go in and just outwork everybody and kind of steal every scene in every moment.”
Not overstepping is key in a movie like Play Dirty, which is an ensemble piece featuring other A-listers like LaKeith Stanfield, Rosa Salazar, Nat Wolff, Tony Shalhoub, and Chukwudi Iwuji.
“This is an ensemble [piece], and you want everybody to shine, and you want the guy next to you to be just as good as you,” Wahlberg explained. “If not, it's not gonna work.”
Keegan-Michael Key on how Mark Wahlberg “problem-solved” his way through the Play Dirty set
Another part of quarterbacking is the skill of improvising. Not necessarily in being able to ad-lib funny lines so much as the ability to fix problems amidst the craziness of a fast-paced movie set. This is a skill Wahlberg has “in spades,” according to Key.
“Mark has the ability to problem-solve fluidly on the fly,” Key said, praising his co-star. “He does the same thing that he just said, [which] is crucial — when you're making a decision or having a conversation with a director or a person who has a vision for the film, [it's important] you are staying within the guardrails.
“He's very good at being creative within the guardrails, which is to say, How does this enhance the story? Am I making a decision that's moving the story forward? Am I making a decision that's collectively good for the entire process?” Key continued.
Wahlberg is able to do this, pushing the projects further. He, as a visionary, adds flavor to otherwise mundane projects without overstepping the boundaries as an actor.
“This is what the greats do,” Key gushed. “It's keeping in mind what's happening inside the story, the integrity of the story, but also thinking about what might be fun, interesting, or captivating for the viewer so that it's not just all-encompassing, it's not just all us and what our work is, it's also about, Oh, this might be a moment the viewers will really enjoy, or, This might be something the moviegoer might resonate with.”
Wahlberg's character is like the quarterback of the ragtag group in Play Dirty. Clearly, he and Key brought a lot of valuable experience to the set, and it shows in the finished product.
Play Dirty is streaming on Prime Video.
