Dylan O’Brien’s deep pain made his most personal role in twinless

Over Dylan O’Brien. Dual means facing emotion he is long intimidated.

“Grief, funny enough, is something I haven’t experienced tons,” O’Brien, 34, says only Weekly US. “I think about it in a grateful and scared way, in the sense that I fear I won’t be able to treat it.”

And yet, the 34 -year -old had himself drawn to this script, as he calls it, “a unique kind of loss.”

WARNING: DEATHERS BELOW FOR Dual::

Written and directed by Gostar O’Brien James Sweeney. Twinless cConsidering the versatile actor in dual Roman roles, something 20-something trying to process the death of his twin, and that brother, Rocky. In a grief support group, Roman links to Dennis (Sweeney), a “twinless” -rapidly rapidly rescue. But as their friendships deepened-and borders blur-secrets threaten to crack their bond wide open: Dennis is not a twin at all but a man who once had a stall one night with Rocky and tried a Roman out under a false excuse.

“These are all general feelings: loneliness and grief, identity, friendship,” explains O’Brien. Here he says Us More for stepping to their most personal role yet:

Weekly US: How did you realistically portray this heavy emotion?

Dylan O’Brien: I’ve experienced a loss to some extent, but for the most part, I’ve been very lucky. I still have my parents and most of my family and friends. But I think I’m a very sensitive man. I have other areas of deep pain I have gone through in my life, and it felt in my world, for sure. I have always been someone who has been greatly struck by other people’s experiences in a very deep way. So I was struck by this piece as a whole. We talk about such a unique kind of grief and a unique kind of loss. When I first read it, I thought it was such a wonderful honor of this existence on earth, one that I had never seen before, and one that I felt was being treated so respectfully and sensitively and lovely.

Us: Is that how you were able to take advantage of Roman, who is so empathy?

DOB: I only felt him. I was that guy. And I mean that, like, in a way that I don’t necessarily know happens that much. I’m not someone who engages my craft in a way that comes from training or technique. There are so many different ways you can go to this. And I’ve learned in such a raw way because I didn’t go to school, I didn’t train, and I didn’t learn all those things. I was not put into classes as a child. Not how I found my way to this. The only thing I can rely on is my authentic contact with some. And this was the biggest I’ve ever felt deeply like my (character). It’s something I became very close to. Just struck me.

Us: How did you and James find your chemistry on screen like Insta-Friends?

DOB: James and I have all sorts of life conversations. Whenever you try to measure whether you want to work with someone, it can be difficult. You have lunch, and you are like, “Oh, are we going to make a movie?” You are like, “Yeah, they seemed fine, but I didn’t really get to know them.” Something that James and I make it really effortless and always, is to talk about life. And we are both very sensitive people. There are many similarities that we have gone through and I think we appreciate similar things, as an intimacy in a relationship, and what needs to be there for that to exist for us.

Us: Roman goes through so much in this film. Is there a scene you are most proud of?

DOB: (There’s a) hotel room scene (where Roman breaks down) which even surprised me in the moment. I couldn’t believe what happened, because it was so real. It was like so much pain inside myself, we were all in our own way, promoted, but it was on behalf (Roman) and this concept, this story, this person. People have experienced (a real twin loss) in this world, and only something I became very close to.

Us: That scene is so guttural. How are you preparing for such a heavy emotional scene like that?

DOB: (The hotel scene) in the film is the first take. This is the first time I performed the scene. It’s funny, because so much of this learns on the flight. And in this business, even if you train or go to school, being on set and doing things is a completely new ball game. But I’ve been doing it long enough to least have learned things about myself. If I had a very emotional or fragile scene (in the past), I’d come into the day tightly because I’d be nervous and I’d be very sensitive for my space. I would probably, “Oh, I need to go in,” when I’m usually very free when working. I take the job hyper-indifferent, but I think part of what makes me feel comfortable is that I love laughing, I love joking and I love the community of doing things. So in the past, I’ve come in then and suddenly been like, “No, today I can’t talk to anyone, and I need to focus.” Because, what if I go around and then I can’t achieve the emotion? And I think that used to hold me back. Because on (this movie) I was acting as I always did. You would never know that I had this tragic heavy thing to be operating. I wasn’t approaching it flopping. I prepared it as nothing I prepared before. I wanted to honor him a word for a word, which is also something I have never done. So I remembered the words alone but I never practiced performed it. I knew I wanted to keep that as fresh as possible. You can’t practice that. So I approached him as I went to him every day: loose, comfortable, but definitely convey the space we were going to need. And our crew were tremendous in respecting that and providing that to us and James was tremendous in providing listening support on everything I needed. I do not know that I will ever be wiser of a scene in my life.

Us: Your scenes with Lauren GrahamWho plays your disengaged mother, feels very raw and alive. Were they improvised?

DOB: The (second scene we have together) are fully improvised. That was one of the only improvisations in the film, because James is a very talented writer and the dialogue is specific and is great and has a intention of planting seeds and paying off. But when we argue in the kitchen, we always tried different things (for that scene). Ultimately, we really try to make it a authentic portrayal of a mother and son in bereavement, shouting over each other and having all these feelings. They still have so far to go how to communicate with each other. One of the things I love about the story is that there is no bow tied on me and Lauren in the film. And I think that’s so human. I love you don’t see us in some montage beating hugs. I really love (Lauren). I remember she was so emotional the day that we shout at each other.

Us: You have said that you do not enjoy making sex scenes unless they are intended behind them, and Dual He has several close scenes. Why did they feel needed?

DOB: On the one hand, (with) Rocky, in so long we need to know so much about who this guy was. He has (he has) such sexual energy. And I think that’s so much of a piece of it. He is the kind of guy who can walk up to you in a shaded dining room and let you know immediately with his sip and small eyes that he wants to rust you. And that’s fun! I love people like that, who own their sexuality and sexual beings and they love it.

Us: Roman also comes close to his girlfriend, Marcie, played by Aisling Franciosi.

DOB: Yes. He is a character as in -house I think is struggling in general, especially with what he is currently going through, to be open. It has never been to the many other cities before, let alone traveling the world or meeting many others, so I love seeing Roman with Marcie, and what that brings in it. From the moment he comes into his life, he gets so cute. He has these cute moments, these silly little sides, cute to him and, yes, a close side of your sexuality too, which, in my opinion, really warms up.

Us: Finally, you’ve been vocal for wanting to see ROM-COMS come back. Why?

DOB: Something I miss seeing these days is this level of cinematic intent and sophistication to them. We still have them, but it’s like they need to be dumb and cheap. That was never a true list actors and ROM-COMS! There were movies that you would, like, sober at the end. There was dialogue and chemistry, cunning and fun sequences. I think Twinless I.s an exceptional example of going back to those types of movies.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Dual In theaters now.