A crowd favorite at the LA Shorts Film Festival and recently presented at the Soho International Film Festival, the short film Happy Endings Funeral Parlor, directed by Kevin Boston, explores the theme of death in a comedic and sensitive way. The plot follows the misadventures of two siblings who run a struggling funeral home, addressing the connection between pain and laughter as a mechanism for coping with grief. Actor Trevor Larcom, known for his roles in Fresh Off the Boat and True Detective, is part of the film’s cast.
How was it for you to work on Happy Endings Funeral Parlor, a film that tackles death in such a unique and humorous way?
Working on a film that tackles such a hard and straining topic like death, but also has the great ability to flip it and make it a little less heavy hearted and put a smile on people’s faces made it a great honor to be a part of. This film is something that is not only funny but has the ability to bring that fun to everyone.
Did your roles in True Detective and your long run on Fresh Off the Boat help shape your performance in Happy Endings Funeral Parlor?
100% they did although they are all so different. My role on Fresh Off the Boat was a very light-hearted comedic role. As for my role in True Detective, that was a much more real and at times sorrowful role. With Happy Endings Funeral Parlor, this film takes the best of both of those two worlds for me and has the great ability to combine them into one.
In the film, the characters cope with grief through humor. How did you connect with this theme, and did you draw from any personal experiences in your portrayal?
In my personal life I have always found that the best way to deal with sorrow, grief, or in general hard times, is through comedy. The ability to laugh even in people’s darkest moments, which a lot of times is death like in Happy Endings Funeral Parlor, is the best way, as I’ve found in my own life, to relieve yourself of that hard, hard time. I definitely connected majorly with the theme which resonates with multiple experiences I’ve gone through in my life and I know the audience will too.
How was the experience of filming in Iowa, a location outside the urban environment of Los Angeles where you grew up?
It was so many different things, but the biggest thing that stood out to me was the influence it had on the movie. I believe filming in Iowa added so, so much to not only the behind the scenes production side of things, but also adding a new environment uncommonly seen on screen. Whether that was locals being so kind and interested in seeing a film production which they more than likely had never seen there, or them actually helping out with the production. With us filming in Iowa, it definitely shows a new side of life to the audiences’ screens who are used to a more urban environment, whether it be the smalltown streets or the corn fields.
We know that you enjoy sports and outdoor activities. How do these interests influence your creative process and your preparation for roles like in Happy Endings Funeral Parlor?
I enjoy spending my time away from acting outdoors golfing, working out, and traveling. When I have an upcoming role I use that time as a moment where I can be with myself and my thoughts about how to really play the role as it should be played so the audience gets a real feel for what the writers envisioned when producing this amazing script.
You started your career very early, at the age of six, and have been part of a wide variety of projects. How have these experiences shaped your perspective on the acting world today?
Growing up in such an ever-changing environment such as the acting world, it definitely shaped me in a lot of ways that I feel have benefitted me not only on set but in other ventures throughout life. Since I grew up having to be professional, I’ve always tried my best to exercise that in everything I do. The acting world today is in a weird place I feel. When I was growing up the shows I worked on, auditioned for, or just watched had so much more soul and creativity. Nowadays I feel as if Hollywood lost the creativeness and the soul that it used to produce. That’s why I’m so happy to be able to be a part of something like Happy Endings Funeral Parlor where the creativity and soul shows throughout.
How do you see your career evolving in the coming years, especially after the positive reception of Happy Endings Funeral Parlor at film festivals?
I don’t like to look too far into the future but I do believe it is bright, and I know it will be full of opportunity. Hollywood has been so kind to me, and I’ve been so fortunate to have worked on such incredible projects already in my career. I can’t wait to keep working on projects like Happy Endings Funeral Parlor and so, so many more.
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