Richard Linklater: I think movies show occupations really well. It’s kinda fun to watch a movie, someone has a job you’ve never thought of. This is about the weirdest job you could have.

[man grunts] 

Glen Powell (as Gary Johnson): Apologize, mother******. 

Glen Powell: I’m Glen Powell, and I star in, and co-wrote, Hit Man. 

Richard Linklater: I’m Richard Linklater. I co-wrote and directed Hit Man. We’re gonna talk about the real Gary Johnson.

[intriguing music playing] 

Richard Linklater: I’d already met Skip Hollandsworth at an option. I had heard hit men don’t really exist, and he just elaborated on that some more. I just love that character. And I got a call from …

[Glen chuckling] 

Glen Powell: The new Gary Johnson. It was so clear, and it’s obviously part of Skip’s writing, but just who Gary Johnson was, it was like … He was a character playing a character, a psychology professor, worked on AV equipment, and he had these, like, two cats, Id and Ego, and found this weird calling as being a fake hit man.

Richard Robichaux (as Joe): Kill the slut.

Glen Powell (as Gary Johnson): With pleasure.

[Joe blowing excitedly] 

Glen Powell: He’s not just one thing. We just started kind of marinating on it. We knew there was a great character, not that there’d be a great movie. I think that’s where our brains came together and started pulling at threads to see what was gonna unravel in the most fun way for an audience. 

Richard Linklater: Yeah, you unleashed the log jam in my mind, that’s for sure. And I was lucky to get to know the real Gary Johnson. You know, I talked to him on the phone a few times. Never met him in person, though. Then on that tech scout, I got a call. He’d passed away. It was really sad.

Glen Powell: Right before the movie.

Richard Linklater: Yeah, about two weeks before shooting. But it’s a fun dedication at the end.

Glen Powell: Yeah.

Richard Linklater: And that line, “The chillest dude imaginable.” You know, that is really him. I’d tell him, “Hey, the movie’s happening.” He’s like … “Sounds good.” You know?

[Glen laughing]

Glen Powell: You know, Gary Johnson, as we were digesting him as a person, he’s so interesting, like, on the page as a character, but also, his life seemed so … safe and binary for doing such a weirdly dangerous job. And all of a sudden, you’re like, what if he got stuck as a dangerous hit man. And what would that look like? How would that change the man? 

Adria Arjona (as Maddy Masters): No, no, I don’t buy it.

Glen Powell (as Gary Johnson): What?

Adria Arjona (as Maddy Masters): You’re not a hit man. 

Glen Powell (as Gary Johnson): I guess I’m just your fantasy. 

Richard Linklater: I just love that the guy who couldn’t get worked up to kill a guy for anything …

[Glen laughing]

Richard Linklater: You’re doing it for love. You’re doing it to save her, in a way. 

Glen Powell: Well, I also think people just want to root for love, at the end of the day. Like, that’s sort of the secret sauce to this, is, like, a guy who lives a solitary existence who doesn’t put himself out there, and you see, if he’s on that path, he’s never going to meet anyone or live a fully developed life, so it’s really fun to watch this guy get caught up in all of this danger.… You’re rooting for the love. 

Richard Linklater: Yeah, oh, every time. 

Adria Arjona (as Maddy Masters): Yeah, he said apologize, mother******. He’s a professional. He’ll do it. Show ’em. 

Glen Powell: To learn more about Hit Man, go to Tudum.com.

[Richard mimics Tudum theme music.]

[Glen laughing] 

Richard Linklater: I like to stretch out the “dum.”

[both laughing]

[Tudum theme playing]