Chris Pine: 'Poolman' character is 'the awkward side of me'

LOS ANGELES, May 9 (UPI) -- Chris Pine said his character in Poolman, in theaters Friday, represents a goofier side of himself than the smooth leading men he usually plays in movies.

Pine plays Darren Barrenman, a motel poolman who solves a city mystery, in a film Pine also directed and co-wrote.

"It's the awkward side of me," Pine, 43, told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. "It's the side of me that feels nervous around girls. It's a very young part of me, the 8-to-15-year-old me but made into a boy-man, basically."

Darren attends every city council meeting and makes presentations,frustrating city officials. Pine said he could relate to Darren's passion for Los Angeles.

"I love all the architectural history of my city," Pine said. "I hate it when we tear stuff down."

After a 20-year career on screen, including franchises Star Trek, Wonder Woman and Dungeons & Dragons, Pine said he never dreamed of directing, and that he ended up spearheading Poolman unwittingly.

"This kind of came out of nowhere," Pine said. "I had this idea for the film. Then I tried to find a writer, couldn't find one, ended up writing it."

Co-writing with Ian Gotler, Pine said he followed Darren down any creative path that amused him or what Pine called "following the giggle.

" I just followed whatever delighted me and this character delighted me," he said.

Following the giggle, Pine said, the mystery itself was "not so important." Darren ends up uncovering a conspiracy about the city water supply, which then pays homage to Chinatown, which dealt with water rights in southern California.

"I like to say, 'Come for the story, stay for the characters,'" Pine said. "The movie is a vibe. It's a wavelength. You kind of get on board with it or you don't."

While writing with Gotler, Pine said, he began to imagine visuals for the film. Once he had a vision for Poolman, he said it became inevitable that he would direct it.

Pine said he asked directors for whom he had acted for advice but remained flexible on set.

"The basic thing was to come prepared, which I tried to do," Pine said.

That preparation included making shot lists for every scene and adapting them once on location.

"You've shot the film in your head, at least hypothetically in an ideal world," Pine said. "Once you have that record, you already have a template of what you want to do, and from there, you can tweak and change."

Filming in Los Angeles required such adaptation. As much as Pine wanted to highlight L.A. locations like the abandoned Topanga Ranch Motel, budget constraints required consolidation.

The Biltmore Hotel doubled for several locations, and Pine was able to film at the Santa Anita Racetrack and Clifton's Cafeteria. He said he wanted to include both the dilapidated and glamorous sides of Los Angeles.

"I wanted to be kind of not cool," Pine said. "Then I also wanted to show the great grandeur of the old Hollywood, like the Biltmore."

Pine said his directorial style took on Darren's attitude because no time was available to compartmentalize his acting and directing. This kept the energy high on set.

"I'm the emcee of an event that's slowly dipping further and further into the dark, murky waters of oblivion," Pine said. "So, I'm like a court jester."

Now that he has directed a movie, Pine said he will be even more considerate toward his directors and crew when he is only acting. He said he would even think twice before disparaging a movie.

"When I remember how hard people work to make a film, how difficult it is to make a film, how long it takes to make a film, it's a miracle that any independent film gets made," Pine said. "The fact that people do this for a living is really incredible."

When Pine returns to the franchise worlds, he said, he is unsure whether a fourth Star Trek will happen. There have been stops and starts, including possibilities with Quentin Tarantino and Noah Hawley.

Pine said the potential sale of Paramount Global, the studio behind the Star Trek franchise, could affect its films.

"I'd certainly like to do it again, but I don't have any new information to impart," Pine said. "The Quentin Tarantino film obviously sounded really interesting but who knows?"