Supercell is an important film for both Daniel Diemer and Jordan Kristine Seamón in their own respective ways. For Diemer, whom you might know from Netflix's The Half of It, the upcoming disaster film marks his first leading role in a movie (no small feat when you consider Supercell's stacked cast includes Alec Baldwin, Skeet Ulrich, and Anne Heche). "I was number two on [The Half of It], but [for Supercell], I was on every day," he said in our Zoom interview ahead of the film's release. Of course, it doesn't matter to Diemer where he falls on the call sheet; doing good work is the priority. "I was [just] trying to stay focused. The days were really hectic — we were just racing. There were certain shots where we had one take to do it, and then we'd have to move on."
Meanwhile, for Seamón — whose only other acting credit right now is HBO's underrated series, We Are Who We Are — not only is Supercell her feature film debut, but her time on the movie — specifically, the relationship she struck with Heche — confirmed to her that this was the right path for her to be on. "It's a hard field to be in," she said of acting, "and Anne made it clear that it was something that she really wanted me to continue. I'm really happy I got the chance to work with her [...] It was very, very happy and very, very healthy."
Directed by Herbert James Winterstern (who also co-wrote the script with Anne Elizabeth James), Supercell follows William Brody as he embarks on a personal mission to chase one of the most powerful storms on record. It's a decade after his father, a renowned storm-chaser himself, lost his life while in the field. Indeed, his father's unfinished work is one of the few things William has left of him, so, against his now-retired storm-chaser mother's (Heche) wishes, he tracks down his father's ex-field partner (Ulrich) to chase "the bear's cage," one of the most dangerous storms nature can create.
Diemer on Leading Supercell (and Having a Blast)
"I get really nervous when I work with leads," Diemer said when discussing the responsibility he felt being the lead of Supercell. "You come in on somebody's project, you don't know how they want to approach things, you don't know how they work." This is why, even though he had only had a week and a half between getting the role and starting production, it was important for him to genuinely establish a connection with his co-stars as best he could. He and Ulrich, for instance, were able to rent a car a few days before filming began and explore the area they were staying/shooting at. With Seamón, who plays Harper, William's best friend (and love interest), Diemer initiated a one-on-one Zoom meeting.
"A huge part of that, for me, is: how do we make everyone feel comfortable? And then: how do I service the project and the actors I'm working with so that we can really collaborate in a really beautiful way?" More than just an indication of the kind of lead Diemer sought to be on Supercell, this way of working — of putting in the effort to foster a relationship with his fellow actors — is essentially how he thrives as an actor. "I love to enter those personal relationships, and [think about] how do we work as human beings? And then, create the characters on top of that."
You need only watch Supercell to see how organic the chemistry feels between Diemer and his castmates, effectively grounding the larger natural disaster narrative in a story about family. It's "Speilberg-ian energy," as Flickering Myth described it in their review. In fact, Winterstern's goal, per his director's note, was to bring back the family/adventure film of the 90s, not unlike Jurassic Park — which meant an all-out fun experience. Between rain machines and 10-feet-tall fans and leaf blowers mimicking the conditions of a storm, Diemer, said, "It was a blast. I was having the time of my life."
Seamón on Getting Matching Tattoos with Heche
Seamón, too, had an unforgettable experience working on Supercell. Having grown up on Steven Spielberg's adventure movies, Winterstern's script checked all the boxes for her. "When I originally said I wanted to be an actor, those were the kinds of [projects] that I was thinking of," she said. "And when Jamie gave me that opportunity, I was like, yeah, 100%, absolutely." More than that, Seamón's Supercell character shared a connection to the one she played in We Are Who We Are, which ultimately piqued her interest. "Caitlin [from We Are Who We Are], during their transition, was also Harper, so I guess it was meant to be in a way."
After William temporarily runs away from home, Harper and his mom, Quinn, embark on a road trip together to chase after him. As the two sole people in William's life, Harper and Quinn have one of the most interesting relationships in Supercell, a subtle dynamic made more prominent and magnetic thanks to Seamón and Heche's chemistry on-screen (as seen in our exclusive clip here). In the film, Harper lost her mothe which was something that was, in fact, close to home for Winterstern. "Jamie expressed a lot of [his own experience and grief] in the conversations we had when we were just building the character." She added, "It was a very interesting thing to have to navigate. It's something that I haven't had to navigate as an actor before, and I'm really grateful that I had Jamie to help me through that, and explain it in such an amazing way."
With Heche, who tragically died in August 2022, Seamón recalled how instant their connection became — "In a matter of seconds," to be exact — so much so that they ended up getting matching tattoos together. For the film, Heche drew a supercell tattoo as part of Quinn's overall look, which Seamón fell in love with as an idea for an actual tattoo. "It was a very memorable experience that really solidified my and Anne's friendship. She was one of the people I developed the closest friendship with on set." Echoing Diemer's sentiment regarding camaraderie on set being one of the best parts of being an actor, Seamón said, "Being able to see Supercell and have these amazing experiences and have a new cast that's part of my contact list, it gives you the strength to want to continue [acting]."
Supercell is now playing in theaters and is available on digital and on demand.