Aahana Swrup
Although the Netflix film ‘Jay Kelly’ revolves around the titular character, his manager, Ron Sukenick, also plays a crucial role in the narrative. At its core, the story is about a mega movie star who finds himself on the brink of a midlife crisis when confronted with the reality of his own age and mortality. As a result, in an effort to make the most of his life, the actor decides to go on a trip across Europe, chasing after his daughter, Daisy, while simultaneously trying to make it to a tribute at a film festival. Naturally, his whirlwind decision to embark on this trip sweeps the carpet from under his team’s feet, compelling them to accompany him and entertain his whims. This entourage is in part led by Ron Sukenick, Jay’s manager and his friend, who begins to question the legitimacy of the second title with every passing hour. The character becomes an instrumental tool in humanizing the protagonist and grounding him despite his cloud nine stardom.
The Real Manager Who Influenced Adam Sandler’s Portrayal of the Fictional Ron Sukenick
Director Noah Baumbach, who penned ‘Jay Kelly’ alongside his co-writer, Emily Mortimer, didn’t draw any direct and specific inspirations from real life in the creation of the story and its characters. As a result, while a lot of personal and authentic themes and instances bleed over into the tale, the storytelling elements on screen remain devoid of any obvious off-screen counterparts. This is also true for Ron Sukenick, the titular character’s manager and the deuteragonist of the film. While it is possible that Baumbach and Mortimer took references and influences from real-life Hollywood managers, the conception of the character largely remains a work of fiction. However, as actor Adam Sandler stepped into the role, he brought in his own inspirations, touchstones, and models to the performance.
In the film, Ron is part of Jay Kelly’s managerial team, which includes other individuals such as publicist Liz, stylist Candy, and more. These people form the support system behind the actor, handling the business and public relations aspects of his celebrity and artistry. This results in a unique relationship born from years of loyalty and partnership, where Ron is somehow Jay’s closest friend while also being intrinsically tied to him and his finances in a way that an employee might be. Off-the-bat, Sandler found the biggest reserve of inspiration for this character in his own team. Naturally, the dynamics between the real-life actor’s manager, publicist, etc, were likely different than the ones penned around Jay’s character in the film. Still, there was plenty to learn about the profession and its unique challenges from his own team’s experiences. For the same reason, Sandler opted to shadow his team to get an idea of how Ron might function on a professional level.
In a conversation about the same with Moviefone, Sandler said, “(Sure). I have a team. Laura (Dern) has a team. (George) Clooney has a team. We all have people who grew up with us, worked with us, and feel the highs and feel the times where you say, I got to make a move and do something different, or that kind of stuff, and they back you up, and you always feel comfort with them. I love being a teammate like this for Clooney’s character.” Additionally, the actor also singled out a particular personality, Jeremy Barber, as a model to shape his performance around. Barber, a Partner in the Motion Picture Literary and Talent Departments at UTA, is a super agent who represents Baumbach. His list of clientele also includes the latter’s creative collaborator and wife, Greta Gerwig. As such, the real-life agent’s experience with representing big names in the industry provided some notable influence over Sandler’s performance for Ron Sukenick’s fictitious character.
Read More: Jay Kelly Ending Explained: What Does the Final Scene Signify?
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