The Making of MR. K: Crispin Glover on His Role and the Film’s Unique Visual World

Crispin Glover in MR. K | Courtesy of Doppelgänger Releasing

By Shannon McGrew

In MR. K, traveling magician Mr. K (Crispin Glover), is down on his luck. Business is slow, and the few gigs he’s picked up along the road have left him adrift. After spending the night in a remote hotel, he is alarmed when he discovers that he is unable to find the exit. As he explores the maze-like corridors, he hears strange noises and encounters a series of curious inhabitants who have formed their own factions within the hotel's walls. 

Alone and afraid, he starts mapping out the corridors, desperately hoping to get to the bottom of the building’s layout before it is too late. Stuck more hopelessly than ever and about to give up, he makes a bizarre discovery that will change everything.

For the release of MR. K, Creepy Kingdom’s Shannon McGrew spoke to Mr. K himself, Crispin Glover. During our chat, we discussed everything from his initial reaction to the script and the open-ended nature of the story that leaves plenty for audiences to interpret.

When you first received the script for MR. K, what was it about the project that caught your attention and made you want to be part of it?

Crispin Glover: I received the screenplay and a PDF file that outlined the inspirations for the production design. I could tell that it was going to be a good production, and the script was well-written. I had a Zoom meeting with Tallulah, and we talked for a long time about a lot of different things, and it worked out. 

Fionnula Flanagan, Dearbhla Molloy, and Crispin Glover in MR. K | Courtesy of Doppelgänger Releasing

How was it stepping into the character of Mr. K? What did you bring to it that wasn’t necessarily already on the page? 

Crispin Glover: I’m a filmmaker as well, and I like to attempt to make something open for interpretation by the audience on some level. I could tell that Mr. K was written in such a way that it had that, which I appreciate. The way it was written, it would not necessarily be clear what some of the things Tallulah wanted from the character were. Most of those things aligned with what I wanted in the character, but not everything. There were some very specific elements that I wanted to include at the end of the film, but they did not make it into the final cut. However, as a filmmaker myself, I understood that she had a specific thing that she wanted. Nonetheless, I appreciate the film and that she did what she wanted to do; it is a movie that remains open to interpretation. I think she did a good job with that. 

There were things that I wanted, and it also differentiated from how I initially approached the character. Most of the things that she wanted me to do that were different from what I wanted to do didn’t occlude what was the one thing that I really wanted. That one thing I really wanted isn’t in the film [Laughs]. The other changes were relatively topical. The main thing is I feel that it’s a film that people can have an interpretation of, and that I’m very much a proponent of. 

The production design in MR. K is so striking. How did working in that kind of environment inform or shape your performance?

Crispin Glover: We mainly shot in a studio in Copenhagen. The hotel itself was located in the studio, and we also did some location shooting. They were all nicely selected, and the set design was well done. The most unusual set piece is at the very end in that fleshy environment that I’m in. That was actually a scene where I had worked out something very specific. In terms of the environment, to use a term from acting technique called sense memory, which often comes into play. Whatever environment you’re in, sometimes one may just be reacting within the actual environment, and sometimes one might be reacting within interpretations, either emotionally or imaginatively. You utilize different techniques, so to speak, for different situations. I could tell and understand what the mood was intended for the most part. I would say 98% of what Tallulah wanted was clear, and what I wanted was clear, and we were aligned. There was something about the way the character felt about himself that initially gave me a different thought process, and that changed. 

I really enjoyed the ending, especially how it leaves room for different interpretations. For me, it had a cosmic horror feel. What’s the main thing you hope sticks with viewers?

Crispin Glover: I don’t see the ending as horror, but I can see where it has a fantastical quality to it. Or even perhaps psychedelic. That was something I brought up with both Tallulah and the producer about that end sequence. It was reminiscent to me of a certain sort of psychedelic imagery from certain filmmakers. Because I’m an actor in this film as opposed to the filmmaker, I always feel silly when asked about the interpretation of the film because their perspective is about their character, in a way, but, of course, an actor can step outside of that. I’m careful when I go on tour with my films that I don't dictate to the audience what the film is about. That said, what Tallulah created definitely allows people to interpret things in multiple ways.

MR. K is now in theaters.