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Q&A with Ansel Elgort and Mike Birbiglia from The Fault in Our Stars Movie Set

2013-10-04 · collab / interview · John, Ansel Elgort, Mike Birbiglia · 3:56 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Books & writing · mode: Q&A & conversation · tags: guest or collab, on location, self promotion

On the set of The Fault in Our Stars film, John puts Nerdfighter questions to Ansel Elgort (Augustus), who tells how a rotten Dutch sandwich told him he got the part, and talks with Mike Birbiglia (Patrick) about how he joined the film.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Greeting; the film's support group says hello; John on set for weeks; thanks Hank for his shutdown video

00:00:25 — Ansel Elgort answers Nerdfighter questions: John's new phone, working with John, 'Johnsel', favorite scene

  • ★★ John says many people ask whether 'Johnsel' (John plus Ansel) is going to be a thing; John says it is and that he ships it. (playful) — 00:00:46 · Johnsel

    “what they call 'Johnsel'”

  • ★ Ansel Elgort: Ansel says he thinks 'Johnsel' is already a thing, and ships it too. (playful, hedged) — 00:00:46 · Johnsel

  • ★ John says his wife, who is on set, told him that on Twitter he acts like he has a crush on Ansel. (playful) — 00:00:53 · Sarah Urist Green, Twitter
  • ★★ Ansel Elgort: Asked for his favorite scene so far, Ansel names a car scene with Gus filmed Friday night (John stops spoilers) and calls it his favorite scene as an actor. (hedged) — 00:01:06 · Augustus Waters, The Fault in Our Stars (film)

00:01:25 — Ansel tells how he learned he got the part: a package from Shailene and a rotten Dutch sandwich

00:02:15 — Mike Birbiglia (Patrick): the real story via The Spectacular Now's screenwriters, then a made-up scroll version; the bad hug

  • ★★ John says he also interviewed Mike Birbiglia, one of his favorite comedians and people, who plays Patrick in the film. — 00:02:15 · The Fault in Our Stars (film)
  • ★★ John sums up Birbiglia's real route to the film: he loved The Spectacular Now and befriended its screenwriters, who recommended The Fault in Our Stars; then they invent a funnier version. — 00:02:34 · The Fault in Our Stars

00:03:36 — Sign-off muddle: the shutdown swapped the Tuesday/Friday schedule

  • ★★ Signing off, John muddles Tuesday and Friday and blames the government shutdown for swapping the usual John-Tuesday, Hank-Friday schedule. (playful) — 00:03:41

Humor (significant)

  • Asked a viewer question about what it's like working with a brilliant author like John Green, Ansel answers deadpan. — 00:00:36

    “Um, y'know what, I thought it would be better. I was expecting much more.”

  • John says his wife thinks he acts like he has a crush on Ansel on Twitter. — 00:00:55

    “Because I do. Acting!”

  • Birbiglia and John improvise a 'better for television' version of how he joined the film: he wrote John a letter, long, like in the Middle Ages. — 00:02:41

    “It was on a scroll.”

  • John confuses Tuesday and Friday because the shutdown swapped the schedule. — 00:03:41

    “I'll see you at some indeterminate point in the future. Thanks, government.”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Ansel Elgort · Mike Birbiglia · The Fault in Our Stars (film)

Also: People: Josh Boone · Sarah Urist Green · Shailene Woodley

Works: Divergent (film) · The Fault in Our Stars · The Spectacular Now (film)

Organizations: Twitter

Rituals: See you tomorrow

Terms: Johnsel

Places: Amsterdam · Chicago (city) · New York City

Events: 2013 United States federal government shutdown

Characters: Augustus Waters · Patrick (character, “The Fault in Our Stars”)

Products: iPhone 5S

Also centred on Ansel Elgort: Puppies, Pegasi, and TFiOS Casting: It's Question Tuesday · Secrets of the Movies: Thoughts from The Fault in Our Stars Set

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