Julio Torres in ‘Together Together’
Some stars get up, some sneak up on the audience. Julio Torres belongs to the latter category.
The bizarre and beautiful queer comic immigrated to the United States from El Salvador as a child. As an adult, he studied literary studies at the prestigious New School in New York with his eyes set on a career: acting. His price did not escape him for long; he landed a spot in the Writer’s Room for Saturday Night Live in 2016, a job that earned him four Emmy nominations. He landed his own comedy special in 2019 titled My Favorite Forms, in which he showed off his particular brand of abstract comedy. That same year, he co-created and starred in the comedy Los Espookys for HBO.
2021 sees Torres appear in one of the best comedies of the year, Together Together, which hits VOD on May 11. The film, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, follows Matt (Ed Helms), a middle-aged single man who decides to become a dad thanks to a surrogate named Anna (Patti Harrison). In the film, Torres plays Jules, a barista spaced out from the cafe and colleague of Anna. As her feelings for Matt and her unborn child become more complicated, Jules steps in to offer her moral advice.
We took the time to chat with Torres about his new acting career and his innovative brand of comedy. Together Together hits VOD on May 11.
So how did you land the role of Jules?
You know, I knew my friend Patti was going to be in the movie. I think Patti is not only wonderful – company that I always want – but yes, therefore talented in a passionate and sincere way. At one point, someone was like there is a small role in the movie they want you to do. So I was like Oh? Yes. Then I read it and saw that it was [a good part].
It’s a good reason. And Patti is wonderful in the movie. Watching the movie also makes your characters relate very well to each other. Jules is sort of a moral compass in some ways for Anna. As I watched though, I saw some julio-isms in the character. Jules wipes his nose a lot, what you do in your stand-up to kind of punctuate a joke.
It is very observant. And it was not intentional.
[Laughter]
I always keep an eye on me.
Well, all there is to ask: have you improvised a lot, because you are friends?
Do you know what nose wiping is? I am very green as an actor. I’m really in front of the camera thinking what do humans do?
[Laughter]
So I’m like, sometimes humans touch their ear. So I count one… two… three…touch my ear. And i’m like I’m cheating on everyone. So playing with the nose is probably an instinct of oh yeah people do that.
We improvised, in fact. First of all, I never assume, as a writer – that’s what I find my joy – that I try to be respectful to other writers. I don’t suppose people will be interested in actors who improvise. But Nicole was extremely generous and extremely confident. She knew she had packed the movie with comedians, and she did it very deliberately. It showed a lot of confidence. So it was a very, very warm environment to be funny. Patti and I had a lot of fun.
It’s fantastic. And it’s interesting: there’s a tendency among directors working with people who have a background in comedy to just turn the camera around and expect them to be funny. How is Nicole Beckwith leading you?
Again, “give” is the word that comes to mind. She provided small anchors for my scenes, just to make sure she had usable footage.
Sure.
Other than that, she really trusted me. I certainly felt privileged to walk in and she was like Okay do what you think is right. And she didn’t stop me. She was very encouraging and talked about letting me know that she liked what I was doing. This type of role, for some reason, this Jules type person just keeps showing up in the things that I do. It’s deceptively difficult for me because I’m not – I introduce myself as someone like that, but I’m not like that at all. It’s not very natural for me to be bratty and speak fast.
We both love sparkly things, but that’s about it. So I’m always afraid of doing a terrible job. But Nicole liked what I did.
It’s awesome. The other thing about this movie – it’s very weird, but it doesn’t seem to be. This is a very straight relationship, but at the same time, Patti is a transexual playing a pregnant and cisgender woman, and it’s interesting that the two moral guides in the play are Jules and Matt’s therapist, played by Tig Notaro; this strongly implies that they are also homosexuals. Does that make it a hidden, queer movie? How do you characterize it?
I think it’s a movie that has caught up with the world. He shows the world what he is now. I don’t think having a queer therapist is revolutionary, but the film is very nonchalant and laid back in welcoming queer people. He skips a lot of steps. This is the world now, and I appreciate it for it.
Related: WATCH: Adorably Weird Julio Torres Vows To Steal The Show In ‘Together, Together’
I also have to ask you about your brand of comedy, which is quite unique. Your Wikipedia article describes it as surreal, but I’m not sure if I would call it that. Something like “My Favorite Shapes” kind of makes perfect sense. A cactus meaning walking late to a meeting… kinda makes sense. Where does it come from? How do you characterize this kind of abstract connection?
[A beat]
It’s sort of the only way I know of to be able to say what I mean. In my everyday life, I speak a lot in metaphor, explaining things through other things, or explaining how I feel through symbols. It’s not deliberate, it’s just how it comes out. I pride myself on never being deliberately obtuse or weird. I don’t see much value in being a very exclusive artist. While I realize that no one would consider me “mainstream” or “accessible”, I don’t want to prevent anyone from participating in what I do.
You are also so impassive in your delivery. What are your influences? Is it a conscious choice to stay facing the stone?
It’s just the way it comes out; I’m focusing.
[Laughter]
I am concentrated. I try to be precise and deliberate. So that’s really how it comes out. I never thought of it as a character. If you meet me and hang out with me, I speak a little faster. But it’s also because I don’t think a conversation will be immortalized.
Sure.
The first time I started doing stand-up on open mics, someone called what I was doing as a character, as a character. And that was a compliment. But I was like no i’m just trying to put it right. So that’s where it comes from. I am patient because I like my audience to be patient.
What’s great about a patient audience? I’ve never heard it described that way.
Well, I think a patient audience is a confident audience. I don’t think I succeed, necessarily, at having a hook or anything like that. The show I have with my friend Ana, Los Espookys –this show is also patient. It takes patience because it forces people to enter a space where they do not yet have all the answers. They come in knowing they can never get the answers, but they love the ride. [That’s different from] watching a show because it tells you what you already know or love.
It’s really interesting. Since you mentioned it, what is the status of Los Espookys Season 2?
We were shooting, then we had to stop when everyone had to stop [because of COVID-19]. All other productions have resumed, but Los Espookys is such a logistical nightmare considering we are filming in Chile. They constitute their own ecosystem when it comes to COVID. Patience is therefore the key word. We are patient and look forward to coming back. We’re almost done with Season 2. There might be glaring continuity issues, but we’ve created a world in which it might not matter. Everyone wants to do it – HBO, Ana, Fred, me, everyone on the show – but sometimes a pandemic happens.
Hopefully not again anytime soon.
You don’t want another one?
I don’t like to be greedy. I’m good with one, thanks.
Together Together arrives on VOD on May 11.
