Paul Walter Hauser on his ‘psychotic’ year and four massive films

Americana was just one of these things where I read it and I thought, "Well, this could be the next somebody as far as auteurs or people that everyone gets excited about." The way they did with Shane Black and Quentin Tarantino and Diablo Cody. I thought, "This is a voice, this is a brain working in concert with voice, and this is someone who loves storytelling in cinema." You could just tell right on the page. So I was ecstatic to get to be any part in that film. And it just so happens the way he cast it, I would randomly text Tony Tost and be like, "Hey, what about so-and-so for this or that?" I do that with everything I act in, whether I produce or not. I'm always just giving ideas and trying to be helpful. And Tony knew exactly who he wanted for every role. And he was really dogged about knowing what he knew and sticking to his vision. And then when I saw the movie, I was like, "Oh my God, he got great performances out of everyone." There's no weak link in the bunch. It's a film that is so dependent upon the writing and the actors, you know? We don't have any big budget-y stuff to throw at you. So it really had to work, and like I've been saying in all my press, I think it's the best movie I've ever been a part of. I really, really do.