New sci-fi dark comedy, Daddy, takes place in a dystopian society where the state decides who’s fit to father children. The film sees four men attend a retreat, hoping they will prove their devotion and be permitted to start a family. After they arrive in the remote mountains of California, the group realizes they have been left without a list of instructions. The isolation begins to take a toll, causing them to wonder if they’re truly ready for parenthood.
Directed by Neal Kelley and Jono Sherman, the movie stars Yuriy Sardarov, Jacqueline Toboni, Pomme Koch, and Britt Baron. Saradarov, who is known for his role as Brian “Otis” Zvonecek in Chicago Fire, shares that he was drawn to Daddy due to its underlying mystery. His character, Sebastian, wants to remain in control throughout the chaotic situation, and the actor enjoyed depicting the particular brand of paranoia.
ScreenRant exclusively interviews Sardarov about the world-building in Daddy, portraying the effects of secluded observation, and his love for the Chicago Fire cast.
Sardarov Breaks Down The Men’s Dynamic In Daddy
“[When] you’re all competing against one another, it creates a very intrinsically violent scenario for everybody.”
ScreenRant: What drew you to Daddy and made you want to be a part of the film?
Yuriy Sardarov: I’ve known Neal and Jono, the directors and writers, since college, and they told me that they were working on this project for a while. During Covid, we were doing readings and stuff. I’m not going to lie, when I first read it, I didn’t really get it.
I didn’t understand what they were trying to do, and that’s what drew me towards it—sort of the mystery of it. I understood the characters, I could see the arcs of the characters, but I didn’t really get their vision, but I trusted them as creators. I said, “I’d love to be on this journey with you.” The mystery, really, to speak.
I’ve never seen reproductive rights depicted quite like this in film. What was your reaction to the world-building?
Yuriy Sardarov: The thing that I really respect about the film is—first of all, we worked on it for so long. But [we’re] presenting this to the world, and allowing the audience to live in it for an hour and a half, and to walk away with their own opinions. Unfortunately, now it seems like this movie is timeless. We couldn’t have chosen a better time to release it.
These characters are stuck together and being watched in a confined space. How did you and the cast go about portraying the physical and mental effects that would have on a person?
Yuriy Sardarov: I think just filming in such a secluded space—I remember the first day we showed up on set. It was super dark, it was super early, it was like 4:00 AM, and we were driving through this canyon in Topanga, and we showed up, and I couldn’t really get a sense of the space at all because it was completely dark, and we were being lit by flashlights. And I went through hair and makeup. I’d never seen it before.
And then, as the sun started to rise over the horizon, I got a sense of just how alone we were in the canyon and how secluded this space that they chose was. And that really sort of set the tone and the mood for the entire film—how beautiful the locale is and how secluded it is at the same time. For me, as a man, growing up, I think relationships with other men can be very complicated.
When you’re thrown into a room with three different men you’ve never met before, and you’re all competing against one another, it creates a very intrinsically violent scenario for everybody. You don’t want to get physical with anybody, but you’re still trying to come out on top. The writing really helped us achieve that.
Sardarov’s Daddy Character Believes He’s The Alpha Of The Group
“I think his paranoia is a very particular brand of masculine paranoia, and it was a lot of fun to play.”
The men don’t get along too well in the film, but how was filming with such a small cast in real life?
Yuriy Sardarov: Oh, it was great. We could keep it light and on our feet, and the crew was just phenomenal. So many of them were AFI graduates, American Film Institute out in LA, and they were so professional, and they had all graduated together, so they kind of had a shorthand. They always say that, on a film set or on a TV set, something’s going to go wrong, so just budget time and budget resources for one day to go awry.
And it felt like up until the very last day of shooting, when there was a positive Covid diagnosis, nothing went wrong because we were able to improvise so much of what we were doing and how we were doing it. They came in with a very clear vision, but having such a light crew and a light cast, you’re able to move on your feet.
Everyone is paranoid and it manifests in different ways. What stood out to you about the way your character reacts to this situation?
Yuriy Sardarov: The one thing that Neal kept telling me was, “He’s the alpha. He’s the alpha of the group. You know in your heart that you’re the alpha.” And that was great to think about and to really zero-in on. However, I think that when someone looks at themselves and considers themselves the alpha, this funny thing happens where they start getting in their own way because they have this hierarchy in their head of how things should work.
I think for Sebastian, my character, someone who’s always in control, when things start going awry, and you start realizing that there is no control, his first instinct is to get angry and to get stereotypically alpha. I didn’t really know where the performance was going to take me, but the direction that I kept getting was like, “He’s the leader. Take control.” It led me down this very interesting path. It brought out all these emotions in me. I think his paranoia is a very particular brand of masculine paranoia, and it was a lot of fun to play.
One of my favorite scenes is when the men are struggling to explain why they want to be fathers. Did you do multiple takes for that?
Yuriy Sardarov: Oh, yeah. I think at some point that shot turns into one. We did do multiple takes. I think the first is the one that we ended up using for that final bit of the scene. I’m in my mid-thirties. I’m married, and I also wonder about this question. Maybe not so egregiously as these men do, but I wonder about these questions. They’re kind of at the point where they think they’re being watched, so they’re trying to form coherent thoughts while also being aware that maybe somebody is watching them and judging them.
And the funny thing is, I just don’t know if they’ve really considered that question before coming to this retreat. This is just sort of a defacto thing that you have to do as a man. You get married, you make money, you have a kid, you have a family, you raise a family, and your legacy is secured. I think when that question is raised in such a paranoid atmosphere, nobody really knows how to respond. It just sort of turns into this jumble. It was so fun and funny to film. We couldn’t stop laughing after everything.
We’ve been working on it for so long. We’ve had so many readings. It really kind of felt second nature to us at that point, which is such a blessing with film, right? Film moves so quickly and the day is over. You can snap your fingers and then it’s over. It’s in the can, and you’ve got to move on. Because it was so mysterious to me, being able to digest the material and hold onto the mystery, I think, what came out is what came out, and that’s what we get to watch.
Sardarov Would Return To Chicago Fire “In A Heartbeat”
“I miss everybody, and I love everybody. It was just such a pleasant set to be on.”
You wrapped this film a while back, so what’s next for you? You’ve worked on Chicago Fire, The Rookie, and FBI: International, so are you interested in doing more procedurals?
Yuriy Sardarov: I take what comes to me on a piece-by-piece basis. Really, it’s the writing. Really it’s, “Do I trust the filmmakers and the team behind it? Do I trust what their vision is? What are the questions they’re asking?” Not necessarily, “What are the statements that they’re trying to make?”
Chicago Fire, man, I miss those folks. I had such a great time filming it for nearly a decade of my life. But I think just like anybody else, you find it becomes time to move on and try different things. I’ve been dipping my toe back into theater, which is so fantastic, and I’m just waiting for the right opportunity to come along, reading a lot of scripts, and seeing what comes.
We’re still mourning Otis’ death. If the opportunity ever arose, would you want to go back to Chicago Fire and do a flashback scene or anything of that nature?
Yuriy Sardarov: Oh, yeah! Oh my God. Look, that’s my family. We got so close on that set, and I just saw a bunch of them the other week. And I would do it in a heartbeat, just because I miss everybody, and I love everybody. It was just such a pleasant set to be on.
Everybody that comes onto that set, every actor that comes on goes, “Well, the rumors I’ve heard are true. This is the greatest cast that I’ve ever worked with.” And they continue to do that, and that’s why the show’s so successful. That’s why it goes on for so long. People want to be there.
About Sci-Fi Dark Comedy Daddy
Directed by Neal Kelley and Jono Sherman
In a dystopian society where the state has the power to determine who can and cannot father children, four men attend a government-sanctioned retreat in the remote mountains of California. When they show up at the site, only to find no guide or instructions, they are left to their own devices and must prove to themselves–and each other–that they have what it takes to become fathers.
Check out the release dates for Daddy below:
Road Show Screenings
- December 5 (includes live Q&A with directors): Michigan Theater – Ann Arbor MI
- December 11: Gardena Theater – Gardena, CA
Theatrical Release (additional dates TBA)
- January 24–January 26: Hollywood Blvd Cinema, Woodridge, IL
Video on Demand
- February 25
