'Riff Raff' Exclusive Interview: Gabrielle Union

Moviefone speaks with Gabrielle Union about 'Riff Raff' and the all-star cast. "Everyone was ready to go, and it was very serious and professional."

Gabrielle Union stars in 'Riff Raff'.

Opening in theaters nationwide on February 28th is the new crime comedy ‘Riff Raff’, which was directed by Dito Montiel (‘The Son of No One’), and stars Ed Harris (‘State of Grace’), Lewis Pullman (‘Top Gun: Maverick’), Gabrielle Union (‘Strange World’), Jennifer Coolidge (‘The White Lotus’), Pete Davidson (‘The Suicide Squad’), and Bill Murray (‘Lost in Translation’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Gabrielle Union about her work in ‘Riff Raff’, her first reaction to the script and the character, how the project changed her life, and working with the all-star cast.

Related Article: Jake Gyllenhaal and Gabrielle Union Talk Disney's 'Strange World'

Gabrielle Union in 'Riff Raff'. Photo: Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.

Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to this screenplay and how did you approach playing your character?

Gabrielle Union: Well, thankfully I was offered the role of Sandy. They sent the script, and I was like, "Are you kidding me? This is a dream." They were like, "Jennifer Coolidge is starring in this, she's executive producing. Ed Harris would be your husband." I'm like, "Sign me up. I will pay to be in this." The script was so fantastic, and I knew that this could be a role that change my life and change my career. So, I was excited and very honored to even be considered much less a straight offer. So that was exciting.

MF: To follow up on something you just said, how do you think that this project has changed your life and career?

GU: Not everything made it, but what we shot was some of the toughest material I'd ever worked with, and some of the most meaningful material I'd ever worked with. It forced me to touch places in my life and in my psyche that I'd never really drawn from before. It forced me to be a different kind of vulnerable than I've ever played. I loved that challenge, so I was a little disappointed when some of that didn't make it. But yeah, that's why I took the role, because I knew that I would be challenged. It scared me a little bit, so if it scares me, I know I should absolutely take it.

(L to R) Miles J. Harvey and Ed Harris in 'Riff Raff'. Photo: Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.

MF: Finally, there is a long scene in the film that features the entire cast. How many days did it take to shoot that sequence, and what was it like being on set with legendary performers like Ed Harris, Bill Murray and Jennifer Coolidge?

GU: I mean, because pretty much everything took place in that house, so the set is in that house. There are two tiny holding rooms for the whole cast. So, there's a group of us that are piled into some small child's room, and then some are in the bigger bedroom. We had the director and video village also, and there's not a lot of space. There's zero privacy, there's one bathroom. It was tight and everyone prepares in a different way, so we had to be very focused and respectful of everybody's processes. It was very serious and professional. Everyone was kind of ready to go when it was time. So, everyone had to really be on point, and I think it might've been two days. It felt more like one, but yeah, about two days or a day and a half. The whole movie was like three weeks. We didn't have a ton of time, so you had to be on point. You better be ready for your close-up, because we just didn't have the time to probably give everyone all the coverage that we would've normally had if we had a longer shooting schedule.

Riff Raff

"Crime is a family affair."

R1 hr 43 minFeb 28th, 2025

Showtimes & Tickets

A retired hit man's life is turned upside down when his ex-wife and son arrive unannounced during the holidays because they are on the run from his former mob associates. Read the Plot

What is the plot of ‘Riff Raff’?

The life of a former criminal (Ed Harris) is thrown into turmoil when his old family (Jennifer Coolidge and Lewis Pullman) appear for a long-awaited reckoning.