Jordan Peele Shares Inspiring Moment Nope Star Realized They’d Been Cast in the Film

Filmmaker Jordan Peele has a reputation of enlisting beloved performers to bring his stories to life, but this year’s Nope saw him cast relative newcomer Brandon Perea to play Angel in the sci-fi experience. Peele was so won over by Perea’s take on the character, he even rewrote the script to more accurately reflect the performer’s energy, with the filmmaker sharing the footage of his reveal to Perea that he was cast in the film while presenting him with a Rising Star award at the Critics Choice Awards. You can check out the adorable encounter in the video below. 

In the video, you can see Peele reveal that he’d be forced to rewrite the script with Perea’s version of Angel, to which Perea clearly looks disappointed, though his expression changes when Peele says he plans to rewrite the script, as if it was still an enlightening process for the both of them. It’s not until then that Peele emphasizes he’s rewriting the script in order to cast Perea, only then expressing his enthusiasm for the opportunity.

@monkeypawproductions

WE LOVE A PLOT TWIST 🌪️ @brandonperea’s reaction to getting the role in @nopemovie is just 🤌🏾 #nopemovie #angeltorres #jordanpeele

♬ original sound – Monkeypaw

While the video itself only shows Perea’s reaction, the actor recalled earlier this month how the audition also resulted in Peele getting emotional.

“Well, I got a callback, and then was invited to do an improv session on Zoom with Jordan — I get on the call and he’s like, ‘So with the character you brought me, I’m going to have to rewrite the script to make it work,’” Perea detailed to The Hollywood Reporter. “I thought, ‘Oh God, I’m never getting this job, but I’m just glad to be able to get in front of Jordan Peele.’ But then he said, ‘You got the part, I’m going to rewrite it.’ I started crying and giving him my whole spiel about how all the up-and-down emotions of trying to make it in Hollywood were worth it now. And then he started crying, too.”

In the film, following their father’s shocking death, Hollywood animal wrangler OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and his sister Emerald (Keke Palmer) begin observing unexplained phenomena on their vast Southern California ranch that leads them down an obsessive rabbit hole as they plot attempts to capture the mystery on camera. Along with a former child star turned family theme park ringmaster (Steven Yeun) who neighbors the siblings, the pair’s efforts to chase the spectacle soon bring terrifying consequences and unimaginable horror. The result is a complex social thriller that unpacks the seeds of violence, risk, and opportunism that are inseparable from the romanticized history of the American West … and from show business itself.

Nope is out now on home video.

What did you think of the actor’s performance? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!