Billy Crudup Tried to Convince Big Fish Director Tim Burton That He Was the Protagonist

Billy Crudup is currently starring in Apple TV+’s Hello Tomorrow!, and he recently had the chance to chat with ComicBook.com‘s Chris Killian about the new show. During the interview, Killian brought up one of Crudup’s most beloved movies, Tim Burton’s Big Fish. The 2003 film told the story of Edward Bloom and his fantastical, exaggerated memories. The younger version of the character was played by Ewan McGregor and the older version by Albert Finney, who shared many of his scenes with his son William (Crudup). William struggled with his father’s tales, and Crudup admitted to Killian that he sided with his character at the time. Killian compared Crudup’s new role in Hello Tomorrow! to that of Edward in Big Fish and how it’s a bit of a role reversal for the actor. 

“No question, I am in the ‘Jack’ phase of my life now. Looking back, I relate much more to Albert Finney’s character now than I did when we did the movie. I can remember trying to convince Tim Burton that my character was the protagonist. In fact, he was the one who was holding on to the truth, and everyone kept saying, ‘No no, Billy, you’re not getting it. The beautiful fantasies that he’s creating are making a magical life.’ And I was like, ‘No! If he could just give him the truth then both of them would be in the reality and they could share the present together and then really have love.’” Crudup then joked about wanting to get a “colorful monologue instead of being the annoying sidekick.” He added, “But now, yes, being on the other side… it’s a lot easier.” 

What Is Hello Tomorrow! About?

You can read Apple TV+’s synopsis for the new show here: “Set in a retro-future world, Hello Tomorrow! Centers around a group of traveling salesmen hawking lunar timeshares. Crudup stars as Jack, a salesman of great talent and ambition, whose unshakable faith in a brighter tomorrow inspires his coworkers, revitalizes his desperate customers, but threatens to leave him dangerously lost in the very dream that sustains him.”

“The ensemble cast starring alongside Crudup includes Haneefah Wood (Truth Be Told, One Day at a Time), Alison Pill (Them, The Newsroom), Nicholas Podany (Harry Potter And The Cursed Child), Dewshane Williams (The Umbrella Academy, In the Dark), Emmy Award winner Hank Azaria (Brockmire, Ray Donovan), Matthew Maher (Our Flag Means Death), and Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook, Animal Kingdom).”

The first three episodes of Hello Tomorrow! are now streaming on Apple TV+.