Interview: Simon Rex Muses on the Opportunity That Is ‘Red Rocket’ and What the Future Holds

Simon Rex has earned his moment in the sun. The actor has paid his dues over the years, struggling for roles and not getting the respect he deserves. Now, thanks to Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch, and Red Rocket, everyone is finally recognizing him as a force of nature. The film is phenomenal, with his performance chief among them. His work in the movie is my favorite male turn in 2021, without question. Now, with Red Rocket week continuing here at Awards Radar, he gets a chance to tell his story. In addition to Rex, we’ve had interviews with Bergoch (here), Bree Elrod (here), and Suzanna Son (here) earlier in the week (with Baker still to come tomorrow). If you didn’t know I’m a big fan of the flick, this should just be further proof.

Below, you can hear my conversation with Rex. He’s such an interesting guy, you can’t help but be compelled by his story. Plus, he’s super frank, quirky, and real, so you actually feel like you’re talking to a genuine human being. An odd one, to be sure, but then again, so am I. It’s a good chat, made even better by knowing that you all are about to understand why I love this movie so much. The film is hitting theaters this weekend, so make it your business to see Red Rocket as soon as possible…

This is some of my praise for Rex in my Red Rocket rave review:

Simon Rex is an absolute force of nature here. He attacks the role of Mikey with a zest that’s so hypnotic, you completely understand how so many could wind up under his spell. Rex’s washed up former porn actor is a complete narcissist and about as oily as it gets, but he’s also almost child-like in his actions. He does terrible things, but you want to believe he’s not an irredeemably bad human being. Rex blew me away with a turn that won’t soon be forgotten about. 

Here now is my interview with Red Rocket star Simon Rex. Enjoy:

Red Rocket is in theaters tomorrow!