‘A Family Affair’ Interview: Joey King and Zac Efron

Premiering on Netflix on June 28th is the new romantic comedy ‘A Family Affair’, which was directed by Richard LaGravenese (‘Beautiful Creatures’) and stars Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman (‘The Hours’), Joey King (‘Bullet Train’), Zac Efron (‘The Iron Claw’) and Oscar-winner Kathy Bates (‘Misery’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down in-person with Joey King and Zac Efron to talk about their work on ‘A Family Affair’, their approach to their characters, and working with Nicole Kidman.

Related Article: Joey King Talks Hulu’s ‘The Princess’

Moviefone: To begin with, Zac, can you talk about your approach to this character, having the opportunity to make fun of celebrity, and what was it like for you playing a character as insecure as Chris Cole?

Zac Efron: I mean, it was fun. I guess, I got to just amplify a lot of feelings and things that I’ve experienced over the course of my career, in a very fun way and just jab at it a little bit. So yeah, it was fun.

MF: How would you describe Chris’s working relationship with Zara?

ZE: She’s seeing him at his absolute worst. She’s got to be terrified. It’d be weird if I put myself in Zara’s shoes. It’s a very awkward scenario.

MF: Joey, can you talk about how Zara’s relationship with Chris changes once he starts dating her mom?

Joey King: So, Zara and Chris have a very interesting relationship when we first meet them. It’s tense, but also full of love. It’s like a family kind of relationship. They hate each other, but they’d do anything for each other. When Brooke comes into the mix and starts dating Chris, it’s like everything that was just bubbling under the surface for Zara and Chris, and the tension they had, just explodes to the surface. Zara just cannot handle how this man is ruining her life, in more ways than one. She’s employed by him, and now he’s dating her mom!

MF: Zac, can you talk about Chris’ feelings for Brooke, what he sees in her and what it was like working on that relationship with Nicole Kidman?

ZE: It’s interesting. I think Chris and Brooke’s relationship in the film, it just feels very natural. It feels very easy, and I don’t think they have to pretend around each other. I’d say that’s pretty much like how working with Nicole was for me in real life. So yeah, it’s just very natural, very easy, and always fun. Nicole’s just the best. She’s the sweetest and full of love.

MF: Finally, Joey, can you talk about the betrayal Zara feels when her mom starts dating her boss and what it was like for you working with Nicole Kidman?

JK: So first, for your first question, working with Nicole is just, I mean she’s so fantastic. It’s hard to encapsulate what an angel she is in terms of just how I admire her. Also, just becoming friendly with her. She’s just truly so special. I’m so lucky to work with her and Zach, they’re both fantastic. The betrayal that Zara feels is super intense. Obviously, it’s wrapped up in this hilarious predicament, but when we see Zara in her raw moments, she’s really hurt by this, and she’s really affected by it. I think that that’s where the growth comes in, because Zara realizes, “Yes, it’s okay that she’s hurt by this. She absolutely has every right to feel hurt by this, but it’s not the end of the world.” I think that there lies her growth in terms of what her mom, who’s not just her mom, deserves as a person. I think this story makes Zara really see her mom as a woman, not just her mom for the first time. It’s a definite new chapter for them. All good things but I think all important change starts with discomfort. I think that Zara and Brooke have a big uncomfortable moment. Then through that blossoms this new chapter of their relationship, where I think they can be better friends and not just have a mother daughter dynamic. I think we can all relate, if we have a parent that we’re close with, there was a moment where you are like, I see you as a person, not just a parent, and that you’re helping your parents. You’re like, I want you to see me like a person, not just your child. Going through that moment of change usually is met with fighting and discomfort, but also through that comes a much better relationship in the end.

What is the plot of ‘A Family Affair’?

Zara (Joey King), a young woman who works as the personal assistant to self-absorbed Hollywood star Chris Cole (Zac Efron), discovers that her boss is having a secret romantic relationship with her widowed mother (Nicole Kidman).

Who is in the cast of ‘A Family Affair’?

• Zac Efron as Chris Cole
• Joey King as Zara Ford
• Nicole Kidman as Brooke Harwood
• Kathy Bates as Leila Ford
• Liza Koshy as Eugenie

(L to R) Nicole Kidman as Brooke Harwood, Zac Efron as Chris Cole and Joey King as Zara Ford in ‘A Family Affair’. Photo: Tina Rowden/Netflix © 2024.

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