Snack Shack, starring Conor Sherry, Gabriel LaBelle, and Mika Abdalla, is available to buy on Digital platforms on June 3rd and to rent on June 17th.
In Nebraska City during the long, hot summer of 1991, best friends AJ (Conor Sherry) and Moose (Gabriel LaBelle) seize the opportunity to run the local pool’s rundown snack shack after their plan to gamble on dog races and sell home-brewed beer goes down the drain. Dreaming of striking it rich, things take an unexpected turn when they meet summer visitor Brooke (Mika Abdalla), an effortlessly cool lifeguard who puts their big summer plans and their friendship at risk. The film also stars Nick Robinson as Shane and David Costabile as Judge.
Snack Shack is a nostalgic journey for those of us who came of age before the era of cell phones and social media, and a brilliant escape for those who wish they had.
Q – What was your high school experience like? Were you anything like your character?
Conor: The first time I read the script, I remember calling my mom and telling her how shocked I was at the similarities. Playing AJ was so special to me because he represented parts of myself that, on the surface, people might not inherently take note of. For instance, I relate to his tendency to observe and internalise his feelings. Since I was young, I’ve been captivated by observing people. Most who meet me would agree that I am a risk-taker, but the side that often gets overlooked is how much thought and calculation I put into it. AJ is always down for the adventure but prefers to take a beat and think first. One difference between AJ and me is… I don’t smoke cigarettes. However, through my research, I’ve learned that smoking cigarettes in Nebraska was much more common in the ’90s (I wasn’t even born yet!).
Gabriel: I had a great time in high school. My friends and I were stupid and funny, and so much of what we got up to was recorded. So I got to go through old footage and channel a lot of that energy.
Mika: Brooke’s a lot cooler than I was in high school, but at the time, I also felt more like an adult than I really was – and definitely did some crazy shit, so in that sense, I’d say we’re fairly similar. But I would have to say I’m honestly probably most like AJ. I was really, really afraid of getting in trouble and had other people dragging me into shit all the time.
Q – Working at the pool/snack shack is a pretty cool job. What was your first job, and how did it compare?
Conor: Growing up, I was infamous in my neighbourhood for selling everything under the sun. I was most successful with my car wash business, homemade lemonade stand, and most proudly with my rock-selling business. Yes, I was tired of the overhead from car wash supplies and lemonade cups, so at age 9, I started painting rocks and selling them door-to-door. Perhaps if I become a well-known artist, my customers will see a good return on their investment in my art. Ask me about the lemonade scandal from the summer of 2009; it’s a riveting story.
Gabriel: My first job outside of acting was at an Italian restaurant when I was 14. Some of the best Italian food I’ve ever had. I wasn’t writing “fuck” on any of the food, but I did have fun.
Q – AJ and Moose get into a lot of trouble over the summer. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever been caught doing as a teen?
Conor: During my freshman year of high school, my friends and I were at a birthday party across the street from the neighbourhood public school. Naturally, in classic teen fashion, at the late hour of 8:30 pm, someone had the bright idea that we should climb on the roof and check out the stars. However, after 15-20 minutes of enjoying the view, we’re silenced by the loudest WHIP! WHIP! WHIP! As a 15-year-old student government, speech, and debate kid, I looked up in utter shock, straight into the brightest white light in the world. Yes, it was a police helicopter. We dispersed like cockroaches and ‘book it’ like Forest Gump. It was highly chaotic, but honestly, quite the adrenaline rush.
Mika: My parents were so chill, I never really got “caught.” My dad has some pretty insane stories, though!
Q – What would be your go-to Snack Shack order?
Conor: It pains me to say this, but I have been a proud vegetarian my entire life, so I’d have to go with a veggie dog. Now, if you mean the Snack Shack in 1991, Nebraska City, there was no chance of a veggie dog, so I’ll settle for a Reese’s peanut butter cup.
Gabriel: A fuck dog and a Diet Coke!
Mika: Dippin’ Dots really used to do it… with a bag of chips to balance out the sweet.
Q – What is your favourite ’90s trend?
Conor: I’ve got to go with the Jorts. The second I returned to LA, I went straight to the thrift store to find my pair of long jean shorts. In this movie, we got to wear such cool fits; it encouraged me to embrace the 90s vibe and get some baggy clothes.”
Mika: See-through tech was insane, and I don’t know why it hasn’t come back around. That and JNCOs.
Q – What was it like working with director Adam Rehmeier?
Conor: Adam is incredibly talented, but his understanding of flow really stuck out to me. His ability to zoom out and see the emotional arc of the entire movie, then guide specific scenes, was incredible. I relied heavily on him for this, as some days we would shoot up to 5 scenes with completely different emotional beats. After seeing the movie’s final cut, I understood the true magic that Adam Rehmeier brought to this film and just how in touch he was with the emotion and rhythm of the story from the very beginning. In other words, he’s empathetic with a vision: an actor’s dream.
I’ve always heard it’s special when you get to work with a Writer/Director because the vision is clear, and after my experience, I totally agree. Being cast as AJ and having the chance to embody Adam and be a part of telling his story was something I didn’t take lightly. From the start, Adam made it clear that he cast us all for a reason and that we weren’t meant to copy anyone; instead, we were to find the balance within ourselves through the characters.
Adam has a unique sense of play that really allowed Gabe and me to bounce off each other and build realistic best-friend banter. Much of my preparation as an actor stems from music; often, a song is all I need to get into the right headspace. Lucky for me, Adam is also an incredible musician. Before shooting, he sent me a four-hour playlist of ’90s music that directly tied into the script and would end up being my blueprint as I prepared while walking the suburbs of Nebraska City.
Gabriel: Adam’s an incredibly liberating director to work with. He lets you go far and wide and will explore any idea with you. His notes are very economical, so when they come in, it’s to save your life. We see eye to eye on many things and get along super well. I’d love to keep working with him.
Mika: It was genuinely the best experience. Adam is incredibly passionate about his work, yet remains remarkably chilled. He really trusted all of us with our characters, which was really freeing and made the work so fulfilling.
Q – This one is for Gabriel and Mika. What was it like working with Conor?
Gabriel: Conor and I got to spend two weeks together hanging out and exploring Nebraska City before shooting, so when we walked on set, we were already great friends. It was like summer camp; we could trust and make fun of each other, which created an incredibly authentic dynamic. I love Conor.
Mika: We shot the film over the summer in Nebraska City, so it really felt like we were just kids hanging out. We got to bond in a way that wouldn’t have been possible if we were filming in a larger location with numerous activities to do. I think we all had a lot of fun.
Q – And this one is for Conor. What was it like working with Gabriel and Mika?
Conor: As actors, Gabe and I bounced off each other really well. It was chaotic yet contained, like a ping-pong match in the Olympics. I think Gabe’s brilliant because he’s able to balance his intense devotion to his craft while remaining spontaneous when the cameras are rolling.
We were both lucky enough to be flown to Nebraska 2 weeks before we started shooting. Looking back, being able to work the real Snack Shack and hang out with the locals was a game-changer. I am so grateful to have worked with Gabe on this project and benefited from his all-in mentality. It didn’t matter who the camera was on; Gabe would give 100% every time, a practice I’ve heard isn’t always standard in this industry. After our initial 2 weeks of running free, it felt like nothing had changed when we started shooting. Besides the giant camera and crew, the energy and dynamic Gabe and I established early on carried us through the summer.
Mika Abdalla is incredibly present as an actress. It didn’t matter what the scene was; she was always grounded. It was almost like magic, because one moment we would be laughing about nonsense, and then, on “Action!” she was staring into my soul without an ounce of doubt. The real-life dynamics aligned perfectly with our characters. Ask her about how she mistook my leg hairs for grass blades and pulled them out during the nail-painting scene!
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