IamA Actress & Screenwriter, Robyn Paris, best known for my role as Michelle in "The Room."

Robyn, you know I had to get in on this! My question is: Is there ANY amount of money that would make you go back in time and switch places with me? Love, Juliette

God no!!! God no!! Juliette - I love you. Thank you so much for chiming in here. If you could go back in time and sabotage production as future Juliette - would you??

Honestly, I'm surprised Tommy Wiseau didn't have multiple wives, all named Lisa and hour long sex scenes

Maybe he's saving that for the sequel - The Room 2. I'm surprised he didn't put a bunch of it in The Neighbors!

Hi Robyn- Can I ask two? when did you realize The Room was actually a BAD movie?

Do you get recognized? Is that weird to be recognized for being in a bad movie?

Sorry guys - just refreshed my browser! Ok - yes - I realized it was sort of bad pretty quickly - during the first chocolate scene - I thought - yeah, this is not so good and then when we shot a scene with Tommy, Juliette and me - I realized oh wow - this is really bad! I don't get recognized that much - except in the comedy improv community. I do improv a lot and a lot of comedy people know about The Room. It's definitely weird 'cause people assume you're a bad actor

Will we ever see the footage from the documentary that was filmed at the same time as the Room?

I have no idea! Tommy has that stuff somewhere and it is absolute comedy gold. Seriously. I remember at the time someone asking me to do a talking head interview with the "behind the scenes" guy and I kept avoiding the guy b/c I thought "I can't say anything nice about this - I CAN'T! or I'll look like a tool later!" Ha. So I just avoided the guy and never gave him an interview. But most of the cast did interviews with him on set.

Hello Robyn! What's the weirdest thing that happened on set? Oh, and did you know that chocolate is the symbol of love?

Yes! Chocolate = Love. Just tell your sig other - I chocolate you from now on. Weirdest thing on set -- 3 different crews. Every time I got there, it was a different crew b/c the one before quit. They got tired of not getting paid. Also - just the way Tommy insisted the make-up artists airbrush me out every day. He hated my freckles. And he also got himself airbrushed with makeup every day. I tell people this a lot but the worst day on the set for the make-up artists was when they had to airbrush Tommy's ass.

Hey Robyn, are you secretly jealous that you were cast as Michelle, instead of Lisa? Knowing that Juliette would get to spend an ample amount of hours kissing Tommy must have gotten you a little frustrated right? Secondly, have you had the opportunity to assess anyone's mental health by putting your hand on their forehead lately? Thanks so much!

Haha! I almost forgot about that! Are you ok? I always do that when I ask people about their problems. Guess it's a little creepy. It's like those people that do hand gestures and motions for songs - or like that Will Ferrell SNL sketch where he's the weird cheerleader. Yeah - such a bizarre moment. I have no idea what I was thinking!! As for Juliette getting to smooth Tommy - if only I could have been so lucky...but it wasn't in the cards for me ;-)

Hi Robyn! Why did you decide to write/direct a "Where Are They Now" mockumentary? What are you most looking forward to once you go into production? Can't wait to see it!!

Thanks! I can't wait to shoot it! I just had this gut instinct that I needed to do it. I write screenplays - mostly comedy and it just seemed to fit that I would write something for The Room actors that would be funny and let us poke fun at ourselves and have fun with the fans at the same time. It's like I tried to get away from The Room - but I really can't - damn it :-) So I might as well embrace it and have fun with it!

What is your main source of protein?

Chicken

Cheepcheepcheep

Oh man, you set me up and I set you up! Haha (tommy laugh)

Oh hai Robyn! At what point did you realize this was going to the "Citizen Kane" of bad movies?

Edit: spelling

I love the term "Citizen Kane of bad movies" and I think it was a British journalist from The Guardian who coined that phrase. I perhaps realized it when I saw the premiere in LA. I was laughing so hard, I had tears flowing down my face at the premiere. And the next day, I was quoting lines to my husband and we were again crying with laughter. I guess I thought then - this thing is special in how bad it is. It's surpassed being horrible and gone into a whole other dimension of bad.

Another question: what was the very first impression you had of Tommy?

I had just moved to LA from Chicago where I had been acting. (I'm originally from NC). And back on the east coast where I grew up, everyone always said ''ooh, California has all these craaazy people!" So when I met Tommy, I just thought he was one of the typical LA crazy people. Meanwhile, I have yet to meet anyone as unique as Tommy since then and I've lived here now for over 10 years! Although Tommy is unusual, he does have a sweetness to him that people respond to and I thought he seemed like a nice person when I met him.

Fellow tarheel here! I really want to move out to LA and go to school for film but I can't decide if I want to focus on studying acting or directing. Which do you prefer and how do you like UCLA?

Sorry if these aren't good questions :/...

Hmm...you probably want to try living here first. Create a few digital shorts that you act in and direct just to see how you like it. Try it on for awhile and see where your interests lie. Once you figure it out, you can apply to a film school and choose either a directing or acting focus. Most schools allow you to take classes in other areas as well, but many (like UCLA) expect you to really focus mainly on one thing. I like them both - but they are such different beasts - certainly having skills in both arenas is handy. I like LA but it is very different from NC of course. It takes awhile to find your friends but they are here. All kinds of people from all over the world are here. And there are so many incredible opportunities.

Did you get to make any personal choices in your performance in The Room or was Tommy a control freak?

It was always a guessing game as to what we were supposed to do in the scene. I never saw a script and so I didn't know where my scenes fit into the context of the whole movie - beg, mid, end? Who knew. I tried to ask Tommy and he would tell me what to do, but soon I realized that I should just go with my gut on everything. Sometimes Tommy was really controlling and sometimes, he was so distracted with his own stuff that he wouldn't even be there to be a part of the shoot. It varied day to day and scene to scene.

Hi Robyn! How did you first meet Michael Cera? Did he recognize you or you just ran into each other at one of The Room screenings? Have you met other actors who have seen the film?

He was in line behind me at the screening. My friend (who is outgoing) went up to him and told him that I was in the movie and called me over to be introduced to him. I'm pretty shy about that stuff and I don't really approach celebrities. I even felt weird putting it in the Kickstarter video, but I thought - well, it's actually all true - b/c the advice he gave me did inspire me to write this project. I haven't met other famous actors who have seen the film - but I know they are out there.

Yum! Hello Robyn!

Two questions for you:

What was is like making out with chocolate and how many times did you have to do it for the film?

What is your funniest/strangest memory from working on The Room?

Hey! Great to hear from you. Yeah - good thing I like chocolate! We shot that scene like 6 times. I think if I were cast in a movie now where I had to do that - I'd question it for sure. Guess you live and learn! But I remember the weirdest part of that scene was when I say to Scott Holmes "arms up!" like I'm his mom. It was creepy. My funniest memory -- having to change between cars in the parking lot of Burns and Sawyer b/c tommy had a documentary filmmaker following us around literally EVERYWHERE we went. We couldn't escape his camera! Another funny memory is when Tommy told Juliette and I to start pillow fighting because "that's what best friends do." And the funniest moment on set for me was the fight scene at the end of the movie. I was supposed to look concerned in the background but I was literally in tears with laughter between takes.

You know I wanted to mention that. I don't think you look old and obvs. you're very pretty so please don't take offense but Scott looks....really really young. Like much younger than you did.

That entire relationship did give off a mum-son vibe which of course, this being the Room, only made everything better.

edit: sorry for any possible offense caused, if it helps I ranked you as the second best actor on the set (outside of Chris R and his scene stealing 15 seconds).

Thanks! I'm totally not offended. Scott is a few years younger than me but we were both in our 20s. yeah - we gave off different vibes for sure - haha.

How many midnight screenings of the Room have you gone to? What has your favorite experience been with a fan or fans?

I've gone to a bunch. I would say maybe 10 at this point over the years. I love meeting the fans - they are really cool people. I went out with a film crew this past June and interviewed a bunch of fans in line (I'm gonna use it as b-roll for the extra footage I'm including on my DVD for my kickstarter). Anyhow, interviewing everyone was the best - The Room seems to bring people so much joy. So many people were high on life in line and ecstatic to see it and share it with their Room newbie friends. I have met a TON of cool people through The Room - fans, film professors from around the world and awesome people on-line. It's been amazing.

Hey Robyn,

I have to know: Is the southern accent from that interview real or fake?

Either way, I'm completely psyched to see your film! It'll be great to get your point of view because, after all, it's SOOOO different from mine.

It's exaggerated and basically fake! I grew up in North Carolina so I love to do the southern accent. I don't really even know why I did it for that fake interview but I thought it'd would make the interview a bit wackier and weirder. Thx for checking it out on youtube :-)

What would you say was the reason The Room didn't win an Oscar?

How much time do you have?

Hi Robyn, is there a movie out there that you've seen that has 'Room'tential ?

I saw a preview at the Regent in Westwood back in June before the screening of The Room for a movie that looked like it could rival The Room. The title is escaping me - sorry. It's new. Anyone know? I can look into it and get back to you b/c it looks really, really bad in an awesome way! I think it's hard to truly match The Room.

Fateful findings?

Yes!!!

Hi Robyn, thanks for doing this AMA! My question is: what was the best part about working with Tommy Wiseau on The Room?

The laughter and ridiculousness. I mean it was like being at a Room screening but you were actually living it.

Did you actually get paid? And how long were you "working"?

I got paid a non-union wage - like maybe $100 per day. I was on set only about 2-3 weeks at the most. 1/2 the movie had been shot when I joined the cast and Tommy had to reshoot a bunch of scenes with me - the new Michelle and Juliette (the new Lisa).

Hello Robyn! Is there an expanded version of the story about you meeting actor Michael Cera at a 'The Room' screening and the words he gave you that inspired you to write and crowdsource 'The Room Actors: Where Are They Now? A Mockumentary' What was with the crazy wig you were wearing in the photo of you and him? #mocktheroom! #runonsentences

Yeah - I guess I have a silly sense of humor! I always wear a wig to Room screenings - black, blond, brown - it varies. I can post a pic of me in a black wig. People think I'm dressing like Lisa but no - I'm choosing from my extensive wig collection. And I get a group of friends and we all dress up - wigs, mustaches - whatever. It makes the whole experience fun and sure, yes - a big part of me doesn't want to be recognized and wants to watch the movie like a fly on the wall and enjoy it like all the other fans. Michael was in line behind me, we met and chatted for awhile. He said he was a big Room fan, he loves coming and asked why I was in a wig. When I told him I wasn't sure what to do with the whole Room phenom - he told me to embrace it. It took me awhile for that to sink in but eventually it did and I realized he was probably right.

Where were the outdoor scenes of the birthday party supposed to be? I always assumed it was the rooftop, but it looked too different. Also how in god's name did the wine glass scene end up being so poorly edited? Thanks!! :)

Good question - I always wondered where we were supposed to be as well. It was suddenly this new location that hadn't yet been established. Yeah and there was no city backdrop if I remember correctly so I don't think it was supposed to be the rooftop. As for the wine glass scene - I don't know! I love the editing on the rooftop Denny/Chris-R scene where everyone shows up one at a time. That's probably one of the unintentionally funniest editing jobs I've ever seen. I will have to look more closely at the wine glass scene, but it's basically par for the course.

So Tommy Wiseau is actually an actor playing an elaborate persona, right?

If he is, he DOES deserve an Oscar b/c he was playing the role back in 2002!

Hey Robyn! Obviously The Room has become much bigger than anyone (save Tommy) would ever have believed. What was your first reaction to learning of the movie's cult status? Also, what did you think of the Disaster Artist? Are you excited for its film adaptation? Thanks for doing this AMA!

I was pretty surprised to learn the cult status had grown to the point where it'd be profiled in EW, but not shocked. I thought it might get a cult following if anyone saw it. I know that sounds far fetched, but honestly -it was so bizarre and seeing it at the premiere was like seeing magic. And even after the premiere, I already heard rumblings of comedians liking it, and I knew fans were really into it. Way back like in 2005 - there was a fan reaction video that Tommy put together and it showed the fans going crazy at the screenings.

What did they teach at film school that you knew was wrong based on your prior experience?

That a script has to be good to succeed. Yep - that was totally wrong.

I'm surprised they teach that at film school with a straight face...

They sell lies. But I still loved it. Go Bruins.

Apparently James Franco is adapting what happened behind the scenes while making the room into a movie at the moment. Do you have any idea who will be portraying you? Have you had any input? Thank you for your time :)

Hi! Wow - I know - I wish I could have input. That would be so cool. But no one has approached me or asked me for input! Greg interviewed all of us for The Disaster Artist so some of our stories are in there. If I could choose, I'd pick someone like Cecily Strong from SNL (even though my role was dramatic) - everything on set was comedic so a comedy actress would be great.

Hey Robyn, thanks for doing this...

My question, do you think Tommy can top this? Or is this the pinnacle of his 'career'?

I feel that it is not topable (is that a word? ha!) I think The Room is amazing b/c it is so sincere in its effort to be good. When Tommy tries to be funny like with The Neighbors - I'm not convinced it works (even in the bad sense). I know people have enjoyed The Neighbors but it just doesn't come close to The Room in terms of enjoyability in my opinion. We'll see. I'll never say never. He may have something else brilliantly bad up his sleeve.

Robyn,

You mentioned that you do improv. I love the room, but also like to keep up with all of the cast's current projects. Is there anything you (or other room actors) are currently involved in that you'd like to plug?

Hey! Oh that is so nice. I am doing a Kickstarter campaign right now for our new project together. All of The Room actors (except Tommy and Scot Holmes are involved). It's called "The Room Actors: Where Are They Now? A Mockumentary" - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/274372843/the-room-actors-where-are-they-now-a-mockumentary

Ahh, I probably missed this but I should probably ask something anyway.

How often do you watch your own work? And what do you do for fun?

I don't love watching my own work, but by now, I have seen The Room so many times that it doesn't phase me! I have other movies I've done but I don't go back and look at them. For fun...I like to hike and be outdoors, exercise, read, watch movies and do improv.

First off, I have to say one of my favorite quotes from the movie is by you. "Your point of view is so different from mine." Second, I have to say it's awesome you're from NC. I grew up in Salisbury. Now on to my question...was Tommy difficult to work with? I mean like if you messed up your lines would he get angry or was he just really relaxed about it all? This may have been asked already if so I apologize. :)

Thanks! Gotta love North Cackolacky! Tommy was definitely not laid back about stuff on set. He was pretty intense in general. He criticized the actors for messing up lines and would constantly give lectures to people about being "professional." He never really took his own advice.

How comfortable was the couch that you and Lisa were always sitting on? Also did you think it was weird at the time that the picture frames all had images of the now infamous spoons?

The couch was one of those really fluffy and unsupported couches that you sink into when you sit. It was more of a prop couch. I remember those spoons and I just thought that whoever bought the frames used the picture they came with. But my big question is why would anyone sell picture frames with spoons as the sample photo? Who does that? Everytime I buy a frame it has a cheesy fake family photo in it. I don't get it. So the frame company is partially to blame!

Have you read The Disaster Artist? If so, what do you think of it?

Yes and I loved it. It was a really great read. I learned quite a bit about the friendship between Tommy and Greg and it was really enlightening. And I found Tommy sympathetic and his journey to be fairly heart-breaking in a way. He really wanted and wants so much to be loved. Like he says..."if everyone just love each other..." I'm looking forward to the James Franco movie.

Robyn, you're awesome in the Room.

How, in your opinion, did Tommy get the money to finance the film? An older sugar momma/financier like Greg alludes to in the book? Really just selling jeans and bird toys? It's always been a great mystery. Thanks

Thank you so much! That is such a great question! And I have no idea. Tommy is an enigma and he wouldn't tell anyone much of anything about himself on set. The stuff he did tell us was pretty obviously not true. Like about being from New Orleans originally. And he told us he was 32. (Audible laughter) I wish I knew - yeah - selling bird toys and jeans does not a millionaire make, but I don't know. It's one of the great mysteries.

Hey Robyn Paris! Thank you for giving us this opportunity! Recently Greg Sestero came down to Sydney Australia for a book signing and that's when my fascination for what happened off camera from filming The Room really kicked off

• Do you have any favourite off camera memories from The Room?

• What was your reaction when the announcement came through that The Disaster Artist was going to become a movie itself?

Thank you again for giving us this opportunity, on behalf of this AMA I'd like to commend you on your talents and wish you luck on your current and future projects

Aw, thank you so much! That is really, really nice of you. I appreciate it. So - favorite off-camera moments - the fight scene at the end of the movie. It was so hilarious to be in that small Room with all of those actors and act like we didn't notice Juliette and Greg slow dancing. And then act like we were shocked when Tommy tried to beat up Greg. I just couldn't stop laughing. I was literally crying during the shooting of that scene. But when I look at the movie, I guess you can't tell that I was dying inside w/laughter.

My reaction was I found out that James Franco was going to make The Disaster Artist - was like...this sh#$'s about to get real. I was floored. And then when I found out he was going to play Tommy - it was just a really big face-palm moment. I think all of the actors cursed a bit and then we were like - ok, so here we are...even MORE people are going to know about this - like it or not. This thing is getting even bigger. Which is why we are all now embracing it and going for it in terms of trying to enjoy this. There really is no other way to handle it.

Hello, Robyn! What did you think was going to happen after The Room came out in 2004? Did you think it would just go completely unnoticed? Looking forward to seeing your new project :)

Thanks! On one hand, I thought - there is no way anyone will see this!! But it was so funny being on set that I thought - well, if someone DOES see it, they will probably see how ridiculous it is and maybe it will get a cult following. I know that sounds crazy - like "I called it!" Ha. But I told my husband that at the time - "this thing could get a cult following!!" But almost all of the actors in the Room now are palming our faces and saying, "how could this happen on THIS level?" We are just blown away.

Hi Robyn. Thank you for being. Just thank you. Question: Have you had any opportunities to work with Tommy since The Room? Would you if the opportunity presented itself?

Thank you so much for being too! No, I haven't had any other opportunities to work with him. I'll never say never - although I do feel that ship has sailed. I had my brush w/greatness. Now it's probably time to move on...

Hello there Robyn, thanks for taking a second to answer our questions! Not sure if this has been answered but what was your reaction when they essentially switched out actors for the one character? I believe it was a guy with glasses at first and then changed to a guy who sounded like they pulled him off the street and wasn't sure of his lines yet. You had to think "well... should we re-shoot some things?"

Hey! It's funny - since I never saw the script and I wasn't there for all of the movie shoot, I assumed that Greg Ellery (Stephen) was there for more scenes. So I didn't even know that he had been switched out for Kyle until the premiere. I assumed that there were other scenes with Stephen that I just wasn't on set to witness. Sure - I thought it was a bit weird that suddenly, Stephen and I were best friends ganging up on Juliette - but so much of that movie was so bad, I was just trying to finish my part and move on!

Was there a moment during the filming when you realized that The Room was not going to be a normal movie? Has your role in the movie had a positive or negative effect on your later career?

I realized The Room would be bad pretty quickly but I didn't know how the bad had transcended to become comedy gold until I saw the premiere. It didn't affect my career for awhile b/c so few people knew about it. But now, it's gotten more mainstream and now people know about it. Since I'm a writer, it's mostly about what's on the page so I don't think people care all that much. If I were still doing a lot of acting, it might be hard to overcome.

If you could work with any actor/actress who would it be, and why?

Wow - there are so many brilliant actors out there. The list is extensive. My favorite actors are Meryl Streep (who DOESN'T love her) & George Clooney (another obvious choice). As far as comedians go, I think Jonah Hill is hilarious, Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Tina Fey. I have pretty mainstream tastes! But seriously, that list could go on for ages. - Oh and Ricky Gervais - I love that guy.

Would you date tommy in real life?

No, cause I'm married ;-)

Oooh I thought of a better question. I went to one of Greg's book readings and got to hear some of the bizarre first script lines for the characters. How did they wind up getting revised? Did you guys step in and try to fix the lines up, or was it all Tommy changing things/tidying it up as you went along?

The script supervisor - Sandy Schkliar (i'm probably butchering the spelling) along with the actors edited a lot of the dialogue before we shot each scene. We heavily edited everything down to a point where it was sayable. Then Sandy would present the new version to Tommy who would approve it or not. Sometimes he would want Sandy to add stuff back in. All the dialogue was still Tommy's but we paired it down so not every character launched into huge monologues all the time.

Oh hai Robyn!

Were there a lot of parties after hard days on the set of The Room? Did you guys have to drink a lot to put up with Tommy Wiseau? And-- who was the biggest partier in the cast?

Usually, the shoots lasted until late at night (mainly b/c we always got such a late start on set). Everyone was so tired from dealing with set shenanigans that we'd usually just go home. I know that's lame!!

Will you marry me?

That is so sweet, but I am already married!

Hey Robin! Thanks for doing this!

I've asked this a few times before in previous AMAs, and I know it's a long shot, but is there anyway you could share The Room's complete screenplay with us? if you're 'too chicken' for that, could you possibly send it to me in a PM? I won't share it with anyone else, just really curious to read the whole thing.

Thanks for being part of my favourite film of all time!

Oh - if only you knew! I never received a full script because Tommy told me that he thought "I would steal it!" In fact, none of the actors got a full script for that exact reason. So I never knew where my scenes fell in the context of the movie! Cheep, cheep, cheep!

Not surprised he was that protective of it! Hopefully he'll publish it for his fans to read. I would pay top dollar.

yeah - I guess he had foresight!

What did you think of Greg's book?

Loved it!

How did it feel knowing you were the only actor with an ounce of talent or naturalness in the film?

Aw thank you, that's nice. I think we all did our best with the pages we were given. It was not easy to deliver those lines. Not easy at all. Who says off into the distance to no one in particular - "I don't understand you, Lisa." I remember thinking...how? How am I possibly going to make this sound normal?

Hi, Robyn! My Brunch and Bombs group JUST screened The Room on Sunday, so it's wonderful to say hi! What was your strangest experience during filming?

Hi! I love the name of your group. That sounds so awesome. Where are you guys? Strangest experience - I already mentioned the Tommy-Greg fight scene above. I would say hiding from the documentarian camera guy so I could change clothes in peace. And also waiting for hours for Tommy to arrive on set. He never showed up on time. The whole thing was one big, ongoing strange experience and it's still going!!

Thanks! We are located in Columbia, SC. Do you still talk to Tommy?

I ran into Tommy at a Room screening in June. He doesn't really like the other actors from the movie to share his spotlight. It was sweet - a group of people near me in the theatre starting chanting my name and wanting me to go on-stage with Tommy during the Q and A. I could tell he didn't want me to! But I did go up there b/c the chanting got loud. I answered a few questions. That was the screening where Dave Franco announced that he was going to play Greg Sestero in The Disaster Artist.

Greg Sestero wrote a lot about the general weirdness of Tommy's auditions. What was so weird about them compared to other auditions?

The weirdest thing was when Tommy told auditioners - "your best friend just died! Go!" and if you didn't cry immediately he'd say, "what's your problem? Your best friend died, what kind of friend are you?" Next, he'd shout - "You just won the lottery! Go!" and he wanted you to be bouncing off the walls with ecstatic energy. He constantly shouted at people "you expect me to believe that? It's bad acting! Next!" The whole thing seemed like a sketch comedy. I was writing a lot of sketch back then so I put my Room auditioning experience into a sketch. I should totally share that sketch with people. I'll look for it in my ancient computer files and try to post it on FB.

Who would win in a fight between The Incredible Hulk and Uncle Phil?

Wait, from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air? That was one of my favorite sitcoms growing up. I am totally serious. So - hmm...I do like the Hulk - the original TV show was awesome. (watched a lot of tv as a kid). So - I'm gonna go with The Incredible Hulk.

Hi, Robyn! Was lucky enough to meet you a few months ago at the Noho Laemmle screening (I think you were wearing a blonde wig).

My question is: if Tommy Wiseau were a piece of candy, what kind of candy would he be?

Anyway, just wanted to thank you again for helping make my favorite movie of all time!

Aw, thanks! I was lucky enough to meet you. Wow, how about a Tootsie pop because he has a secret squishy center? I think what is inside Tommy is actually a complete chocolate mystery.

First since I have to ask a question, what is your favorite sandwich? Lol. I also wanted to say thank you so much for the hours and hours of entertainment you guys have provided me. :)

Haha! Such a great question. I'm partial to a toasted BLT with avocado and cheese but I don't eat it too often b/c I'm watching my waistline. Watching it get bigger that is!

Thanks for being in one of my favorite movies of all time! All right, let's see...if each of the cast members were a fruit, what would they be?

Juliette - Red apple Carolyn - Grapefruit (just the character, not the lovely lady) Kyle - Banana Greg Sestero - Strawberry Greg Ellery - Kumquat Philip - Blueberry Chris R - Pineapple Me - Peach