James Tupper Reveals What It's Really Like Working With Alicia Silverstone - Exclusive

Hollywood's latest shark attack film is here in the form of "The Requin." This time, James Tupper of "Big Little Lies" fame and Alicia Silverstone from "Clueless" prove once and for all that reconciling relationship issues can be deadly, even if from outside forces. "The Requin" sees Tupper's Kyle and Silverstone's Jaelyn on vacation in Vietnam following the loss of their child during birth. Here, they hope to rekindle their relationship, process their trauma, and move forward as a united front. 

In typical thriller nature, hurricane gales send their water-floating bungalow out to sea with them on it, leaving them stranded as a couple in the middle of the ocean. If that weren't enough, a series of shark attacks, along with dehydration and a broken leg, plague the couple. The film then centers on Kyle and Jaelyn striving to survive at sea just as in their relationship and emotional states.

We at The List recently sat down to chat with Tupper, who told us not only how "Big Little Lies" informed his performance in this film, but also how he suffered from hypothermia while filming, and what it's really like to work with Silverstone.

For James Tupper, working opposite Alicia Silverstone in "The Requin" was a reunion. "I worked with her on a little known television show called 'American Woman' on [Paramount Network]," Tupper told us. "She was terrific. We got along really well." He explained that, despite him appearing in just a recurring role, that the two naturally clicked. In fact, they clicked so much so that Silverstone may have had a hand in Tupper landing his "Requin" role.

"When this movie came up, I don't know if she said, 'I want to work with him,' but I ended up getting a meeting with the director," Tupper explained. "We had a three-hour lunch and he hired me from that. So I don't know how much [of a] hand she had in it, but she's always been terrific." This relationship extended outside of filming, too. Tupper explained that they were in a COVID-19 bubble together for maximum protection during pandemic filming. "We're close now. Both of us had our kid there, too."

As it turns out, its the depth she brings to her characters that Tupper especially loves about Silverstone. "Do you know what I like, really? Working with people that can do nuanced things, and Alicia is one of those actresses," he said. Their chemistry shows, and we're lucky they landed the roles. Tupper later explained that the film nearly starred a younger couple.

So, how do you feel about Tupper and Silverstone's chemistry in "The Requin?"

You can catch James Tupper in "The Requin" in theaters and on-demand on Prime Video.