Glenn Howerton in ‘BlackBerry’ and Jim Balsillie, the man he portrayed in the film.Photo:Everett, Jin Lee/Bloomberg via GettyGlenn Howertonsays Jim Balsillie, the former CEO he plays in the movieBlackBerry,is a fan of his performance.PEOPLE caught up with Howerton, 47, at the2023 Gotham Awardsin New York City Monday, where the actor wasnominatedfor outstanding supporting performance.InBlackBerry, Howerton stars withJay Baruchel, who plays BlackBerry cofounder Mike Lazaridis. The film captured the Canadian mobile phone brand’s rise in the late 1990s and early 2000s through its downfall as Apple’s iPhone instead cornered the market.Though Howerton says the movie’s cast “made a conscious decision not to meet” the real-life figures before filming, he says he did meet Balsillie at the film’s premiere in Toronto. “He was wonderful. He had a blast,” Howerton says. “He really enjoyed the movie.“Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton in ‘BlackBerry’.Everett"When I talked to him, we didn’t really talk about that aspect of it, but I do know that he’s talked to other people about it,” Howerton adds, when asked of Balsillie’s reaction to how he was portrayed. “I think he felt like maybe in reality he was a little bit more jovial and fun to be around. And my character’s a little bit more tyrannical.“Howerton, known for his work on the comedy seriesIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, portrays Balsillie as an aggressive business executive whose vision for success skyrockets BlackBerry to its highs and dooms it to its eventual failure.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“I think [Balsillie] probably would argue that he was equal parts scary and also fun and funny,” Howerton tells PEOPLE. “But no, he was wonderful. He loved the film. He really enjoyed it. And I think seeing it with an audience made it really come alive for him.““When he saw that my character, people were actually rooting for him in spite of his bombast, people really rooting for the character, and I think he enjoyed that,” he adds.Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton in ‘BlackBerry’.EverettMonday’s award for outstanding supporting performance went toCharles MeltonforMay December.On the red carpet, though, Howerton expressed hope that his nomination “leads to more people seeing the film,” which debuted back in May.“I think it’s a wonderful movie. Matt Johnson’s an incredible director,” he says. “Jay Baruchel’s performance, he should be nominated tonight. I thought he was amazing. So, yeah, I’m just excited for more to see the film.”
Glenn Howerton in ‘BlackBerry’ and Jim Balsillie, the man he portrayed in the film.Photo:Everett, Jin Lee/Bloomberg via Getty
Everett, Jin Lee/Bloomberg via Getty
Glenn Howertonsays Jim Balsillie, the former CEO he plays in the movieBlackBerry,is a fan of his performance.PEOPLE caught up with Howerton, 47, at the2023 Gotham Awardsin New York City Monday, where the actor wasnominatedfor outstanding supporting performance.InBlackBerry, Howerton stars withJay Baruchel, who plays BlackBerry cofounder Mike Lazaridis. The film captured the Canadian mobile phone brand’s rise in the late 1990s and early 2000s through its downfall as Apple’s iPhone instead cornered the market.Though Howerton says the movie’s cast “made a conscious decision not to meet” the real-life figures before filming, he says he did meet Balsillie at the film’s premiere in Toronto. “He was wonderful. He had a blast,” Howerton says. “He really enjoyed the movie.“Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton in ‘BlackBerry’.Everett"When I talked to him, we didn’t really talk about that aspect of it, but I do know that he’s talked to other people about it,” Howerton adds, when asked of Balsillie’s reaction to how he was portrayed. “I think he felt like maybe in reality he was a little bit more jovial and fun to be around. And my character’s a little bit more tyrannical.“Howerton, known for his work on the comedy seriesIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, portrays Balsillie as an aggressive business executive whose vision for success skyrockets BlackBerry to its highs and dooms it to its eventual failure.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“I think [Balsillie] probably would argue that he was equal parts scary and also fun and funny,” Howerton tells PEOPLE. “But no, he was wonderful. He loved the film. He really enjoyed it. And I think seeing it with an audience made it really come alive for him.““When he saw that my character, people were actually rooting for him in spite of his bombast, people really rooting for the character, and I think he enjoyed that,” he adds.Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton in ‘BlackBerry’.EverettMonday’s award for outstanding supporting performance went toCharles MeltonforMay December.On the red carpet, though, Howerton expressed hope that his nomination “leads to more people seeing the film,” which debuted back in May.“I think it’s a wonderful movie. Matt Johnson’s an incredible director,” he says. “Jay Baruchel’s performance, he should be nominated tonight. I thought he was amazing. So, yeah, I’m just excited for more to see the film.”
Glenn Howertonsays Jim Balsillie, the former CEO he plays in the movieBlackBerry,is a fan of his performance.
PEOPLE caught up with Howerton, 47, at the2023 Gotham Awardsin New York City Monday, where the actor wasnominatedfor outstanding supporting performance.
InBlackBerry, Howerton stars withJay Baruchel, who plays BlackBerry cofounder Mike Lazaridis. The film captured the Canadian mobile phone brand’s rise in the late 1990s and early 2000s through its downfall as Apple’s iPhone instead cornered the market.
Though Howerton says the movie’s cast “made a conscious decision not to meet” the real-life figures before filming, he says he did meet Balsillie at the film’s premiere in Toronto. “He was wonderful. He had a blast,” Howerton says. “He really enjoyed the movie.”
Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton in ‘BlackBerry’.Everett
Everett
“When I talked to him, we didn’t really talk about that aspect of it, but I do know that he’s talked to other people about it,” Howerton adds, when asked of Balsillie’s reaction to how he was portrayed. “I think he felt like maybe in reality he was a little bit more jovial and fun to be around. And my character’s a little bit more tyrannical.”
Howerton, known for his work on the comedy seriesIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, portrays Balsillie as an aggressive business executive whose vision for success skyrockets BlackBerry to its highs and dooms it to its eventual failure.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“I think [Balsillie] probably would argue that he was equal parts scary and also fun and funny,” Howerton tells PEOPLE. “But no, he was wonderful. He loved the film. He really enjoyed it. And I think seeing it with an audience made it really come alive for him.““When he saw that my character, people were actually rooting for him in spite of his bombast, people really rooting for the character, and I think he enjoyed that,” he adds.
Monday’s award for outstanding supporting performance went toCharles MeltonforMay December.On the red carpet, though, Howerton expressed hope that his nomination “leads to more people seeing the film,” which debuted back in May.
“I think it’s a wonderful movie. Matt Johnson’s an incredible director,” he says. “Jay Baruchel’s performance, he should be nominated tonight. I thought he was amazing. So, yeah, I’m just excited for more to see the film.”
source: people.com
