Here's the deal: Costello isn't the "quirky best friend." He's the kid who's already figured out that nothing matters AND that everything matters—simultaneously. He's the philosopher in a hoodie, the deadpan prophet, the cool weirdo who makes existential dread sound like poetry.
That's the kind of character that books supporting roles that steal the movie.
🎬 1. PROJECT OVERVIEW
Project Type: Independent Feature Film
Genre: Indie Drama/Sci-Fi (Time Travel, Coming-of-Age)
Role Type: Supporting (High-Impact)
Tone & Style
This is mumblecore meets Charlie Kaufman. Think naturalistic indie performances with a surreal, philosophical edge. The world feels real—Cleveland in winter, cigarettes, late nights—but there's something existentially OFF about the whole situation. Max has time-traveled back to senior year, and Costello is the only person weird enough to just... roll with it.
Comparable Projects (Study These!):
- "Everything Everywhere All at Once" — Deadpan characters accepting absurd realities
- "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" — Odd, intellectual high school friendships
- "Donnie Darko" — Time travel + teenage existentialism + weird philosophy
- "Eighth Grade" / "Lady Bird" — Naturalistic indie acting, real teen dynamics
- Jesse Eisenberg's vibe — Deadpan intellectualism without pretension
What Casting Needs to See
Can you deliver bizarre philosophical musings with zero irony? Can you make "nostalgia keeps the body warm" sound both ridiculous AND profound? Can you be the weirdest kid in the room while also being the most grounded?
💡 Key Insight: Costello is NOT performing his weirdness. He's not trying to be quirky. He's genuinely like this. The humor comes from the fact that he delivers absolutely absurd lines with complete sincerity and zero self-awareness.
👤 2. CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
Who is Costello?
From the breakdown: "Max's endearingly odd high school friend. Into weird art, underground music, existential thoughts. The kind of kid who grows up to be a philosophy professor. Deadpan humor. Zero filter. The cool weirdo everyone secretly wishes they could be."
Let's decode that: Costello is the kid who reads Camus for fun. Who listens to bands no one's heard of. Who says things like "I feel like my body has some serious catching up to do with my maturity level" with complete earnestness. He's not trying to be cool—he IS cool because he's completely himself without apology.
Character Shortcut: Costello is the friend who, when you tell him you time-traveled, responds by offering you a cigarette and launching into a monologue about nostalgia as body temperature regulation. He's the perfect companion for an impossible situation because nothing phases him.
How Costello Sees Himself
"I'm just vibing. Life is weird. Time is probably fake. I like weird music and existential conversations and not taking things too seriously because what even is 'serious' in an infinite universe?"
How Others See Him
Max: His high school friend who somehow gets him even though Costello is objectively strange.
Other teens: Probably think he's weird but also kind of respect it. He's not trying to fit in, which makes him cooler than people who are.
Adults: Probably worried about him. "That kid needs to join a sport or something."
Your Bridge to Costello
- Have you ever just... not cared what people think and said the weird thing out loud?
- Do you have friends who "get" your specific brand of weird?
- Have you ever been into something obscure just because YOU liked it, not because it was popular?
- Do you sometimes say things that sound profound but also kind of ridiculous?
Character References (Study Them)
Primary: Jesse Eisenberg in anything (deadpan intellectualism)
Secondary: Michael Cera in "Scott Pilgrim" (weird, sincere, zero self-awareness)
Vibe Reference: Frank from "Donnie Darko" (philosophical weirdo energy)
🔍 3. UTA HAGEN'S 9 QUESTIONS (Costello's Truth)
1. Who am I?
I'm Costello. Senior year. I listen to music you've never heard of, I think about weird stuff, and I smoke cigarettes because they make me feel like a character in a French New Wave film. Max is my friend—one of the few people who doesn't think I'm trying too hard when I'm literally just being myself.
2. Where am I?
Outside somewhere. Cleveland. Probably cold. It's the kind of place where you stand around and smoke and talk about nothing and everything. Max just showed up, which is cool. I missed him.
3. What time is it?
Late. The time when good conversations happen. When the day's bullshit has faded and you can just exist.
4. What surrounds me?
Max. A cigarette. The cold. The kind of silence that's comfortable. No pressure to fill it with noise.
5. What are the relationships?
Max is my friend. We have the kind of friendship where you can talk about time travel and body temperature and it just... makes sense. No judgment. Just vibes.
6. What are the circumstances?
Max just asked me if I believe in time travel. Which is a GREAT question. I'm offering him my thoughts on nostalgia and evolution and cigarettes because that's what friends do—they share their weird theories.
7. What do I want?
To share this moment. To talk about interesting things with someone who gets it. To offer Max something that might help him—even if it's just a cigarette and some existential musings.
8. What's in my way?
Nothing, really. I'm pretty unobstructed. Life's too short to have obstacles when you're just trying to vibe.
9. How do I get what I want?
I just... talk. I offer Max the cigarette. I tell him my theories. I let the conversation flow wherever it goes. No agenda. Just presence.
🎭 4. SCENE ACTION & PHYSICALITY
What Costello is DOING (Actions, Not Emotions)
- Offering — He hands Max the cigarette. It's a gesture of friendship, of inclusion.
- Philosophizing — He delivers his nostalgia theory like he's genuinely discovered something important.
- Responding — When Max asks questions, Costello answers with complete sincerity.
- Existing — Costello is just... present. No performance. Just being.
🏆 GOLD ACTING MOMENT: "Nostalgia actually makes you warmer. Like, physically. Did you know that? A study in China just came out saying people in cooler climates tend to be more nostalgic than in warm ones. It actually keeps people warmer. Evolution my friend. The brain keeping the body warm."
This is NOT a punchline. Costello is GENUINELY sharing something he finds fascinating. Deliver it like you're blowing Max's mind with real information. The humor comes from the absurdity of the content delivered with complete earnestness.
Physical Direction from Script
- "Costello offers him a bit of his smoke" — Casual. Natural. Like offering gum.
- "Costello hands it over" — Simple gesture. No big deal.
- "(a puff, coughing)" — Max coughs. Costello doesn't react. He's used to people not being as cool as him.
Costello's Physicality
Stillness. Costello doesn't need to move much. He's comfortable in his body (even if his "body has some serious catching up to do with my maturity level"). Lean against something. Hold the cigarette casually. Let your eyes do the work.
Deadpan delivery. No mugging. No winking at the camera. Say the absurd thing like it's the most normal thing in the world.
💡 Physical Key: Costello is RELAXED. He's not performing intelligence or quirkiness. He's just a kid who thinks about weird stuff and happens to be hanging out with his friend. Think "stoner energy without the stoner" or "philosopher energy without the pretension."
💭 5. SUBTEXT & EMOTIONAL DEPTH
What Costello is REALLY Saying
"Do you believe in time travel, Maxwell?"
→ I'm genuinely curious. Also, I like calling you by your full name because it sounds more formal and therefore funnier.
"Play me an old song and I can travel back in time. Memory is just a form of time travel. Ya know, nostalgia. Yearning for the past."
→ This is how I understand the world—through metaphors and connections that most people don't make. I find this fascinating and want to share it with you.
"Definitely."
→ Yes, there is more in this cigarette than just cigarette. Obviously.
"Nostalgia actually makes you warmer. Like, physically..."
→ I read this study and it blew my mind and I've been waiting for someone to share it with. You're welcome for this knowledge.
"And I feel like my body has some serious catching up to do with my maturity level."
→ I feel old inside. Like I've thought too much for someone my age. My body is still 18 but my brain is like 40. It's weird. But also kind of interesting?
The Emotional Journey
Costello doesn't have a huge emotional arc in this scene. His journey is more subtle:
- Curiosity — He asks Max about time travel
- Generosity — He shares his cigarette, his thoughts
- Connection — He's present with his friend
- Contentment — This is a good moment. Just two friends, talking, existing.
The Trap: Playing Costello as "trying to be weird" or "performing quirky."
The Truth: Costello isn't trying to be anything. He's genuinely like this. The weird theories, the deadpan delivery, the zero filter—that's just who he is. Play it straight and the humor emerges naturally.
🌟 6. CHARACTER POV & MAKING COSTELLO YOURS
Costello's Worldview
"Life is absurd. Time is probably an illusion. Cigarettes and nostalgia and good conversations are what make existence bearable. I'm just here for the weird moments and the connections that happen when you stop trying so hard."
Making It Personal
Think about a time you shared something you found genuinely fascinating with a friend—a weird fact, a song, a theory about life. You weren't trying to impress them. You just wanted to share something cool.
That's Costello's entire existence. He's constantly sharing the weird things he thinks about because he finds them interesting and he wants his friends to find them interesting too.
Costello's Secret: He's not as detached as he seems. He CARES deeply—about ideas, about his friends, about understanding the world. The deadpan delivery is just how he processes things. It's not emotional distance—it's intellectual intimacy.
🔥 7. BOLD ACTING CHOICES
Surprising Shifts to Try
Vocal Choice: Deliver the "nostalgia makes you warmer" monologue like you're sharing the most mindblowing fact you've ever learned. Not loud—just genuinely excited in a low-key way.
Physical Surprise: When you hand over the cigarette, maybe there's a tiny beat where you make eye contact with Max. Not dramatic—just a moment of "we're in this together, friend."
The Cough Moment: When Max coughs, DON'T REACT. That's the funniest choice. You're so used to this that his coughing doesn't even register. Keep talking about evolution.
🏆 GOLD ACTING MOMENT: "And I feel like my body has some serious catching up to do with my maturity level."
This could be throwaway. DON'T let it be. This is Costello revealing something real—he feels disconnected from his physical age. Deliver it with a tiny bit of vulnerability. Not sad—just honest. Then move on. Don't dwell. But let us see it for a second.
⏱️ 8. MOMENT BEFORE & BUTTON
Your Moment Before
You've been standing here, smoking, thinking about whatever Costello thinks about (probably something existential). Max shows up. Cool. You missed him. You offer him some of your smoke because sharing is caring and also because you want to talk to him about this time travel question you've been pondering.
The Button
After "I feel like my body has some serious catching up to do with my maturity level," there's probably a beat. Maybe you take another drag. Maybe you look at Max to see if he gets it. The scene continues, but YOUR button is in that moment of honesty followed by the return to stillness.
🎯 9. REHEARSAL & EXPERIMENTATION
Your 10+ Takes Strategy
- Take 1: Pure deadpan. Zero emotion. Just deliver the facts.
- Take 2: Let yourself be slightly more animated when talking about nostalgia—you find this FASCINATING.
- Take 3: Play the friendship more. Make the cigarette offer warmer.
- Take 4: Slow everything down. Let the silences breathe.
- Take 5: Speed it up slightly—stoner energy, thoughts flowing.
- Take 6: Focus on the "body/maturity" line. Make it land differently.
- Take 7: Try being slightly MORE intense about the China study.
- Take 8: Try being MORE chill about the China study.
- Take 9: Make eye contact more. Connect with Max.
- Take 10+: Mix your favorite discoveries.
What NOT to Do
- ❌ Don't "perform" quirky—it'll read as try-hard
- ❌ Don't make the lines sound like jokes—deliver them straight
- ❌ Don't over-gesture—Costello is STILL
- ❌ Don't rush—let the weird observations land
- ❌ Don't ignore Max—this is a conversation, not a monologue
✅ YOUR ACTION PLAN
Read the scene 5+ times. Notice every place Costello says something absurd with complete sincerity.
Watch Jesse Eisenberg interviews or scenes—study the deadpan intellectualism.
Practice delivering "Nostalgia actually makes you warmer" like it's the coolest fact ever.
Work on stillness—can you be compelling without moving much?
Practice the cigarette offer—make it feel natural, like offering gum.
Experiment with the "body/maturity" line—find the vulnerability under the deadpan.
Record yourself. Are you PERFORMING weird or BEING Costello? Choose being.
Run at least 10 takes with different approaches.
SELF-TAPE TECH: Natural lighting (not too dark), simple background, let the performance be the focus.
✨ FINAL PEP TALK ✨
Listen: Costello is the friend everyone wishes they had. The kid who makes being weird look effortless. The philosopher who never sounds pretentious because he's too busy genuinely caring about body temperature studies and time travel.
Most actors will play Costello as "quirky side character." You're going to play him as a REAL PERSON who just happens to think differently than everyone else—and is completely okay with that.
The actors who book these roles don't perform the character. They BECOME the character. So don't act like Costello. BE Costello.
Now go share some cigarettes, talk about nostalgia, and show them what cool weirdo energy really looks like.