In their new horror-comedy Borderline, Ray Nicholson and Samara Weaving share intimate on-screen moments under the direction of Weaving’s husband, Jimmy Warden. Nicholson plays an obsessive fan who breaks into Weaving’s character’s home. Warden, who wrote the film with Weaving in mind, ensured her scenes reflected their relationship, even jokingly extending on-screen kisses. Weaving appreciates the respect and connection they share during filming, finding humor even in the film’s creepier moments. Despite a disagreement over Weaving’s character’s wig, Warden praises her preparedness as an actress. Borderline is now in theaters, co-starring Eric Dane and produced by Margot Robbie’s company.
Ray Nicholson shares many deeply personal moments with Samara Weaving in their latest film. For first-time director Jimmy Warden — Weaving’s actual husband — it’s all part of the artistic journey.
The horror-comedy Borderline, now showing, features Nicholson, 33, as Duerson, an obsessed fan of Weaving’s pop star character Sofia, who breaks into her house to orchestrate their wedding. “I envisioned it with her in mind,” Warden tells PEOPLE about Weaving, 33, who has been his spouse since 2019.
“I infused every one of these scenes with pieces of her personality when I wrote them,” recalls the Cocaine Bear screenwriter, chuckling. “So even when she was kissing Ray Nicholson, I thought, ‘Oh yeah, my wife is doing this. I need to ensure she kisses Ray for at least 10 seconds on camera.’ ”
“Without getting too sentimental, we have such admiration for each other,” Weaving remarks when discussing how they navigate personal and professional boundaries in this context.
Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
“We find ourselves laughing in between takes,” she adds, making even Nicholson’s most unsettling scenes “not frightening.”
“Yeah, there’s definitely a clear divide,” Warden states. “I suppose that’s what acting is — being able to completely suspend reality when she is on screen.”
However, after watching the violent film later, Warden admits that one scene with his wife in danger made him “flinch.” As shown in the trailer, Nicholson forcibly pushes Weaving against a glass door. “Watching it last night was the first time I thought, ‘Oh no, that’s a bit too much.’ ”
Borderline, marking Warden’s directorial debut, provided an opportunity for him and Weaving to harness the “shorthand” developed during their marriage, he explains. “Having an actress like Sam makes everything so much simpler since she arrives so well-prepared and hits every mark without needing any direction.”
Did the married couple encounter any creative disagreements on set? “We had a dispute about the wig,” Weaving recalls regarding her character’s hairstyle. “I wanted a wig because my hair was in bad shape. But he said no wigs.” Warden confirms, “I insisted on no wigs.”
“I ended up going to the hairdresser and had to bleach my hair very blonde again,” Weaving shares, adding, “He was correct, I think. He was right because wigs are quite challenging.”
Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
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Borderline, which features Eric Dane, Alba Baptista, and Jimmie Fails, is currently in theaters. It is co-produced by Margot Robbie and her husband Tom Ackerley’s production company LuckyChap Entertainment.