The Dink is streaming on Apple TV, and it's a hilarious ride that will have you ready to hit the pickleball court. Jake Johnson plays Dusty Boyd, a washed-up tennis prodigy who finds himself reluctantly embracing pickleball after an injury forces him to rethink everything. Along the way, he confronts old rivalries, his complicated relationship with his father (Ed Harris), and the question of who he is when the game that defined him is no longer an option.
© Apple TVHOLA! USA had the opportunity to talk to Johnson, Aaron Chan, and Mary Steenburgen ahead of the film's release, and the New Girl star joked that preparing for the role was far more intense than audiences might imagine.
When we asked what went into mastering both sports, he went full improv mode, joking about transforming into the ultimate athlete. "I took peptides, I took some testosterone, a lot of human growth," he joked. "I lost about 60 pounds. My body fat was down to about 3.5 to 4%. My IQ skyrocketed."
He kept the bit going, claiming he spent rehearsals looking like "a Greek god" before deciding it wasn't working for the movie. "So I ate a bunch of ice cream, slept for about 10 days, and then shot the movie," he laughed.
© Apple TVWhile it's a comedy, there is a very real theme in the film about how the definition of success can evolve. We asked Johnson and Steenburgen if they've ever had to rethink what success looks like; they both said yes.
"I feel like every 10 years or so, it gets readjusted. What I thought success was at 18, then 28, then 38," Johnson told us. "Now this old frog's nearly 50 years old. I'm not 50 yet, but I'm starting to sniff it. Things change in terms of goals."
© Apple TVFor Steenburgen, she said it "deepens and gets more profound as you get older." "When I was younger, it really had to do with, 'Could I get a film someday?' Then I did get a film, and you have to figure out, 'Wait, I took my own dream away. What do I dream about now?'"
For the Oscar winner, those dreams continued to evolve as her life changed. "Then it was maybe have this and a family. Then I did have a family," she said. "Your dreams are this beautiful snowball that keeps growing and growing."
© Apple TVSteenburgen also had an unexpected advantage in preparing for The Dink. Just two months before landing the role, her son had encouraged her to try pickleball and even bought her her first paddle.
"My son bought a paddle for me and gave it to me," she said. "He said, 'I honestly think you could be good at this.'" Even with that head start, she still trained extensively, taking lessons from legendary coach Brad Gilbert while also getting tips from former tennis star Andy Roddick.
"It was all a challenge," she admitted. "My favorite thing in the world is puzzles, and I felt like all this was just a beautiful puzzle. How do you play a sport while saying your lines? How do you play a sport while leading with your heart?"
