In the new film Novocaine, Jack Quaid stars as Nathan Caine, a shy and sheltered guy born with a rare disorder that prevents him from feeling any pain. Rather than immediately use that to become a superhero vigilante a la Kick-Ass, Nathan basically grows up like Bubble Boy, avoiding even eating solids out of fear of biting his tongue off.
This makes the moment Nathan decides to go rescue the girl he has a crush on after she’s kidnapped following a bank robbery gone wrong not just exciting but the start of a hilarious and rather gnarly action-comedy. Directed by Robert Olsen, Dan Berk (the excellent horror-comedy Villains) and written by Lars Jacobson , Novocaine also stars Amber Midthunder, Jacob Batalon, Ray Nicholson, Betty Gabriel, and Matt Walsh.
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It is a movie full of well-choreographed and staged action set pieces that are thrilling, gory as hell, and also absolutely hysterical. A lot of it comes down to Quaid’s fantastic performance, as Nathan may not feel any pain but still gets hurt — a lot. Even if you cheer for him to keep getting a beating, it’s hard not to groan and cringe with the amount of physical damage he receives throughout the movie.
Quaid may not seem like a traditional action movie star, but in Novocaine, he shows his versatility as an actor and his chops as a leading man. Hopefully, this is but the first of many such exciting projects for him.
For more Jack Quaid, read our review of Companion.
ButWhyTho: How does the fact that your character doesn’t feel any pain affect your performance?
Jack Quaid: That was the biggest challenge for sure. I was trying to wrap my head around how exactly that would work because sometimes when you get hit in something and you express pain, it’s kind of a quick, easy way to get the audience on your side. I knew that I didn’t have that tool at my disposal, so I very much had to sell that with heart. I think Nathan Caine probably has one of the biggest hearts out of any character I’ve ever played.
And I wanted to make sure you’re rooting for him. Because this movie is kind of like action movies out of the ’80s, at least that’s what we’re going for. Yes, the action’s cool, but it’s because you care about these characters that the action works. The whole point was, this movie’s super gnarly, I have to make Nate the contrast to all of that. I need to make him so sweet and so genuine and have such a big heart that the audience hopefully cares when I’m getting the absolute crud beaten out of me.
But Why Tho: Like the character says in the movie, it’s not a superpower. So, how do you find that vulnerability in the character where it’s clear that he’s doing some, in a way, amazing things, but he’s still getting the crud beat out of him?
Jack Quaid: That was another way that I knew hopefully the audience would care. Just because he can’t feel pain doesn’t mean he can’t get hurt, he’s still putting himself in serious conditions. I think that’s a way of raising the stakes so that the character can put himself at risk, but he’s just not feeling it along the way.
I love action movies so much and I know I’m a guy that you look at and you’re not necessarily like, “That guy kicks so much ass,” but that’s what I love about this movie. This is the perfect way that I can be an action hero because it’s not about how much I can kick ass, it’s about how much my ass can get kicked. I think that’s another reason why you, again, hopefully, root for him.
But Why Tho: Was there a particular scene or moment that you were really looking forward to seeing on the finished film when you were reading the script?
Jack Quaid: I snuck into one of the screenings last night during the kitchen fight. That was wonderful to just be in that hallway and listen to the crowd’s response. It was the exact response that I wanted, people laughing, but also going like [Jack screams as he cringes].
I love being in projects that elicit that response. I don’t know what it is. That’s a recent discovery I’ve had where I really like grossing people out. There were certain sequences, like the whole sequence in the rundown house that I was really excited about.
There’s a torture scene that I remember when I read the script, that was the moment where I knew I had to do this movie. That was going to be very, very fun, turning the premise on its head for a second.
But Why Tho: Lastly, because both characters sort of have powers, but aren’t exactly superheroes. If Hughie and Nathan were to have a fight, who would win?
Jack Quaid: It’s a very good question. Huey would definitely be scrappier because I feel like he’s been through it. And I don’t think he’s jaded, but I think he’s definitely a little more world-weary than Nate is. Nate’s kind of like a newborn baby in the world.
He’s inside most of his life, so through this movie, he’s kind of experiencing the world for the first time. I think Nate just wouldn’t want to fight him, but I think he’d probably win just on endurance alone. I don’t know, that’s a really good question. I have to think about this. I’m going to say Nate for now, but I might change my answer in the future because Hughie’s resourceful. He plans.
Novocaine is paying in theaters nationwide now.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
