Summary

Jesse Armstrong’s new movie Mountainhead follows four billionaires embroiled in a financial crisis tied to modern issues.

In this interview, Ramy Youssef and Cory Michael Smith discuss playing asshole billionaires and praise Armstrong’s writing, and the unconventional shooting process.

Despite the quick production, Youssef and Smith were not rushed and felt a kinship with Armstrong’s directing style.

Premiering on HBO this weekend is the new original movie Mountainhead, which serves as Jesse Armstrong’s highly anticipated follow-up to his Emmy-winning series Succession. The new HBO original film features an all-star cast consisting of Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith, and Ramy Youssef as four billionaires who meet up at one of their mountaintop homes as a global financial crisis unfolds — one that was unintentionally caused by them. The movie was filmed unconventionally, as it was first announced this January, with filming taking just two months ago. The idea was entirely Armstrong’s decision, as the film’s plot heavily ties into our world today, particularly with the rise of AI, and Elon Musk’s involvement in the Donald Trump administration (although that has recently changed). Youssef and Smith recently sat down and chatted with Collider about their roles as Jeff and Venis in Mountainhead, how they got into the mindset of playing an asshole, and how working with Armstrong compares to some of the other prestigious filmmakers that they have worked with.
Jesse Armstrong Is Gifted at Writing Complicated Characters

“So a lot of that is just gifted to us by a man who is such a genius at being a language technician.”

COLLIDER: When I first heard about Mountainhead, I’m like, is this going to be tolerable? Because you guys are playing billionaires. This is coming from Jesse Armstrong, so I assumed you were going to be playing assholes. I’m very curious how you get in the mindset of playing an asshole. Corey, I know you have done it before, but I’m very curious with these characters. CORY MICHAEL SMITH: [Laughs] Wow! RAMY YOUSSEF: [Laughs] Wait, did you find it tolerable? SMITH: Do you mean in my characters or in…? I did! I was entertained. YOUSSEF: Okay, great. Cory, I studied a lot of your personal interviews, and it seemed like not a stretch. [Laughs] SMITH: Gosh. I mean, a lot of it’s just in the language, the way that Jesse’s writing these guys, the way they speak, what their priorities are, how they communicate, the way they communicate. So a lot of that is just gifted to us by a man who is such a genius at being a language technician. It’s just so fun to be an asshole in an Armstrong universe. To embody anybody, you kind of have to understand having empathy for them or sympathy, understanding where their vulnerabilities are, and often people are assholes when they feel threatened. Venis certainly is a man that has a lot of threats happening. He’s being accused of causing or being the reason that there is so much chaos, which he resents that accusation and is ready to fight back. But it’s just hard to justify his position, so he really seems like an asshole the way he’s protecting himself. But it’s validating all of these opinions when you’re performing them, so you don’t actually feel like that.
Ramy Youssef and Cory Michael Smith Didn’t Feel Rushed, Despite ‘Mountainhead’s Quick Production

“He was a really great conductor.”

I know both of you have also worked with very prestigious directors before. Ramy, you’ve worked with Yorgos Lanthimos, and Cory, you’ve worked with Todd Haynes. This movie was shot very quickly. How was this set different than some of the other sets you’ve worked on before? Was it more rushed? Was it stressful? Or was it more relaxed? YOUSSEF: Jesse’s a great director, so I think the kinship I felt to being on this set, similar to a Yorgos set, is when you’re just working with someone who knows what they want. Yorgos and Jesse want different things, and they’re looking for different things, but you’re dealing with someone who knows what they want. I think that is the hallmark of a great director. And so I actually didn’t feel rushed, even though what we were trying to do was ambitious. It felt like every scene took just as long as it was supposed to take. The immediacy of everything is its charm and its necessity. He was a really great conductor. SMITH: Also, I think different directors have different vocabulary. They have different priorities, styles. The amount of days we had shooting this is akin to how long we would have shooting a Todd Haynes film. So, in that way, it’s very similar. It’s just that Todd is different. Todd has a very specific cinematic language with each film that he’s trying to tell. The visual framing is as important as other things that he’s pursuing. Jesse’s priority was in the language and the character study. The story and the way he wanted that to be told was a similar language to Succession, but there’s a freedom in these guys’ movement in this house. Nothing is boxed into a frame. There’s nothing that limits these guys, so a frame shouldn’t limit their movement. We need movement and dexterity and power and claiming a space. The cameras, much like everyone in this world, have to follow us. We’re in control, and everyone adapts to us. So, the language is just completely different. But the thing that I loved about Jesse, like Ramy said, is that he knew exactly what he wanted. It’s his first time directing, but he’s the most brilliant person in the room, which is just really comforting when you’re working because you innately trust this person. But he had clarity of story, and he’s an incredible communicator and just a really kind guy.

Related

‘Succession’ Creator Takes Down Tech Bros With Tense and Twisty ‘Mountainhead’ Trailer

The film stars Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith, and Ramy Youssef.

Ramy, you have directed episodes of television before on your own TV show and on The Bear. Do you ever want to make the jump like Jesse did to doing a movie? SMITH: Yes! YOUSSEF: [Laughs] Yeah, I do. What kind of movie would you want to do? And did you ask Jesse for advice while working on the set? YOUSSEF: We bonded over the trauma of running a show. I learned a lot from him. He’s a writer that I really look up to, and so, between getting to chat with him and getting to chat with Yorgos and a few other friends who are just really great directors, it’s just super inspiring.
Cory Michael Smith Teases His Next Movie With Zac Efron

“I think we’re going to enter the Efron-aissance.”

Image via HBO

Cory, I have to ask this as a big fan of Jody Hill. I know you are in his new movie, Famous, with Zac Efron. Can you say anything about it or give a tease? SMITH: To be honest, I don’t know what I’m allowed to say. YOUSSEF: So I’ll say it for him. It’s a… SMITH: No! Honestly, I don’t know what I’m allowed to say. What I will say is it’s a great script. It was really fun to work on and pop into to do this supporting role for Zac. I haven’t seen it, but on the page, it’s an amazing script for Zac. He’s a great actor. I thought he was great in Iron Claw, and I hope he knocks it out of the park. Ramy, now your turn for this kind of question. A year ago, it was announced that you were working on a new Netflix show, Golf, with Will Ferrell and Rian Johnson. I have been dying to know any sort of update. What’s the status on this? YOUSSEF: I know. I don’t have quite an update on it right now because everyone is super busy and super pressed. But I am also excited about Zac Efron’s role in Famous. [Laughs] I think we’re going to enter the Efron-aissance, where we’re going to see him everywhere, just from the little crumbles that I’ve heard. SMITH: Yeah. Also a really nice guy. Mountainhead premieres on HBO Max on Saturday, May 31.

Mountainhead

Release Date

May 31, 2025

Director

Jesse Armstrong

Writers

Jesse Armstrong