Marc Maron Cries at SXSW Sharing How Sharon Stone Helped Him Channel His Grief Over Lynn Shelton Into His Acting

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“I should have been dead at the end of that!”

Following the debut of the documentary “Are We Good?” about him at the SXSW Film & TV Festival on Tuesday, comedian Marc Maron was the first to speak. Directed by Steven Feinartz, the film spans the entirety of Maron’s career, from his beginnings in the 1980s as a stand-up comic fueled by cocaine under the mentorship of Sam Kinison, up to the swift rise of his comedy podcast “WTF.

As I stepped onto the stage at the ZACH Theater in Austin, post-premiere, I couldn’t help but remark jokingly, ‘It’s incredible this fellow’s still kicking!’ Typically, such a story is a movie about a man who’s already passed away.”

Or, more casually:

“Backstage at the ZACH Theater in Austin after the premiere, I quipped, ‘Can you believe he’s still alive?’ Usually, that’s a film plot where the character has already kicked the bucket.

As a film aficionado, the specter of mortality lingered heavily on my thoughts while watching “Are We Good?” The main focus of this film is Maron’s journey in dealing with his grief following the unexpected demise of his girlfriend and fellow filmmaker, Lynn Shelton, due to an unidentified blood disease in May 2020. Fast forward a year, I find myself trailing Maron as he endeavors to construct a stand-up act revolving around Shelton’s passing, culminating in the critically acclaimed 2023 HBO special “From Bleak to Dark,” which I had the honor of directing as well.

In certain instances, Maron might express hesitation towards being filmed by Feinartz for such an extended period. However, it’s worth noting that he is just as open and introspective in “Are We Good?” as he is on “WTF.” This transparency was evident during the Q&A session.

A woman from the crowd whom Maron identified as knowing Lynn posed a question to him, “What aspects of Lynn’s life choices still motivate and inspire you?

Maron shared an account of a recent event, mentioning he might struggle to share it without becoming emotional.

Previously in autumn, Maron disclosed that he starred in a movie titled “Memoriam.” In this production, he portrays an actor who had a lengthy, somewhat underwhelming career. After being diagnosed with stage four colon cancer, this character becomes fixated on securing a spot in the Oscars’ In Memoriam segment. Sharon Stone is cast as Maron’s former spouse, a more renowned and accomplished actress. During their most significant shared scene, they both emotionally break down.

Maron admitted that he’s not a seasoned actor and was working alongside Sharon Stone. Arriving on set, she was fully immersed as Norma Desmond from Sunset Boulevard, complete with a turban. Upon entering the grand mansion, Maron was taken aback, thinking, “This is the real deal.” They performed two takes, and it seemed to him that she had handed him a defeat. He retreated to his trailer, channeling Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’, lamenting, “What on earth is happening? I can’t pull this off!

After gathering his thoughts, Maron confided in Stone about his apprehension, mentioning that it might be necessary for him to utilize the menthol sticks which make one cry.

She replied, “Go ahead and do whatever needs doing, but I’m aware of what sets off your tears.” To which I asked, “Are you referring to Lynn?” And Sharon Stone responded, “Indeed. Here’s the deal: just perform the scene for Lynn, and I’ll ensure she’s present.

As the audience audibly sighed, Maron said, “Right?!”

Instead of dwelling on the absence of Shelton, it was this very factor that Maron found crucial for performing the scene effectively.

He went on, choking back tears, as he explained, ‘It was Lynn’s unwavering faith in me that ultimately brought me here.’ He felt overwhelmed with emotion, knowing that her pride and enthusiasm for his endeavors was so profound, it made him weep just like Sharon Stone.

In a playful interaction, when someone brought up that they had watched Maron do stand-up at a small Austin club back in 2011, the comedian promptly shared an amusing memory from that exact performance. Out of the few spectators present that night, Maron mentioned, Oscar-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple was one of them. Impressed by his act, she offered him a role on the spot to play a soccer coach in a Sprint commercial she was directing the following day. When Kopple needed Maron to elicit a variety of emotions from the children in the advertisement, he told one of them, “By the way, do you like Harry Potter? He dies in the next movie.

“The crew wouldn’t even sit with me at lunch,” Maron said.

In time, he turned his attention once more towards the audience member, who shared how Maron’s candid discussion about personal loss aided him in coping with the passing of his mother.

Maron smiled. “Well, you’re the guy I did it for.”

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2025-03-12 09:16