Trivia / Maniac (2018)

• Acting for Two:
  • In general, the cast plays themselves in the real world, as well as iterations of themselves in Owen's and Annie's simulations.
  • Billy Magnussen as Jed Milgrim, and Owen's hallucination Grimsson.
  • Sally Field as Greta Mantleray, and as Gertie.
• Actor Allusion: In the final episode, Jed drinks out of a Big Hug Mug — prominently featured in director Cary Fukunaga's breakout work.
• The Cast Showoff: Billy Magnussen is a theater and screen actor, and gets to sing in the third episode.
• The Danza: Hank Azaria as Hank Landsberg.
• Hostility on the Set: In the wake of Cary Fukunaga being accused of sexual harassment and grooming, Nick Cuse, who was a writer on the series, did not have a pleasant time working with him, accusing him of using grooming tactics to get him to write his scripts for him and for taking credit for his work. In his own words:
  "Cary Fukunaga is the worst human being I have ever met in my life. He didn't groom me to fuck me but he did use a lot of the same tactics to get me to write his scripts for him. Which he would then put his name on. One time, after spending three weeks on a script, he made me open up the cover page and type his name under "Written By". I had to literally type the stolen credit with my own fingers. I'm ashamed to say I didn't stand up to him or say anything at the time. The worst part of the experience was that whenever someone else mentioned that a line I wrote or an idea I had was good, he would always have to change it. He couldn't bear that it was not his. Even though he was getting credit! As far as girls, his type is 'looks underage.' I don't know much about the things he's done to women but I'm sure they are horrible. The way he treats all people (other than celebrities) is horrible. I once saw him dump his cut fingernails in another person's car. I did not have an experience remotely comparable to [Rachelle Vinberg], [Hannah and Cailin Loesch], [Kristine Froseth]. But by speaking out, they opened my eyes to the fact that I was under the spell of a vile cult leader. If you are in the industry I hope you are aware of that before you decide to work with him. I wish someone had told me not to. I deeply regret it."
• Those Two Actors: Jonah Hill and Emma Stone reunite after their Star Making Roles as another unlikely couple in Superbad.
• Word of God: The creators have stated that while Owen and Annie were cast as a couple in several of the simulations, the ending isn't meant to imply any romance between them. Effectively, they are each other's Not Love Interest.
  • Worth noting that in one of these simulations, Owen is plagued by a need to "fix" their marriage as he believes they are growing distant; in the other, he actively despises Annie's character for her frequent bouts of treachery.

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