In what might be the drunkest ofDrunk History-like programs, Konner helmed the frantic four-day shoot.
Though proud of the result, he wishesArt of the Dealdoesnt resonate as much as it has.
I thought, Oh, [Trump is] going to go away,' he says.
Credit: Funny or Die
I wish it was less relevant.
EW chatted with Konner about making the short film, Depps performance, and Trumps current presidential campaign.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:The Art of the Dealcame out of nowhere.
Owen Burke had this idea back in September.
What was his exact pitch?
Lets make a real movie.
Depps Trump is pretty outrageous, but spot on.
What attributes did you want Depp to focus on to amplify his Trumpiness?
Johnny is his own man.
We initially assumed we were just slapping a wig on, and he would make a funny face.
He will be doing full prosthetics.
It was a complete surprise to us.
What was your initial reaction to seeing Depp in full Trump regalia?
Honestly, it was a lot easier.
He wasnt in makeup.
He comes back out, I was not scared of him anymore.
He was a new human, and it was this crazy, plastic Trump character.
People wouldnt think of him as an ideal Trump.
Hes Depp, so when he comes into a role, he fully embodies it.
He brought a darkness that I dont think we would have gotten if Adam Sandler had played him.
There was some real, meaty, dark depths in there.
It was a potpourri of Depp.
What one moment encapsulated the darkness?
Definitely the ending monologue.
That ending monologue is dark and terrifying.
Johnny brought out more Trumps inner anger.
I think he does have a lot of darkness in him, and Depp really brought that out.
How did the cast come together?
I was surprised to see Alfred Molina walk into Trumps office.
Molina, I had worked with before onDrunk History.
They all are so much fun to work with.
How much of the final product was written versus improvved?
In the end, it was mostly written.
The improvved stuff was on the cutting room floor at the end.
Not because it was not funny, but its already 50 minutes.
I dont know if anybody wanted to watch any more of it.
Maybe people do want to watch more.
How was the shoot itself?
It was extremely difficult.
I thought, Oh, hes going to go away.
I wish it was less relevant.
This is kind of a watch what you wish for.
I was like, I really hope this is still relevant in a few months.
Im like, Oh fk, now that Im here, I wish it was irrelevant.
I would rather this not be topical.
What has been your reaction to the Trump campaign?
Im horrified by all of it, to be honest.
I was like, Well, at least lets have a funny laugh about whats happening.
How did you keep the movie a secret?
I have no idea; I told everyone I knew.
I wasnt supposed to but come on.
Honestly, I couldnt keep my goddamn mouth shut.
Did you or writer Joe Randazzo readThe Art of the Deal?
Joe and Owen read it cover to cover.
I didnt have the patience.
There is not a chapter called that.
But there are things that are very true which are hilarious.
He writes that in his book in a showy, showboating bravado, showing, Im such a hotshot.
Watch out: Im going to fk everyones wives if they dont make a rule against it.
The reaction has been very positive to the film.
Were you expecting that?
But people have really been taking to it and writing very serious reviews and talking about it extremely positively.
Ive never done anything thats gotten this much press in my whole life.
Watch the 50-minute movie below.
This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.
