![logan-lerman-kyle-chandler](/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/logan-lerman-kyle-chandler.jpg?w=1000&quality=74&strip=all)
Logan Lerman may take a note or two from Kyle Chandler on his next project. The actor — who has a resume longer than some twice his age — stars opposite the Friday Night Lights alum in the new drama The Vanishing of Sidney Hall.
“I can lose myself watching Kyle in a role and not be distracted by his celebrity or his personal life, which is a wonderful thing. And on top of that he’s just a fantastic actor and a great person and has such an interesting approach to creating his characters. I learned so much from him and have so much respect for that guy,” Lerman, 26, exclusively tells Us Weekly. “I was blown away by his approach.”
![Kylie Chandler in The Vanishing of Sidney Hall](/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/kyle-chandler.jpg?w=1000&quality=74&strip=all)
How so? Chandler, 52, rode his motorcycle to set on the first day — and brought his own props. “He showed up with all of his little tools and things that inspired him and I thought that was such a cool and unique approach that you don’t see often,” Lerman adds. “He builds his characters that way and so it’s a marvelous thing to observe.”
The Noah actor plays the title role in the Shawn Christensen-directed film. Sidney disappears after writing a bestselling novel and tries to remain unnoticed while a detective (Chandler) tries to figure out why a series of arsons are connected to the author’s books.
![Kyle-Chandler,-Blake-Jenner,-Michelle-Monaghan,-Logan-Lerman,-and-Yahya-Abdul-Mateen-II](/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/kyle-chandler-blake-jenner-michelle-monaghan-logan-lerman-and-yahya-abdul-mateen-ii.jpg?w=1000&quality=78&strip=all)
For Lerman, playing Sidney at 30 was more intriguing than his high school years. “In terms of relating to his youthful spirit and idealism at 18 or 19 — it was interesting for me to explore — but not as attractive as the complicated mess that followed,” he explains.
To play an older Sidney, Lerman underwent a nearly unrecognizable transformation — thanks to a long, shaggy wig.
![Elle Fanning and Logan Lerman in The Vanishing of Sidney Hall](/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/elle-fanning-logan-lerman.jpg?w=1000&quality=78&strip=all)
“Originally we had these grand ideas that I can grow my hair out and gain all this weight and then take a month off, lose the weight and cut off my hair. But that’s unrealistic,” he tells Us. “We only had like 25 or 27 days to shoot the film. We had a couple of hours in between separating each age. We were shooting 18 in the morning and 24 at night. … So it was a really tough challenge.”
Although Lerman tends to focus on what’s next after wrapping a movie, he hopes that this one “provokes an emotional response” from viewers. “I don’t have any expectations. I’m always surprised to hear others interpret the work rather than hoping that they feel a certain thing or question a certain thing after leaving the theater most of the time,” he says.
“And in regards to that line that ‘life can change in a millisecond,'” he adds of Sidney’s quote, “if it provokes a response where your chest tightens and maybe you feel something — then that’s all I can really ask for. And if it triggers a thought in the viewers mind that might make them feel alive or in that moment or more present then that’s a pretty f—king cool thing. And I hope that people feel something when they’re watching it.”
The Vanishing of Sidney Hall is now available on DIRECTV ahead of its theatrical release on March 2nd from A24.