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On Location peels back the curtain on some of your favorite films, television shows, and more.
“You? Alone in Europe? It’d be like a gazelle in the Serengeti. Except, you wouldn’t be a gazelle; you’d be a cocker spaniel!” This is the vote of no-confidence that Hollywood manager Ron (Adam Sandler) gives his A-list actor client Jay Kelly (George Clooney). Having spent decades in the limelight, mollycoddled Jay never has to fend for himself; he’s never had to slum it and never finds himself alone.
Yet, when Jay’s daughter Daisy sets off backpacking around Europe, just as he is re-evaluating his career—a flashy one that always took priority over parenthood—he decides to follow her. Knowing Jay will handle solo travel hopelessly, Ron joins him, along with a rotating entourage (naturally) that includes ruthless publicist (Laura Dern), flaky make-up artist (Emily Mortimer), an inscrutable security detail, and a stylist lugging Lous Vuitton.
Jay’s grand tour ticks off California, Paris, the Alps, Italian Riviera, and Tuscany en route, so it’s an inspirational watch for travelers. Below, production designer Mark Tildesley pinpoints how and why production chose some of our favorite locations in the movie.
Malibu, California
From the get-go, it’s clear this is a film about gloss and fantasy, where Jay’s life—both on and off camera—is a collection of flawless “scenes.” His home is no exception: a spectacular Modernist house with a gorgeous swimming pool and views. “We were looking for texture and color and things that made the house feel like it was originally a family home,” Tildesley says. “It still had to be a superstar’s house, but there was an interesting contradiction, trying to find a level where it felt homey but also slightly cold, like there was a family there at one time, and now it’s empty.” Tildesley scoured Los Angeles and found the mid-century Malibu house and pool you see on screen. Ironically, it once belonged to Jack Nicholson.
