“The character of Edek, who hides behind this facade of loving food, loving life and loving women, reminded me hugely of my grandfather, Sam, who passed away when I was in my teens,” she added. “His entire life was about assimilation in the United States. It wasn’t about looking back—It was about looking forward.”
And for Stephen, who spoke to his own grandfather’s influence on his portrayal, explained that forging a special bond with Lena during filming helped bring the movie’s crucial father-daughter dynamic to life.
“We felt so natural with each other,” he told E!, “and Julia said that as soon as she saw us together, she thought, ‘There’s a father and daughter—there’s a family.’ So it was really nice to have that confidence.”
Treasure releases in theaters nationwide June 14.
