Actors Miles Teller And Adam Pilote play two brothers in James Gray’s “Paper Tiger,” which received rave reviews at the Cannes Film Festival last weekend. The “Top Gun: Maverick” star plays Irwin Pearl, a family man determined to set a good example for the two sons he raises with his wife, played by Scarlett Johansson. Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worse when his older brother, Gary, a former cop (played by Driver), appears and offers him a get-rich-quick scheme. Although Irwin is interested, he decides to investigate the case himself and finds himself in a confrontation with the Russian mafia that puts his entire family in danger.
Without revealing any spoilers, we can expect the two brothers’ relationship to be put to the test after the involvement of the Russian mafia. There is a fight scene between Teller and Driver where both actors give it their all. Teller’s face quivers with rage in the scene, which attracted the attention of many critics.
In an interview with IndieWire, the “Top Gun: Maverick” star was asked about this particular scene. Teller admitted “there was a twitch there” before addressing the family values that motivated his performance in the scene.
“At least in my own life, your family can reach you in a way that no one else can,” Teller explained. “These feelings are so deeply rooted and established from childhood, so I guess at that point neither is fully aware of the ramifications of the Russians, of this deal going wrong and how it affects this person in their life.”
Miles Teller “let it out” in this scene
Teller explained that he drew inspiration from his personal experiences to bring this scene to life.
“In this particular scene, you let it slip. It’s not just about what they’re talking about here,” he continued. “It’s a lifetime of doubt – he’s going to let it happen.”
“When it happens to me in my personal life, you feel so bad afterwards,” he added. “It’s a horrible feeling when you don’t talk to a sibling or your parents, and it’s often hard to make amends.”
While this is Teller’s first time playing and fighting with Driver, it’s not the first for Scarlett Johansson, who starred alongside the actor in 2019’s “Marriage Story.” She is married to Teller’s character in “Paper Tiger,” but in “Marriage Story,” she and Driver play characters going through a tumultuous custody battle and a vicious divorce.
Scarlett Johansson would like to have more scenes with Adam Driver in ‘Paper Tiger’
Unfortunately, “The Avengers” actress was unable to make it to the Cannes premiere due to a scheduling conflict. However, she told The Hollywood Reporter, “I would have loved to have had more scenes with him,” adding, “I love working with him.”
In 2025, she told PEOPLE magazine that she had a “tremendous” experience working with the “Star Wars” actor. “I love Adam as a person and he’s an absolutely amazing actor,” she said at the time. “If I could do every movie with Adam Driver, I would.”
Scarlett Johansson looks back on their fight scenes
Their fight scenes in the film were so brutal that the U.S. Department of Agriculture released audio clips of their arguments to scare away a pack of gray wolves that were allegedly “terrorizing” livestock on an Oregon farm, according to the Wall Street Journal.
“We spent two whole days yelling at each other, yelling brutally and fighting for two whole days,” she said. As ifas reported by PEOPLE magazine.
“It was exhausting, but if I hadn’t had such a strong actor as Adam to take everything I gave him, I would have been lost,” Johansson said at the time. “For me, working with other actors is a very important part of what I do…that’s it.”
Adam Driver jokes about writing a memoir after Lena Dunham’s claims
In her 2026 memoir “Famesick,” Lena Dunham opened up about working with Driver on the HBO comedy “Girls.” In her tell-all book, she alleges the actor yelled in her face and “threw a chair at the wall” next to her after she forgot her lines.
“I remember doing a fight scene with Adam and how scary it was to meet someone so totally present with such absence,” Dunham wrote. “Late that night, while we were rehearsing our lines in my trailer, I discovered that mine had suddenly disappeared. I knew I had written them. I had only known them a few minutes before. But when I opened my mouth, all that came out was a stutter – until finally Adam shouted ‘Fuck, say something’ and threw a chair at the wall next to me. ‘Wake up,’ he told me. ‘I’m tired of looking at you.’
At the Cannes press conference following the “Paper Tiger” premiere, Driver was asked to comment on Dunham’s allegations. “I have no comment on any of this,” he said, according to Deadline. “I’m saving all that for my book.”
