Logan Lerman Talks Role in ‘Oh, Hi!’, Career, Hopeful Parenthood

In Logan Lerman‘s new movie, Oh, Hi!, he plays a bit of an asshole. The technical, generationally specific term might be “soft boy” — a young, entitled New Yorker who wants all the perks of a relationship (companionship, sex, a reliable plus-one) without the commitment. The dark comedy hinges on the extremely poorly timed moment his character Isaac reveals to his not-quite-girlfriend Iris (played by Molly Gordon) that they’re not a couple — at least not in his mind.

Lerman plays the part so smoothly and convincingly, it’s easy to assume he’s drawing on personal experience. In fact, he is. Just not in the way you’d think.

“I’m an Iris,” he says over breakfast at his local diner in L.A.’s Franklin Village. “In my dating life, I’ve been with people and thought, ‘This is so great!’ But then they tell me it’s actually not working, and the whole thing implodes after a few months. You’re left thinking, ‘Wait, I thought we had something good?’ “

This admission isn’t what people would expect from someone who’s been in the spotlight since he first broke out in 2010’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians and was anointed by fans as “White Boy of the Year” and “The Internet’s Boyfriend.” And yet, Lerman, now 33, manages to keep a relatively low profile. He doesn’t do much press, and despite the fan pages tracking his every haircut, he has managed to stay just out of reach.

Raised in West L.A., he was a possible heir to a podiatry dynasty — his great-grandfather founded an orthotics company, and much of his family still works in the business. Acting started as a distraction during his parents’ divorce. “They were like, ‘He needs something to do,’ ” he says, “and I’d always loved performing.” That pastime turned serious when he was cast as Christian Bale’s son in 3:10 to Yuma at 14. “Being part of that movie scratched an itch I didn’t even know I had,” he recalls. “That feeling — plus wanting to get the fuck away from home — made me realize I wanted to just do this job all the time.”

Although Percy Jackson and The Perks of Being a Wallflower earned him a devoted teen fan base, he managed to sidestep the child-actor trap, pivoting to adult roles in Fury, Bullet Train and Hunters. “Still,” he says, “you hit a point in your mid-20s where you think, ‘I don’t ever want to be in a high school [movie] again. I don’t ever want to wear a backpack.’ “

Enter Oh, Hi!, co-written by Gordon and director Sophie Brooks. The script had been circulating for years but never landed in Lerman’s hands — until his team happened to start repping Gordon. That’s when a copy finally appeared in his inbox.

“As soon as I read it, I said yes,” he recalls — never mind the role’s rather specific physical requirements.

Isaac drops the bomb that he and Iris aren’t a couple while he’s handcuffed to her bed, post-sex — and she refuses to let him go. That’s not just a scene, it’s pretty much the entire movie. Lerman estimates he spent more than 100 hours lying prone on the set. “At first I wondered how we’d make it work, energy-wise,” he says, “but it came down to the bed frame and how much movement it allowed. Once we figured that out, I’d just show up to work and hop into bed.” Physically, it was easy. “The hardest part was knowing I had to be naked every day — and look the same every day. That took more effort, especially toward the end of the shoot.”

The film also gave Lerman a chance to flex comedic muscles rarely seen in his more serious roles. He’ll continue that streak with a guest turn in the next season of Only Murders in the Building. He wrapped filming a few weeks before this breakfast and still sounds a little surprised by how much fun he had during his downtime with Steve Martin and Martin Short. “It’s scary to meet someone whose work you love that much,” he says. “They can ruin their whole filmography for you if they’re an asshole. That’s happened to me — those people shall remain nameless.”

Despite this recent turn toward comedy, Lerman insists he doesn’t map out his career. OMITB showrunner John Hoffman offered him the role just a week before shooting began. “I don’t really plan,” Lerman says. “I like the excitement of not knowing what’s next.”

Meanwhile, he seems to have ironed out the kinks in his own love life. Just before the pandemic, he met ceramic artist Ana Corrigan — and unlike Isaac and Iris, she’s been sticking around of her own free will. In fact, they got engaged two years ago. “I’m approaching the time in my life where I want kids,” Lerman says. “And I’m thinking a lot about how to balance that with my work.” He shrugs. “But the irony is, now that I’m in a great relationship, it’s easier than ever to focus on my career — because everything else finally feels solid.”

This story appeared in the July 23 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.