John C. Reilly Compares Alana Haim's Licorice Pizza Performance To This Acting Legend

Speaking with his "Licorice Pizza" co-star, Alana Haim, actor John C. Reilly, who has starred in several of Paul Thomas Anderson's previous films, shared his first reactions to seeing Haim's bond with Cooper Hoffman in the upcoming film. "When Paul sent me that first screen test, I was like, 'Dude, if you can keep them feeling this free, I think you've got a movie,'" the actor recalled. "When I visited the set, I remember sitting there and being glued to the monitor, even between takes. I turned to Paul, and I was like, 'You can't take your f***ing eyes off her.' He looked at me like, 'Right?'"

Haim responded to the comments with a stunned, "Oh my god," but Reilly wasn't done praising her "Licorice Pizza" performance. In a major compliment, the actor compared Haim to Joaquin Phoenix ("Joker," "Her"). "Watching him is like watching a raccoon rummage through garbage cans. What is he gonna do now? Why look at anything else, while this is going on? It's hard to keep that energy on camera, Alana. Take it from an old clown like me," Reilly told the musician-turned-actress.

Fortunately, audiences will get to see Haim's performance for themselves when "Licorice Pizza" is released in limited theaters on November 26 and nationwide on December 25.