Murray Bartlett's dream came true when he walked the red carpet at the Sundance Film Festival last month.
"I'm thrilled to be here," the veteran actor told The Hollywood Reporter. "It's a new experience for me, and I've always fantasized about attending the festival."
Bartlett joined his co-stars, including John Malkovich, Ayo Edebiri, Juliette Lewis, Stephanie Suganami, and Tatanka Means, at the world premiere of the film "Opus" at the Eccles Center Theatre in Park City.
Opus, directed by Mark Anthony Green and produced by A24, tells the story of Ariel, a young writer played by Edebiri, who receives an unexpected invitation to join a group of journalists and media personalities on a journey to meet Alfred Moretti, a global pop superstar played by Malkovich.
Moretti has reemerged after a 30-year disappearance, and the group soon discovers that he is an obsessed figure with sinister plans in motion.
Given that Bartlett has been on screen for almost 30 years, the outlet questioned him about his relationship to recognition since the movie touches on themes of stardom, fame, and adoration. He was quick to point out that his experience differs greatly from that of someone like Moretti.
“I love what I do and when people appreciate what I do, I feel really fortunate. I am not at the point where I’m chased down the street or anything,” he explained.
“I live in the woods, so that helps because, in most of my personal life, it’s just me and my dog and the trees. When I go into cities, people say nice things to me and it’s sweet.”
When asked if The White Lotus or The Last of Us is receiving more praise these days, Bartlett responded that it's "about equal."
“I’m thrilled about that partly because they’re so different and that’s kind of cool. I’m so proud of both of those shows for some different reasons. But yeah, it’s lovely to have people be excited by work that you’re proud of,” he added.