In the pantheon of unlikely friendships, we’ve seen some strange ones. Sure, we’ve seen Kanye West befriend Donald Trump and Dennis Rodman befriend Kim Jong Un, but Jonah Hill and Morrissey is one pairing we thought we’d never see.
Over the last few months, Jonah Hill has been promoting his upcoming directorial debut, mid90s. Described as “sort of like a coming-of-age drama”, the film is set to revolve around a thirteen-year-old living in ’90s Los Angeles who makes friends with the kids that hang around a skate store.
While Hill himself notes that the film is set to be a bit of a throwback in terms of style, we’ve since learnt that the film has been scored by the likes of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Now, Jonah Hill has revealed that Morrissey has also contributed a song to the film – a move that has seen the pair reportedly become “best friends”.
Appearing on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, Jonah Hill opened up about his relationship with these musicians, noting how he’s in constant contact with Reznor and Ross, despite never having met the pair.
“He’s the most dry, funny person I’ve ever met,” Hill explained. “He’s one of my heroes. So, a lot of times I’d end the exchange with, ‘Oh if you need someone to sing backup on ‘Head Like A Hole’, I’m available.’ And it was never acknowledged.”
“I would do it every day, every time we had to discuss the score. ‘Hey, I’m available to sing backup on ‘Head Like A Hole’. Nothing. And then after, like, six months I did it, I just got back, on the email with everyone, a ‘Ha’.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxTN9J-p1Pg
Jonah Hill also noted that the film’s budget was so tight, that he had to personally write appeals to his favourite acts in hopes of convincing them to allow him to use their songs in the film, including the iconic frontman of The Smiths, Morrissey.
“Every song that’s in the film, I wrote the scene to have that song in it,” Hill continued. “And I wrote to Morrissey, and I wrote him a really personal letter, and he emailed back, ‘It is my pleasure and I can’t wait to see Mid90s, Morrissey.’ All caps.”
“I was like, ‘Morrissey knows what Mid90s is! He said the words Mid90s! Morrissey is my best friend! We are best friends! I’m best friends with Morrissey!’”
While there’s every chance that Jonah Hill might be overthinking the whole relationship, we’re certain that any movie that contains the music of both Trent Reznor and Morrissey would have to well and truly be something special.
Check out Morrissey’s ‘Suedehead’:
