Dylan Sprouse on Yogurt, Challenging Twin Roles, and Finding a Butt Double

“We wanted to frame it in a very morally gray area,” says actor Dylan Sprouse. The premise of his new movie sounds at first like a uniquely American tale of what one character refers to as a classic case of “toxic masculinity” — betrayal, anger, and inevitably, guns. But the protagonists of the twisty black comedy “The Duel” don’t erupt into sudden violence; they don’t whip out semiautomatics from their glove compartments. Instead, they settle things like gentlemen — with an old-fashioned challenge and a set of antique pistols.

The premise appealed to the former “Suite Life of Zack & Cody” and “Big Daddy” star in part because of his own upbringing, sharing a household with his father and twin brother Cole. “My father’s a very sensitive man,” he recalled during an interview, “and he was always good about making sure we were not being a**holes.” For him, the film (which he also executive produced) is an examination of “the idea of honor” and of conflict resolution in a world where men aren’t encouraged to talk through their differences.

In a candid and surprisingly R-rated conversation, Sprouse also opened up about why he wants to make Indiana the new Hollywood, which actor he thinks played identical twins best, and what he learned when he had to choose his own stunt butt double for his last film. “I asked a few other people,” he admits. “I was like, ‘If you’re comfortable, would you help me pick a butt?’”

The movie follows two best friends who gravely wrong each other. One of them decides the only way to handle this is to challenge the other to an old-timey duel to the death, with all the problems that arise from that idea. There are some twists and turns along the way, adding to the chaos. It’s a dark comedy. Sprouse made this film with some of his best friends in the world. He filmed this down in Indiana, and he is very proud of this movie. It is the first one he has ever executive produced.

None of the subject matter, thankfully, was inspired directly by Sprouse and his co-star Callan McAuliffe. He worked on a movie called “Banana Split” years ago. Sprouse’s best friend in that movie was Luke Spencer Roberts, one of the two director-writers (with Justin Matthews) of “The Duel.” When they were writing the two leads and their characters, Luke was inspired by the personalities of Sprouse and Callan, who is another longtime friend of his. They then added all the trouble into that scenario.

Sprouse believes working with friends and family is better because there’s a shorthand towards taking and making creative risks. When you know and trust people on set, everything comes easier. He emphasizes that good chemistry, whether you’re acting angry, sad, or happy or trying to make jokes, always improves if you’re actually friends with the people behind the scenes. This familiarity allowed them to stretch their wings and make choices that paid off in this movie.

The topic of gun safety on sets has become even more significant given the recent incidents, such as what happened on “Rust.” Sprouse noted that while filming, they had a good armorer on set as required. They dealt with old flintlock pistols, which are harder to mishandle compared to modern firearms. However, gun safety was always on their minds, especially since they shot the movie during COVID and had strict safety precautions in place.

The four main cast members quarantined together, turning their temporary home into a bit of a frat house, which Sprouse believes made the on-screen chemistry look more real.

Sprouse’s movie tackles the idea of toxic masculinity and how men resolve their problems, framing it in a morally gray area. On set, everyone shared similar views about the subject matter. For the film, they aimed to present the topic as it is, without dismissing or pedestaling it. The characters and their actions in the movie lead viewers to discuss and debate their motives, actions, and resolutions.

Sprouse grew up in a household with his father and brother, where his father ensured they learned to be respectful individuals. The idea of honor and conflict resolution is central to the film, driven by the notion that no one talks to each other anymore. Despite being a dark comedy, Sprouse calls the movie a love story about friendship.

Sprouse took a break to go to university, earning a degree in video game design. He is also an entrepreneur, involved in mead making and is a co-founder of a skyr business. Sprouse started brewing mead at 16 and fell in love with the process. During a trip to Iceland, he discovered skyr and became interested in these yogurt concept bars, meeting the strongest man in the world who was consuming skyr for power lifting. Sprouse’s interests often align with unique and odd concepts.

Sprouse and his twin brother Cole still communicate about their acting careers. They discuss scripts and audition tapes, often helping each other prepare. Though they haven’t worked as twins recently, Sprouse is hopeful for future projects together, particularly now that they are looking into more projects in Indiana after his experience in executive production.

The movie “The Duel” was shot in Indiana via a suggestion from producer Zach Spicer at Pigasus Pictures. The filmmakers finalized the script while camping on Spicer’s land during COVID. Spicer secured funding but stipulated that the film be made in Indiana. Sprouse is grateful they shot there, citing the support and hospitality they received during production and the premiere, where around 1,600 people attended. He praised the fierce loyalty and excitement of the state’s residents and expressed a desire to make more films there.

Sprouse shared a humorous anecdote about his last movie “Beautiful Wedding,” where he had to choose a stunt butt double for a specific scene. He was shown a list of potential doubles and asked for help picking one, sending the choices to his co-star and wife for opinions. Despite his surprise, he discovered that a big, round, bubble butt was the most desirable choice.

Sprouse expressed his hope to work with Cole again, though he acknowledged that good roles for twins are rare. He pointed out that often, these roles are taken by single actors, joking about his brother’s complaint when Tom Hardy played twins in a film.