VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Micah Stock & Michaela Watkins On ‘Brittany Runs A Marathon’

Brittany Runs A Marathon is a new comedy film about a young woman who decides to set a goal of running the New York City Marathon after a doctor’s visit reveals she is extremely out of shape because of her lifestyle of heavy drinking and partying.

Micah Stock and Michaela Watkins, two stars of the movie, spoke to uInterview’s Erik Meers exclusively about their characters, their experience on set and more. Jillian Bell stars in the main role of the film, which was written and directed by Paul Downs Colaizzo. 

“I play Katherine, who’s [Brittany’s] neighbor that she has kind of branded ‘moneybags Martha’ because she just decided that my character has her life totally together and who is a runner,” said Watkins.

The actress, who formerly starred on Saturday Night Live, explained that her character Katherine reaches out to Bell’s character Brittany for support.

“Brittany’s journey is about whether or not she’s going to be able to accept help and support from others,” Watkins added. “That’s the ‘marathon,’ in my opinion.”

WATCH: JILLIAN BELL, LIL REL HOWERY & UTKARSH AMBUDKAR ON ‘BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON’

Stock noted that his character Seth meets Brittany after the two join a runners’ group and that the pair bond over being the slowest runners in the pack.

“They immediately realize in a very real way that they’re on the same journey,” said Stock of Seth and Brittany as Watkins laughed. “So they connect in that way and as time moves forward, they sort of help each other move forward and meet Katherine and enter into this new life together.”

Stock recalled that Watkins and Bell knew each other before beginning shooting for the film, but he didn’t know either of them, yet Watkins felt like she had chemistry with Stock nearly immediately, a feeling he appeared to reciprocate.

“I felt like we knew each other very well instantly,” said Watkins of Stock before adding she believes this was especially impressive given that many of the cast members have personalities very different from those of their characters.

“When we were on camera, we had this totally other bond that was more earned in a way because they were three people who would never be friends, whereas off camera, we are friends,” said Watkins.

Watkins called the film “universally inspiring” and said she believes the message of the film is ultimately about how everybody is capable of evolving as humans and changing their ways and lifestyle.

“We get set in our ways, and it’s like, ‘well, this is just the way I am’ and that’s just BS,” said Watkins. “Sometimes people will cast you — I know we’re actors — but in life and need you to be a certain way to support who they are and you can evolve out of that role in other people’s lives and just be whoever you want to be.”

Stock echoed a similar sentiment in saying he believes the film is about not letting yourself feel restricted by others.

“I’d say ‘don’t let the limitations that other people place on you be your limitations,'” said Stock. “They are created within them and not within you.”

Brittany Runs A Marathon, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, is set to be released by Amazon Studios on August 23.