How long could you stay calm if you were trapped inside your house with no idea when, or if, you’d ever get out? Actor, comedian, and producer Nathan Shoop got a small taste of that experience which — spoiler alert — ended up being a whole lot of fun, when he spent several days “stuck” inside a furnished living room built into a billboard for the new film The Last House 30 feet above Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.
The viral stunt brought the scenario of the sci-fi thriller The Last House to life in spectacularly public fashion. In the film, now streaming on Netflix, Greta Lee and Wagner Moura star as the heads of a family of four who suddenly find their home sealed off from the outside world and must figure out how to survive. From Aug. 6 through Aug. 8, Shoop similarly inhabited his elevated home at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Selma Avenue, going about his day in comfy pajamas while communicating with curious commuters and passersby below via whiteboard, echoing some high-stakes moments in the film. The stunt resonated with countless people — over the course of Shoop’s stay, fans came by each day to check on him, many driving miles in Los Angeles traffic, and even making custom signs to engage with him in return. They watched as he did push-ups, rocked out to music they could only guess at, and cozily read a book.
So what’s it actually like to live inside a billboard above one of Los Angeles’ busiest streets? Netflix caught up with Shoop after he came back down to earth to talk about getting the unusual gig, passing the hours high over Sunset Boulevard, and what went through his mind while he was up there.
Do you miss the billboard?
Nathan Shoop: How could you miss it? It’s huge.
When you were doing the push-up contest, were they full push-ups or knee push-ups?
Shoop: Yeah, those were full push-ups. I’m pretty strong.
What were you rocking out to on your headphones?
Shoop: Sorry to say guys, those weren’t plugged in.
What was your favorite fan interaction?
Shoop: Oh, my favorite fan interaction was this girl who came with a sign that said I could come home, [as if] she had kicked me out or something. She had a whole story put together. It was beautiful.
People are crushing on you. Any new love interests spark from this?
Shoop: Everybody wants to know about my love interest. You know what? I’ve fallen in love with this city again. Los Angeles is my town.
What was your initial reaction to being asked to do this?
Shoop: “Let’s go.”
How much did you pay for rent?
Shoop: That’s a three-story walk-up, guys. Come on.
What was it like not having access to your phone or wifi?
Shoop: Meditative. You should try it.
Would you do it again?
Shoop: Hell yeah!
Stay inside your home — hopefully it’s not built into a billboard — and watch The Last House, only on Netflix.
