Meet the Alabama actor at the heart of ‘Last Shot,’ new movie filmed in his home state

Johnny Simmons might not be a household name, but the Alabama-born actor has appeared in movies that are beloved by fans and often regarded as cult classics. The Montgomery native, 39, has film credits that include “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” “Jennifer’s Body“ and ”The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” all of which have earned repeated viewings from fiercely devoted admirers. Simmons also can be seen in movies such as “21 Jump Street,” “Sing Sing,” “The Late Bloomer,” “The To-Do List,” “Evan Almighty” and “The Phenom.” He was cast as the original drummer battling J.K. Simmons in the short film version of “Whiplash,” later made into a full-length feature with Miles Teller. Simmons has made his mark on TV, as well, with roles in “Elementary,” “Girlboss,” “Scott Pilgrim Takes Off,” “Klondike” and more. Alabama native Johnny Simmons, second from left, at a 2009 fan event in Los Angeles for the movie "Jennifer's Body" From left, cast members Megan Fox, Simmons, Amanda Seyfried and Adam Brody.(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)The congenial actor will be the first to tell you he values his Alabama roots, but Simmons spent most of his childhood and teen years in Dallas, Texas. He moved to Los Angeles at age 18 to forge an acting career, and now lives in New York City. Over the last few years, however, Simmons has returned to his home state to film two movies in the Birmingham area: “Bad Man,” released in 2025, and “Last Shot,” set for release on Oct. 1. “Bad Man” made its Alabama premiere last year at the Sidewalk Film Festival. “Last Shot” will do the same at the Birmingham festival’s 2026 edition, screening on Sunday, Aug. 30, at the Dorothy Jemison Day Theater. Both films were produced by Hemlock Circle Productions, an independent film company founded by Todd Friedman and Warner Davis.In “Last Shot,” Simmons is cast as Bobby, an up-and-coming country singer who’s romantically involved with his boss, a high-powered Nashville music executive played by Jaime Pressly. Pressly’s character is struggling to reconnect with her son, a 12-year-old basketball prodigy (Dylan Friedman) who comes to live with her after the death of his father (Michael Rapaport). Jaime Pressly, left, and Dylan Friedman star in "Last Shot," a sports movie and family drama filmed in Alabama in summer 2025.(Courtesy of Hemlock Circle Productions)Grief, family drama and sports rivalries come into play in the storyline, which also includes a demanding coach played by former NBA star Baron Davis. During a recent interview, AL.com asked Simmons about his work in “Last Shot,” his filming experiences in Alabama, his thoughts on his home state and more.Why did you want to be in the cast of “Last Shot”? What appealed to you about the movie? Johnny Simmons: I worked with Todd (Friedman) and Warner (Davis) on a movie called “Bad Man.” We shot with Michael Diliberti, Seann William Scott and the late, great Chance Perdomo. Then they sent me the script for “Last Shot,” and Todd said he had written it. It was very close to him, and he wanted me to check it out. I read it, and I was like, “Oh, man, this is incredible.” He asked me to play the character of Bobby, and that was my first introduction to it. And I really liked it. Obviously, Jaime (Pressly) is involved and a lot of great people. I also like the idea that they wanted me to play guitar and sing. I was like, “OK, sure.” Did you get to sing a specific song in the movie?We did “Wayfaring Stranger.” We needed a song that was in the public domain. Lots of people have done “Wayfaring Stranger,” and I thought I’d take a shot at it. So me and my friend Dustin Belt, who’s a great musician, recorded it. We figured out what we wanted to do with it over Zoom. I recorded the vocals in my hotel room and sent them over to him, and we kind of played with it and came up with what’s in the movie. It sounds pretty cool. I’m very happy with how it turned out. I had never really recorded a song before. I play guitar and, you know, sing in the shower, but I had never really played for anybody. How does “Wayfaring Stranger” show up in the movie? I perform the song to a group at a bar, and the track plays over pieces of it. It slips into a montage.Your character, Bobby, is a romantic partner to Jaime Pressly’s character in “Last Shot.” Is Bobby also a surrogate father to her son? I don’t know if I’d go that far. It’s hard to describe. He certainly is becoming a father figure, and it’s heading in that direction. But it doesn’t ever develop fully that way. The movie leaves it open to interpretation. … And Jaime’s incredible. She was amazing to work with. Bobby has been described as the emotional lynchpin of the film, holding everything together as the other characters wrestle with their relationships. How do you see him? I’m gonna stick with emotional lynchpin. I don’t think I could have said it so eloquently. He’s trying to find out where he fits in in the story, as well, and then he finds himself the emotional lynchpin. I think that fits well.(Watch the trailer for “Last Shot” in the video below.)How does it feel when you come back to Alabama to shoot a movie? You moved to Texas during your early childhood, correct?Yes, I was like 18 months or so, but me and my family came back to visit. I’ve got a bunch of family there in Birmingham, and I’ve got a bunch of family all over the South. We moved to Texas fairly quickly, but I spent a lot of time there, and we fit right back in. I love Birmingham. I get to have Saw’s Soul Kitchen when I come in to town, you know, which is unbelievably good. I miss it. I wish I had it right now. And you’ve got Gulf Shores, which is beautiful, to take a trip on the weekend and head down to Gulf Shores. Between the beach, Gulf Shores and some Alabama barbecue, I’m missing it. And my family there, too. Any thoughts on the Alabama locations where you filmed “Bad Man” and “Last Shot”? I remember we shot out in Bessemer on “Bad Man.” We shot all over the place. You know, when I’m shooting in other places (in the country), there are times when they’re not so happy. There’s streets being blocked, and it can be a nuisance for some people. For me, anytime I see a film shoot, I just get excited. But when I was in Alabama, when we were shooting, it was great. On “Bad Man,” we were shooting on a road off the highway, and we pulled up to this house to adjust the camera, and a lady brought us out cookies. I just couldn’t believe it. It made me so happy. She was so nice to us. You know, she just brought out cookies for the whole shoot. I think that is, in a nutshell, shooting in Alabama. Everybody’s so generous. Everybody’s so kind. It’s a very special place to shoot. They’re accommodating. And we had incredible crew, mostly local Alabama talent. It was a special time on both of those shoots. People just come out and they’re very kind and interested.Do you think you’ll come back to Alabama for another movie?I hope we get to shoot some more there next summer. Keep your fingers crossed. It’s looking that way. I don’t know if anybody said anything, but there is something in the works, I’ll just say that.Alabama native Johnny Simmons has appeared in movies such as "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," "Jennifer's Body," "21 Jump Street" and "Bad Man." His latest film, "Last Shot," is on the lineup for the 2026 Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham.(Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)Do you think of Hemlock Circle Productions, the company behind “Bad Man” and “Last Shot,” as your movie home now?Absolutely. I’ll be there anytime. Todd and Warner are incredible to work with. This is our second movie together. We’re working on a third, and we got something really cool in the works. We just get along, you know, and it’s a good group. I think there’s more to come, for sure.I really think “Bad Man” is a great movie. Obviously, people are about to see “Last Shot” and it’s really cool. But “Bad Man” is also a cool movie. What we were able to do with that budget in that time period is, I think, pretty special. And “Last Shot” is a very sweet, enjoyable film.“Bad Man” goes all over the place. You’ve got an action movie, a comedy, and I love it. I love that ride, and I love that the character is a police officer in a small town, trying to figure out how to solve a crime. Then this character (in “Last Shot”) is an up-and-coming country music singer trying to make it. They’re two very different characters, and different movies.(Watch the trailer for “Bad Man” in the video below.)How do you pick your roles? It seems like you’re comfortable doing comedy, drama, horror, action movies and more.I just do what I gravitate towards, and work with the people I like to work with. What’s on the page is important. And then if you read what’s on the page, usually it comes to you. You know, it just hits me right off. It all stems from good writing. That, to me, is the most important thing. I actually really love the movie “Event Horizon.” I also love “Sphere.” I also love “The Shining.” You know, these are great horror movies. There’s a lot of great horror movies. I don’t care what the genre is. It’s more like, “That’s the mark I want to hit.” Genre is not paramount for me.Movie poster for "Last Shot," a sports movie and family drama starring Jaime Pressly, Johnny SImmons, Michael Rapaport, Baron Davis and Dylan Friedman.(Courtesy of Hemlock Circle Productions)“Last Shot” will make its Alabama debut at the Sidewalk Film Festival. How would you describe the movie to people who’ll be seeing it for the first time? I’d keep it simple. It’s an entertaining movie. The hope is, you get to check out for an hour-and-a-half. Everybody’s had a long week. They’ve worked hard. And you want to have a little entertainment. You want a little escape. You want to enjoy yourself. That’s my goal with every movie, and I think we accomplished that on “Last Shot.” (This interview has been edited for length and clarity.) If you go: “Last Shot” is on the lineup for the 2026 Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham. A screening is planned for Sunday, Aug. 30, at 10 a.m. CT at the Dorothy Jemison Day Theater at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, 1800 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd. See more info on the Sidewalk Film Festival here. Sidewalk Film Festival 2026 tickets, schedule, parking, shuttles: What to know if you go Birmingham’s theater district is about to get brighter: ‘The symbol of our longevity’ Sidewalk Film Festival 2025 tickets, schedule, parking, shuttles: What to know‘American Pie’ star’s movie filmed in Alabama gets world premiere: Here’s where to see it Alabama’s largest film festival losing $25,000 in Trump arts cuts: ‘Have to make tough decisions’