ANESTHESIA Directed and Written by

Tim Blake Nelson

Starring Glenn Close

K Todd Freeman Jessica Hecht Gretchen Mol

Tim Blake Nelson Gloria Reuben Kristen Stewart

Corey Stoll Mickey Sumner

Yul Vazquez Sam Waterston

Michael K Williams

90 Minutes

PR Contacts Ashley Lerche

212.774.6150 / 201.264.8141 alerche@id-pr.com

SYNOPSIS

Blurred traffic lights come into focus as Professor Walter Zarrow (Sam Waterston)

makes his way into a bodega, late one evening in New York City. Seemingly ordinary

from a distance, this city scene precedes a brutal assault that sets ANESTHESIA into

motion. As the film unfolds, director Tim Blake Nelson widens his lens to reveal

intersecting stories in the narrative, with characters who are all, in their own way,

anesthetizing themselves to life’s struggles.

A New York City story that pushes to the surface the many existential questions we ask

ourselves as people of this modern world—ANESTHESIA is a reflection of our

conscious decisions to be active or passive in the introspection of our own lives. Tim

Blake Nelson not only writes, directs and produces the film, but stars alongside an

impressive cast including Glenn Close, K Todd Freeman, Jessica Hecht, Gretchen Mol,

Gloria Reuben, Kristen Stewart, Corey Stoll, Mickey Sumner, Yul Vazquez, Sam

Waterston, and Michael K Williams.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

I have lived in New York City for over two decades. Like many I came for a discreet

period (four years of graduate school) but could never leave. My wife and I are now

raising children here.

ANESTHESIA hopes to explore the colors, cadences and maddening contradictions of

this extraordinary place, and to do so in the context of questions I can’t stop asking

myself. Have the technological advances that have shortened distances and

democratized access to information, actually improved our lives? Are we happier now?

More fulfilled? Most importantly, do we live as completely as those alive a century ago,

and is there any room left for the sort of introspection that defines us as human?

We strike at these abstractions by delving directly into an assortment of specific and

unexpectedly connected characters. They are smart, often blatantly articulate, and in

some cases profoundly wise, but each shares an inclination to numb him or herself to

the wounds of an unpredictable and aggressively indifferent world.

Shot entirely in and around the city with an ensemble comprised almost exclusively of

New York based actors, we strive for an authenticity in which initial assumptions can

often prove false, is as often the case in a stratified city in which we’re each

increasingly, tragically, and even blamelessly self-involved.

As a resolute city dweller that never intended to be one, this is an extremely personal

film; one I couldn’t not make. Thanks to a young ambitious crew and a great cast, we all

got the chance.

Tim Blake Nelson

FILMMAKERS TIM BLAKE NELSON (Adam / Director/ Writer/ Producer) has established himself as a highly

respected actor, writer, and director with an array of dramatic and comedic work both on screen and

stage.

Previously, Nelson wrote, directed and produced Leaves of Grass, a dark comedy with Edward Norton,

Keri Russell, Susan Sarandon, Richard Dreyfuss, and Nelson. The film premiered at the 2009 Toronto

Film Festival, and was released theatrically by Millenium in August, 2010.

In October 2002, Lionsgate released Nelson's third film as a writer/director, The Grey Zone, based on his

award winning play. It is the dramatic story of the Sonderkommandos, a special squad of Jews who

processed corpses in the crematoria at Birkenau. Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, and Mira Sorvino

starred in the film, which premiered at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. The National Board of Review

honored the film with its "Freedom of Expression” award in 2002.

In 2001, Nelson directed O, a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello, which starred Martin

Sheen, Julia Stiles, and Josh Hartnett, and won the award for Best Director at the 2001 Seattle Film

Festival before being released widely by Lionsgate that same year.

In 1997, Nelson made his directorial debut with the film Eye of God, which he also wrote. The film

appeared in competition at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, and was released theatrically the same

year. It won the top award at the 1997 Seattle Film Festival, as well as the Tokyo Bronze Prize at the '97

Tokyo Film Festival.

Nelson has acted in over 50 feature films, and has worked with some of Hollywood’s greatest filmmakers,

including Terrence Malick in The Thin Red Line; Steven Speilberg in Lincoln (with Daniel Day Lewis) and

Minority Report (opposite Tom Cruise); Mike Newell in Donnie Brasco; David Frankel in The Big

Year (with Owen Wilson and Steve Martin); Steve Gagan in Syriana; Miguel Arteta in The Good Girl,and

the Coen brothers in O Brother Where Art Thou?. Other films include James Franco’s adaptations of The

Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying, Bukowski, and Child of God, Andy Davis's Holes (opposite Shia

LeBeouf, John Voight and Sigourney Weaver), Tommy Lee Jones’s The Homesman, Kill the

Messenger (with Jeremy Renner), The Incredible Hulk (with Edward Norton), and Meet the Fockers

(opposite Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, and Robert DeNiro). This year, Nelson can be seen in the highly

anticipated Fantastic Four for Fox, directed by Josh Trank, co-starring Kate Mara, Miles Teller, Jamie Bell

and Michael B. Jordan.

Tim has also acted extensively in New York theatre in plays including “The Beard of Avon”, “Mad Forest”,

“Oedipus”, “Troilus and Cressida”, “Richard III”, and “Twelfth Night”, among many others.

His playwriting credits include “The Grey Zone”, which won him Newsday's Oppenheimer Prize as well as

Encore Magazine's “Taking Off” Award, “Eye of God”, and “Anadarko.”

Tim sits on the Board of Directors of the Soho Repertory Theatre in New York City, where he resides with

his wife and three children.

JOSH HETZLER (Producer) is a Brooklyn based creative producer. With his producing partners Julie

Buck and Tim Blake Nelson, he is developing a slate of independent film and television projects. Most

recently, Josh produced Anna Martemucci's debut feature Hollidaysburg, from executive producers Chris

Moore, Neal Dodson and Zachary Quinto. The making of Hollidaysburg is the subject of the critically

lauded documentary television series The Chair on Starz. Josh’s HBO animated film from directors Liz

Swados, David Wachtenheim, and Robert Marianetti, with producer Roz Lichter, features the voices of

Sigourney Weaver, Steve Buscemi, and Fred Armisen, and premiered at Tribeca Film Festival 2014. His

films have screened at Cannes, Sundance, Slamdance, SXSW, Tribeca, IFC, and hundreds of other

festivals and theaters around the world. His 2011 film The Hunter and the Swan Discuss Their Meeting

premiered at Sundance, was awarded the National Board of Review Prize at his alma mater the NYU

Graduate Film Program, and is currently showing nationally on PBS. SEED, his 2010 collaboration with

Sundance winning cinematographer Ben Richardson, took the top prize at Slamdance, and their most

recent collaboration was a yearlong multi-stage series of animations for which they created, from the

ground-up, a custom stop-motion animation studio, fabrication workshop, and post-production facility,

where they managed a team of over 40 animators and designers. Josh also produces social media

animation with director Andrew Jive, and commercials with his in house production company Good Look.

Josh’s commercial and broadcast clients include Univision, Adult Swim, Illy, DirecTV, Heineken, HBO,

and The Sundance Channel.

JULIE BUCK (Producer) is a New York based creative producer. With her producing partners Josh

Hetzler and Tim Blake Nelson, she is currently developing a slate of independent film and television

projects. Julie and Josh produced Anna Martemucci's debut feature Hollidaysburg from executive

producers Chris Moore, Neal Dodson and Zachary Quinto. Julie has produced numerous features

directed by James Franco and his company, Rabbit Bandini, including the upcoming film, Black Dog Red

Dog with Chloe Sevigny, Logan Marshall Green, Olivia Wilde and Whoopi Goldberg. Julie’s film Salar,

directed by Nicholas Greene, was shortlisted for the Academy Awards and played at over 50 festivals

worldwide. Her other features and shorts have played in hundreds of festivals including Tribeca,

Clermont- Ferrand, SXSW, BFI London Film Festival, Palm Springs, Venice, Nantucket and Outfest.

Before becoming a producer, Julie worked as the Head Archivist, programming and restoring classic films

at the Harvard University Film Archive. Julie has a degree in creative producing from Columbia University

and is a member of the Director’s Guild of America.

CAST

GLENN CLOSE (Marcia) returned to Broadway this past November for the first time in 20 years to lead a

high-powered cast in a widely-praised production of “A Delicate Balance,” Edward Albee’s Pulitzer Prize-

winning play. The cast included John Lithgow, Lindsay Duncan, Martha Plimpton, Bob Balaban and Clare

Higgins.

The Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony Award-winning actress will begin filming this fall on The Wife, in the

title role, for renowned Swedish director, Bjorn Runge, on location in Sweden.

In 2014, Close completed filming on five features: Low Down, which debuted at the 2014 Sundance Film

Festival, for director Jeff Preiss, co-starring John Hawkes and Elle Fanning; 5 to 7, with Anton Yelchin,

Bérénice Marlohe and Frank Langella for writer-director Victor Levin; Anesthesia, The Great Gilly Hopkins

with Kathy Bates, Julia Stiles and Sophie Nelisse. She is one of the stars of last year’s global hit,

Guardians of the Galaxy.

Close received her sixth Academy Award acting nomination in 2012, along with Golden Globe and SAG

nominations, for the feature film Albert Nobbs. She starred in the title role alongside a distinguished cast

that includes Mia Wasikowska, Aaron Johnson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Brendan Gleeson, Brenda

Fricker and Janet McTeer. Rodrigo Garcia, for whom Close starred in two previous films, directed. In

addition to writing the screenplay with (Man Booker prize-winning novelist) John Banville, Close was also

a producer on the film and she composed the lyrics for the Golden Globe and World Soundtrack

nominated song, “Lay Your Head Down.” She received the Irish Film and Television Award (IFTA) as

“Best Foreign Actress,” was voted “Best Actress” at the 2011 Tokyo International Film Festival, the AARP

“Movies for Grownups” Award as “Best Actress” and was honored for her performance by the San

Sebastian Film Festival (Donostia Award), Hollywood Film Festival, Mill Valley Film Festival and the Palm

Springs Film Festival.

Also in 2012, Glenn Close headlined the fifth and final season of the critically acclaimed original legal

thriller, Damages. For her riveting portrayal of high-stakes litigator ‘Patty Hewes’, Glenn was nominated

for a 2012 Emmy Award, a 2010 Emmy Award and won two consecutive Emmys as “Best Actress in a

Drama Series” for Damages’ first two seasons. For the show’s 2009 premiere season, she won a Golden

Globe Award in addition to the Emmy and received a SAG nomination. She was also nominated for a

2010 Golden Globe and both a 2011 and 2010 SAG Award. Prior to Damages, Close won rave reviews

and an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of Captain Monica Rawling in a season-long story arc on FX’s

The Shield.

Glenn Close made her feature film debut in George Roy Hill's The World According to Garp. Her

performance in the film earned her awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the National

Board of Review as well as her first Academy Award nomination. She was subsequently Oscar-

nominated for her performances in Lawrence Kasdan's The Big Chill; Barry Levinson's The Natural;

Adrian Lyne's smash Fatal Attraction; and Stephen Frears' Dangerous Liaisons (for which she was also a

BAFTA Award nominee).

Close's other films include Richard Marquand's Jagged Edge; Barbet Schroeder's Reversal of Fortune;

Franco Zeffirelli's Hamlet; István Szabó's Meeting Venus; Ron Howard's The Paper; Stephen Herek's 101

Dalmatians; Kevin Lima's 102 Dalmatians; Wolfgang Petersen's Air Force One; Robert Altman's Cookie's

Fortune; Rose Troche's The Safety of Objects; Merchant Ivory's Le Divorce; Chris Terrio's Heights;

Rodrigo García's Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her and Nine Lives; and Lajos Koltai’s Evening.

Close’s twelve Golden Globe Award nominations include a win for “Best Actress in a Mini-Series or

Motion Picture for Television” for her performance in Andrei Konchalovsky's adaptation of The Lion in

Winter (which also earned her a SAG Award).

The latter is also among the television projects that have brought her twelve Emmy Award nominations,

among them a win for her portrayal of real-life hero Margarethe Cammermeyer in Jeff Bleckner's Serving

in Silence: the Margarethe Cammermeyer Story, which Close executive produced, and for which as

producer she received a Peabody Award.

Her other notable films for television include Jack Hofsiss' taped staging of The Elephant Man; Randa

Haines' Something About Amelia; Jack Gold's Stones for Ibarra; Christopher Reeve's In the Gloaming (for

which she won a CableACE Award) and Richard Pearce's musical remake of South Pacific, in which she

starred and sang as Nellie Forbush, and which she executive-produced. She executive produced and

starred thrice opposite Christopher Walken in the Sarah, Plain and Tall trilogy, directed, alternately, by

Glenn Jordan and Joseph Sargent. She likewise executive produced and starred in The Ballad of Lucy

Whipple, directed by Jeremy Kagan.

Glenn Close made her professional theater, and Broadway, debut in Harold Prince's revival of “Love for

Love.” Other early stage credits include Paul Giovanni's “The Crucifer of Blood” and Simone Benmussa's

adaptation of “The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs,” for which she won an Obie Award. Close's first Tony

Award nomination came for her role in Joe Layton's musical “Barnum” and she subsequently won Tony

Awards for her performances in “The Real Thing” and “Death and the Maiden,” both directed by Mike

Nichols.

For her portrayal of Norma Desmond in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical “Sunset Boulevard,” Close won a

Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and a Dramalogue Award.

She would later reteam with the show's director, Trevor Nunn, in London for his Royal National Theatre

revival of “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

Close recently received the Donostia Award for career achievement at the 2011 San Sebastian Film

Festival. She has been honored with a Crystal Award from Women In Film; a GLAAD Media Award; a

People's Choice Award; the National Association of Theatre Owners' Female Star of the Year award at

ShoWest and a Gotham Award for her contributions to the New York independent filmmaking community.

She is a trustee emeritus of The Sundance Institute, having served as a board member for 16 years.

In 2009, Glenn Close co-founded Bring Change 2 Mind, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to

confronting, head-on, the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness. The idea for the

organization came about following Close’s first-hand observation of battles with mental illness within her

family. Ms. Close’s sister, Jessie, is successfully living with bipolar disorder and Jessie’s son, Calen, is

living with schizoaffective disorder. All three are actively involved in spreading The Bring Change 2 Mind

mission to end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness through widely distributed Public

Education Materials and programs based on the latest scientific insights and measured for effectiveness.

For more information please visit, Bringchange2mind.org.

The idea for this movement evolved out of Ms. Close’s first-hand observation of battles with mental illness

within her family. Ms. Close’s sister, Jessie, is living with bipolar disorder and Jessie’s son, Calen, is living

with schizoaffective disorder. All three are actively involved in spreading The Bring Change 2 Mind

mission of tackling the stigma and discrimination of mental illness where they live – in all of us.

Close actively supports Puppies Behind Bars and their program Dog Tags: Service Dogs for Those

Who’ve Served Us. She co-directed, narrated and co-produced Pax, a documentary short subject that

looks at the program and the affect it has had on one particular soldier, Sergeant Bill Campbell, who

returned home from Iraq with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. The film has played in film

festivals around the country and won an Honorable Mention at the NYC Downtown Short Film Festival.

Close is also a Founding Member of the Panthera Conservation Advisory Committee. Panthera is an

international nonprofit whose sole mission is conservation of the world’s 36 species of wild cats

K. TODD FREEMAN (Joe) has been an ensemble member of the prestigious Steppenwolf Theatre

Company since 1993. At Steppenwolf, he has appeared in “Airline Highway” (which also opens on

Broadway in April 2015), “The Brother/Sister Plays”, “The Tempest”, “Topdog/Underdog”, “A Clockwork

Orange”, “We All Went Down to Amsterdam”, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s” (Broadway), “Song of Jacob

Zulu” (Broadway; Tony Award nomination). Other Broadway credits include “Wicked” (also First National

and Chicago). Off-Broadway credits include “Fetch Clay/Make Man” (New York Theatre Workshop; Obie

Award); “Spunk”, “Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the

Scriptures” (Public Theatre); and “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” (Drama Dept). Regional credits include “Angels in

America”, “Miss Evers' Boys” (Mark Taper Forum). Television and film credits include Elementary, The

Slap, Believe, A Gifted Man, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, NYPD Blue, A Different World, The Killing Mind,

Brooklyn Bridge, Dark Knight, The End of Violence, Cider House Rules, A Gentleman's Game, and

Gross Pointe Blank.

JESSICA HECHT (Jill) is a Tony Award nominated actress. Hecht was nominated for Best Featured

Actress for her role in “A View From The Bridge” on Broadway with Scarlett Johansson and Live

Schrieber in 2010.

She has made appearances in television shows such as ER, Seinfeld, and Law & Order; and in movies

such as Sideways, Anarchy TV, Kicking and Screaming and Starting Out in the Evening. Hecht is

perhaps best known for her recurring role on Friends as Susan Bunch, the lesbian life partner of Ross

Geller's ex-wife, Carol Willick. She was also a featured cast member in the Jonathan Silverman sitcom

The Single Guy. In 2007 she played character, Amy Burns, in the drama Dan In Real Life opposite Steve

Carell. She also had a recurring role as Gretchen Schwartz on the popular AMC drama series Breaking

Bad.

GRETCHEN MOL (Sarah) a talented actress on stage and screen recently completed her Broadway run

on Ayad Akhtar’s “Disgraced” at the Lyceum Theater. The limited engagement began previews on

September 27, 2014, opened on October 23, 2015 and concluded on March 1, 2015.

Recently Mol appeared in True Story, alongside James Franco and Jonah Hill. The film follows the

relationship between journalist Michael Finkel and Christian Longo, an FBI Most Wanted List murderer

who lied outside the U.S. under Finkel’s name. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on

January 23, 2015 and will be released in limited theaters on April 17, 2015.

Last year, Mol completed production in HBO’s Martin Scorsese-produced series, Boardwalk Empire,

opposite Steve Buscemi. The fifth and final season concluded on October 26, 2014. Gretchen and her

cast mates received the Screen Actors Guild Award for “Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Drama

Series” in 2011 and 2012. They were subsequently nominated in the same category in 2013, 2014 and

2015. Additionally, the series won a Golden Globe Award in the category of Best Television Series –

Drama in 2011, and was subsequently nominated in the same category in 2012 and 2013.

Mol made her film debut in Spike Lee’s Girl 6 as Girl 12. Her film credits include: Laggies, 3:10 to Yuma, a

role for which she received a SAG Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast, The

Notorious Bettie Page, Rounders, The Shape of Things, Music From Another Room, Abel Ferrara’s The

Funeral, The Last Time I Committed Suicide, The Thirteenth Floor, Celebrity, Forever Mine, The Ten,

Trainwreck: My Life as an Idiot, Puccini for Beginners, Just Looking and An American Affair.

Mol’s telefilm credits include Lifetime’s Emmy-nominated The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, based on the

bestselling novel of the same title, Picnic, The Magnificent Ambersons, Calm at Sunset, Calm at Dawn,

The Valley of Light and Dead Man’s Walk.

Mol’s television series credits include an appearance in the debut episode of the ABC hit, Spin City, and

later a starring role in the David E. Kelley ABC series Life on Mars.

Mol also starred on Broadway as Roxie Hart in “Chicago” and off-Broadway in the theatrical version of

“The Shape of Things.”

GLORIA REUBEN (Meredith) is an actress, singer and social activist who has amassed impressive

credentials in television, film, theater and music.

Many will remember Gloria as the HIV+ health care professional “Jeanie Boulet” on the hit NBC series

ER, a role that garnered her two Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination. Since then, she

has had multiple regular starring roles in a variety of other television series.

Notably Gloria portrayed “Elizabeth Keckley” alongside Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field in the Academy

Award winning film Lincoln directed by Steven Spielberg. Reuben recently starred alongside Paul Rudd

and Tina Fey in Focus Feature’s romantic comedy Admission as Tina’s rival successor to the Dean of

Admissions. Her film credits also include Timecop, Nick of Time, and Shaft.

Gloria’s portrayal of Condoleezza Rice in David Hare’s play “Stuff Happens” (at Joe Papp’s Public

Theater in New York City) garnered her a Lucille Lortel Best Actress Award.

Gloria’s music career includes being a backup singer for Tina Turner in 2000, which led her to record her

solo record Just For You. She currently has a thriving jazz/cabaret show highlighting the ladies of

jazz…Ella, Sarah, Billie, and her favorite Shirley Horn.

Gloria is also a committed social activist. She continues to raise awareness about the HIV/AIDS

pandemic that affects the African American and Latino communities here in the United States. She also

takes great interest in global issues, predominantly climate change, nature, and human rights. She is a

special advisor on climate change for The Climate Reality Project, former Vice President Al Gore's

environmental organization. She is on the Board for the National Wildlife Federation. She is also on the

Leadership Council for the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights. Gloria has traveled to numerous

international destinations on behalf of the RFK Center.

Reuben currently resides in New York City.

KRISTEN STEWART (Sophie) is one of the most accomplished, talented and in-demand young

actresses in Hollywood. She recently became the first American actress to be awarded a Cesar Award in

the Best Supporting Actress category for her role in Olivier Assayas’s Clouds of Sils Maria, in which she

starred alongside Juliette Binoche. Stewart is currently in production on two films: The Untitled Kelly

Reichard Project in which she stars opposite Michelle Williams; and Equals, directed by Drake Doremus

and also starring Nicholas Hoult. Most recently, she wrapped production on Lionsgate’s American Ultra

in which she stars opposite Jesse Eisenberg. Stewart can currently be seen alongside Oscar-winner,

Julianne Moore in Still Alice as well as Camp X-Ray, in which she stars opposite Payman Maadi (A

Separation).

Stewart starred as Bella Swan in the hit franchise The Twilight Saga. The series has grossed over $3.3

billion in worldwide receipts and consists of five motion pictures. On top of that she starred in Universal’s

box office winner Snow White and The Huntsman, opposite Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron, and

in Walter Salles’ screen adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s On The Road.

Introduced to worldwide audiences in 2002 with her gripping performance alongside Jodie Foster in Panic

Room; Stewart’s star continued to rise, hitting a milestone when she garnered the number one spot on

the Forbes List of highest paid actresses in 2012. Kristen’s career has displayed a challenging

assortment of characters in films including: Adventureland, Into the Wild, for director Sean Penn, starring

as Joan Jett in The Runaways, Welcome to the Rileys, The Cake Eaters for director Mary Stuart

Masterson, The Yellow Handkerchief alongside William Hurt, What Just Happened, In The Land of

Women, The Messengers, Zathura, Speak, Fierce People, Catch That Kid, Undertow, Cold Creek Manor,

and The Safety of Objects.

Stewart resides in Los Angeles.

COREY STOLL (Sam) a dynamic and versatile actor, has been a favorite of critics and audiences alike

for several years. In July Stoll can be seen as the villain in Marvel’s Ant-Man in which he stars opposite

Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas. Also this summer, Stoll returns to star in season two of Guillermo Del

Toro's hit FX series The Strain.

Stoll is well known for his portrayal of the role 'Congressman Peter Russo' in David Fincher's Netflix

series House of Cards, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.

His recent films include Shawn Levy’s This Is Where I Leave You opposite Tina Fey and Jason Bateman,

The Good Lie opposite Reese Witherspoon and Noah Buschel’s Glass Chin which was well received at

the Tribeca Film Festival.

Other projects include; Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris, in which he portrayed ‘Ernest Hemingway’,

earning him an Independent Spirit Award nomination, Non-Stop opposite Liam Neeson, the Sundance

competition film C.O.G. based on the David Sedaris’ short story, Salt opposite Angelina Jolie, and “Law

and Order; LA” opposite Alfred Molina.

After graduating from NYU with an MFA in 2003, he landed his first professional gig in Lynn Nottage's

“Intimate Apparel” playing Viola Davis' love interest (Drama Desk Award Nominated in NY, Drama Critics'

Circle Award in Los Angeles.) His most recent stage credit was the Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's “A

View from the Bridge” opposite Liev Schreiber and Scarlett Johansson in 2010.

Stoll resides in Brooklyn.

MICKEY SUMNER (Nicole) films include Sumner's stand out role co-starring opposite Greta Gerwig in

Noah Baumbach's critically acclaimed IFC film Frances Ha (2012 Toronto Film Festival, 2012 New York

Film Festival and 2012 Telluride Film Festival). Mickey received the Breakthrough Performer Award for

Frances Ha at the 2013 Sarasota Film Festival. Sumner will be seen this coming year in four independent

films: Anesthesia, The Mend directed by John Magary, James Ponsoldt's The End of The Tour which

premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and the comedy This is Happening, co-starring with Cloris

Leachman and James Wolk, directed by Ryan Jaffe which will premiere at the 2015 Sarasota Film

Festival. Mickey had a cameo role as iconic rocker Patti Smith in CBGB with Alan Rickman, the lead role

in Missed Connections (Winner of The Sarasota Film Festival Audience Award 2012, opening night film of

the 2012 Gen Art Film Festival in NYC, winner of Gen Art's Audience Award and winner of The Savannah

Film Festival Audience Award), and GIRL MOST LIKELY (2012 Toronto Film Festival) released by

Lionsgate. Mickey expects to be shooting the independent film Vestige written and to be directed by Jade

Healy this year.

Television includes a recurring role in AMC's series Low Winter Sun, and a recurring role in the Showtime

series The Borgias (Season 1).

Mickey made her Off-Broadway and Atlantic Theater Company debut in Craig Lucas's world premiere

“The Lying Lesson” directed by Pam McKinnon. Other theater credits include the “24 Hour Plays” on

Broadway, “Tomorrow Morning” (HB Playwrights Foundation), “Hillbilly Women” and “Rumspringa.”

Born and raised in England, she currently lives in New York City, having graduated with a B.F.A. from

Parsons School of Design in 2007.

SAM WATERSON (Walter Zarrow) who recently wrapped the final season on Aaron Sorkin’s

NEWSROOM for HBO, has a rich body of work on stage, screen and television. His sixteen years on the

popular Law & Order garnered him three Emmy nominations for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series, the

1999 Screen Actors Guild Award, a Screen Actors Guild nomination in 1998 and a Golden Globe

nomination in 1995. His other television work includes Q.E.D., I’ll Fly Away for which he won a Golden

Globe award for Best Performance By an Actor in a Television Series; Gore Vidal’s Lincoln and

Oppenheimer. Waterston won the 1996 Emmy award for Lost Civilizations. Sam recently wrapped the

1st season of Netflix’s Grace and Frankie, starring opposite Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Martin Sheen,

which is scheduled to premiere in the spring of 2015.

Oscar nominated for his starring role in The Killing Fields, Waterston’s film credits include Interiors,

Hannah and Her Sisters, September, Crimes and Misdemeanors, The Great Gatsby, Capricorn One,

Heaven’s Gate, and The Man in the Moon.

The classically trained Waterston has amassed numerous stage credits including "King Lear," “Abe

Lincoln in Illinois,” for which he received a Tony nomination; “Hamlet,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” “Long

Day’s Journey Into Night”, "Benefactors", and “Lunch Hour,” among others.

MICHAEL K. WILLIAMS (Jeffrey) is one of this generation’s most respected and acclaimed actors. By

bringing complicated and charismatic characters to life—often with surprising tenderness—Williams has

established himself as a gifted and versatile performer with a unique ability to mesmerize audiences with

his stunning character portrayals.

Williams is best known for his remarkable work on The Wire, which ran for five seasons on HBO. The wit

and humor that Williams brought to Omar, the whistle-happy, profanity-averse, drug dealer-robbing

stickup man, earned him high praise and made Omar one of television’s most memorable characters.

Williams has most recently co-starred in HBO’s critically acclaimed series Boardwalk Empire, which

premiered in 2010. In the Martin Scorsese and Terence Winter produced show, Williams played Chalky

White, a 1920's bootlegger; and the impeccably suited, veritable mayor of the Atlantic City’s African-

American community. In 2012, Boardwalk Empire won a Screen Actors Guild Award for “Outstanding

Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.”

Williams has continued to show his versatility by guest-starring in three episodes of Community, NBC’s

comedy series. Michael’s other television credits include Law & Order SVU, The Kill Point, The

Philanthropist and Boston Legal. He also had a recurring role on The Sopranos and J.J. Abrams’ Alias.

Williams made his feature film debut in the urban drama Bullet, after being discovered by the late Tupac

Shakur. He also appeared in Bringing Out the Dead, which was directed by Martin Scorsese. His other

film work includes roles in The Road, Gone Baby Gone, Life During Wartime, Brooklyn’s Finest,

Wonderful World, and in Snitch opposite Dwayne Johnson and Susan Sarandon.

Michael was also seen in Jose Padilha’s remake of Robocop starring with Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman

and Michael Keaton, and in a supporting role in the Oscar-winning, Steve McQueen film 12 Years A

Slave with Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt. He appeared in The Purge: Anarchy, the successful sequel

to the box office booming The Purge, as the revolutionary leader Carmelo Johns – if the ending is any

indication, his character will continue on within that franchise.

In 2014, Williams completed filming Captive opposite Kate Mara and David Oyelowo, Kill the Messenger

opposite Jeremy Renner, as well as Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, Inherent Vice. Williams is

currently in theatres opposite Mark Wahlberg in Paramount’s remake of The Gambler’.

Michael recently wrapped the HBO Films BESSIE opposite Queen Latifah, the film tells the story of

legendary blues performer, Bessie Smith, who rose to fame during the 1920s and '30s. Additionally,

Michael is currently shooting the HBO limited series CRIME, written and directed by Steve Zallian.

Giving back to the community plays an important role in Williams’ off-camera life. He is working to launch

Making Kids Win, a charitable organization whose primary objective is to build community centers in

urban neighborhoods that are in need of safe spaces for children to learn and play.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Williams began his career as a performer by dancing

professionally at age 22. After numerous appearances in music videos and as a background dancer on

concert tours for Madonna and George Michael, Williams decided to seriously pursue acting. He

participated in several productions of the La MaMA Experimental Theatre, the prestigious National Black

Theatre Company and the Theater for a New Generation directed by Mel Williams.

Michael Kenneth Williams resides in Brooklyn, New York.

NATASHA GREGSON WAGNER (Marta) has chosen an intentionally unorthodox path and established a

career that defies every predictable assumption one might have of a blue-blooded Hollywood descendant.

The pretty and unassuming actress most recently completed work on two independent features; Search

Engines, an ensemble comedy directed by Russell Brown, and Anesthesia.

Wagner’s body of work firmly establishes her place in the indie film community. She portrayed the tough,

biker-chick girlfriend, Barbara Richardson, in James Cox’s Wonderland, which starred Val Kilmer and

Josh Lucas. In Stephen Frears’ High Fidelity, Natasha played a successful music critic opposite John

Cusack. She also starred opposite James Woods and Melanie Griffith in 1998’s Another Day in Paradise,

Larry Clark’s follow up to the controversial art-house film, KIDS. Most notably, Natasha received

overwhelming acclaim for her role as the sexy and quirky “Lou Johnson” opposite Robert Downey Jr. in

James Toback’s 1997 film, Two Girls and a Guy.

Wagner’s other film credits include the 1997 Sundance film festival hit, First Love, Last Rites, opposite

Giovanni Ribisi, David Lynch’s hallucinogenic Lost Highway, with Patricia Arquette and Bill Pullman;

George Hickenlooper’s Dogtown, and the comedy Sol Goode, opposite Jamie Kennedy.

Wagner made her stage debut opposite Marlo Thomas, in the legendary playwright Arthur Laurents’ latest

play, “New Years Eve,” which opened at the George Street Playhouse in March 2009. The play opened to

rave reviews and critics described Natasha as “disarmingly provocative” and “mesmerizing as Samantha”.

On the small screen, Wagner has guest starred in episodes of House M.D., C.S.I, ER, The 4400 Medium,

and Cold Case. She was a series regular on Fox’s Pasadena with Dana Delaney as well as the ABC hit

series Chicago Hope and FOX’s Ally Macbeal. Wagner also starred in Mary Lambert’s installment of

Showtime’s Rebel Highway anthology series, entitled “Dragstrip Girl.”

Wagner resides in Los Angeles.

HANNAH MARKS (Ella) with five films slated for 2015, including lead roles in Anesthesia, Hard Sell with

Kristen Chenoweth, and You Can’t Win opposite Michael Pitt, rising actress Hannah Marks has a busy

year ahead. Marks most recently shot the female lead in the sequel to the Sundance cult

classic SLC Punk, entitled Punk’s Dead, and is slated to star in The Education of Tanis Kahlil. Prior to

that, she starred in Rose McGowan’s short Dawn which premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival

where Marks also acted at the 2012 Writer/Director’s Lab.

Marks’ previous film credits include The Amazing Spider-man, The Runaways, and Accepted. Her notable

television credits include a series regular role for three seasons on the Golden Globe-nominated

series Necessary Roughness and a recurring role for two seasons on the Emmy Award-winning Weeds.

As a writer, Marks recently sold “Eskimo Sisters,” her first feature, which has been featured on the 2015

Hit List of the year’s best screenplays.

A native of Los Angeles, Marks currently resides in both New York and Los Angeles.

LISA BENAVIDES-NELSON (Dr. Pratt) has appeared in the films Leaves of Grass, The Grey Zone, O,

and Eye of God. She has worked extensively in theater both off-Broadway and regionally. She currently

teaches as a full time professor at NYU's Graduate Actor Training Program. She lives in New York City

with her husband Tim Blake Nelson and their three sons.

ANESTHESIA

Written and Directed by Tim Blake Nelson Produced by Julie Buck

Tim Blake Nelson Josh Hetzler

Produced by Christopher Scott John Molli Executive Producers Anthony Nicholson Reid Nicholson Executive Producers Jonathan Gray Houston King Dennis Mytykyn Director of Photography Christina Voros Casting by Avy Kaufman and Leeba Zakharov Production Designer Dina Goldman Costume Designer Annie Simon Editor Mako Kamitsuna Music by Jeff Danna Co-Producer Jessica Hong Unit Production Manager Julie Buck 1st Assistant Director Christopher Carroll 2nd Assistant Director Keith Marlin Production Counsel Gray Krauss Stratford Sandler Des Rochers,

LLP

CAST

Walter Zarrow Sam Waterston Ignacio Ivan Goris Parnell Rob Morgan Sam Corey Stoll Nicole Mickey Sumner Tenant Kaipo Schwab Adam Tim Blake Nelson Sophie Kristen Stewart Roger Phil Ettinger Sarah Gretchen Mol Marta Natasha Gregson Wagner Teacher Erica Cho Allie Jacqueline Baum

Angie Ekaterina Samsonov Ella Hannah Marks Hal Ben Konigsberg Joe K. Todd Freeman Jeffrey Michael K. Williams Cedar J. Bernard Calloway Jill Jessica Hecht Nurse Cameron Taylor Dr. Laffer Scott Cohen Ray Lee Wilkof Meredith Gloria Reuben Marcia Glenn Close Dr. Barnes Yul Vazquez Shani Julia Morrison Waitress Erika Rose Amy Katie Chang Dr. Pratt Lisa Benavides-Nelson Mr. Werth Richard Thomas Jerry Patrick Kerr Rachel Annie Parisse Gracie G. Michelle Robinson Devlin David Aaron Baker Balliff Cliff Moylan Judge Keith Randolph Smith West Indian Nurse Denise Burse Greg Lucas Hedges Medical Examiner Derrick Baskin Detective John McNamara Medical Assistant Marcus Callender Dr. Keller Chris McCann

Stunt Coordinator Drew Leary

Stunts Steven Brown

Asa Liebmann David Lomax Curtis Lyons Malcolm C. Murray Corey Pierno Evan Taylor

Co-Executive Producers Moshe Cohen Matthew Musolino

Production Coordinator Sara Blechman Assistant Production Kerry Johnson Coordinator Production Accountant Reuben Stauber Script Clearance Research IndieClear Carol Compton Clearance Coordinator Ciara Lacy Script Supervisor Pamela Rook 2nd 2nd Assistant Director Melissa Mugavero “B” Cam Operator/Steadicam Dave Isern Michael Hauer “A” 1st Assistant Camera Zach Rubin

Additional “A” 1st Assistant Nick Timmons Additional “A” 2nd Assistant Kyle Clark “A” 2nd Assistant Camera Andrew Juhl “B” 1st Assistant Camera Filipp Penson “B” 2nd Assistant Camera Gregory Pace Crane Operator Brandon Sumner Digital Imaging Technician Jaime Chapin Stills Anna Kooris Camera Intern Kyle Clark Gaffer Jimi Jones Best Boy Electric Seth Coleman Swing Austin Costello Additional Electricians Eric Fahey Matt Kessler Gene Malkin Freddie Stevens Chris Ungco Key Grip Stratton Bailey Best Boy Grip Will Gottlieb Grips Garrett Cantrell Matt Kessler Ryan Reynolds Sound Mixer Dan Bricker Boom Operator Dylan Goodwin Set Decorator Katrina Whalen Art Director Nora Mendis Leadman Jesse Getchell On Set Dresser Colin Warde Additional Set Dressers Chris Braciszewski Shayne Fayson Art Swing Zoe Zimet Construction Coordinator Steven Phan Additional Construction Tim Passarella Coordinator Carpenter Steven Grise Scenic Nick Dyball Graphic Peony Trinh Animation Edmond Hawkins Property Master Olivia Peebles Assistant Property Master Veronica Molly Lehmann Props Assistant KJ Rothweiler Jesse Brenneman Art Intern Kira Corbin Set Medic Jeff Saperstein Medical Advisor Daniel Lee Wardrobe Supervisor Aminah Haddad Sarah Cogan Lead Costumer Alexandra Emmons Wardrobe PA Elle Mortlock Costume PA Cindy Wukmir Art and Wardrobe Assistant John Morrow Make Up Department Head Amy Wadford Hair Department Head Nicole Bridgeford Additional Make Up Ariana Rivera Background Casting Karen Etcoff Additional Background Casting John Morrow

Location Managers Darcy Trunzo Kurt Enger Locations Coordinator Lindsay Rodriguez Assistant Location Manager Brendan Hubbard Location Scouts Jaycee Gruszecki Dave Krause Ryan Piotrowicz Process Trailer Dermot Treanor Parking Coordinator Will Wilder Tutor Marlene Payton Security for Ms. Stewart John Blair On set Security Reginald Spaulding Malik Abdullah Catering Cranky’s Catering Mina Haddad Craft Service Joe’s Craft Services Joe Facey David Ginn Emily Foley Key PA Cory Kadamani 1st Team PA Klarissa Jackson Background PA Peter Westervelt Paperwork PA Emily Pontecorvo Walkie PA Esteban Aparicio Unit PA Felix Berrios Additional Set PA Lauren Vanderschuur Office PA Victor Gilardi IV Rasean Romero Production Interns Annie Tompkins Tori Yeager Assistant to Mr. Nelson Olga Goister Assistants to Ms. Buck Katherine Nelson & Mr. Hetzler Joshua Cohen Insurance Film Emporium Payroll Media Services Camera Package Hand Held Films Philosophy Consultant Martha Nussbaum Medical Consultants Dr. Jonathan Schwartz Dan Lee Ashley Winter Co-Editor Sara Corrigan Assistant Editor Jaime Chapin Music Supervisor Bianca Grimshaw Post Production Supervisor Josh Hetzler Post Production Supervisor Axel Ericson for Digital Arts Post Production Supervisor Steven Tollen for Gigantic Post

Colorist Eyal Dimant Supervising Sound Editor & Tom Paul Re-recording Mixer Digital Intermediate Editor Axel Ericson Visual Effects Artists Octavio Rodriguez Axel Ericson Dialogue and ADR Editor Michael Feuser Sound Effects Editor Andrea Bella Foley Editor Matt Snedecor ADR and Foley Recordist Perry Levy Foley Artist Eric Milano DI and VFX Assistant Pedro Vivas Hernandez Business Affairs for Digital Arts Zennia M Barahona Post Production Supervisor Glen Scott for Domicile Post Production Coordinator Jason Birnbaum for Domicile Assistant Editor for Domicile Jessica Potter

SPECIAL THANKS

Etienne Aigner Apple

Paula Bass Max Brenner

Brooklyn Industries Brooklyn Winery/Dan Ingala

Jennifer Buck Karin Buck

Michele Buck Cabinet Magazine

Anita Carey Clairfontaine

Joel and Ethan Coen Common Good/Edmund Levine

Concord Music Group Contigo

Dell Jana Dickerson

Duvall Designs Gallery/Peggy Duvall Steve Earle

Fellowes Fossil

Jesse Fox James Franco

Frends Headphone Luis Garcia

Alexandra Gersten Nicholas Greene

Ghurka Danny Goldberg Bianca Grimshaw

Lily Hetzler Marcia and John Hetzler

Willy Holztman

Zach Horton Sebastian Hoskins Suzanne Houghton

Industry City Distillery/Peter Simon Jansport

Christopher Karallis King's County Distillery

Howard Korder Brian Levine Jay N. Levine

LG Lieb Cellars Anna Loar Kristie Lutz

Scott Mason Ryan McDonald

Cheryl McGinnis Gallery Bruce Meyerson

Microsoft Software Bill Migliore Mark Molli

Narragansset/Jim Crooks NYC Department of Health

Ochre Constance Old

Heiko Osterchrist Otterbox

Panerai Watches Penn Plax Plastics

Pepe Infiniti/Mark Hersh Joel Plotch

Ploughshares Charles Plummer

The Princeton Review The Promotion Factory

Lisa Puscheck Leah Quinaz Keith Reddin Scott Reeds

J.D. Robertson Ben Richardson

Paula Scher Karin Segal Olivia Silver

Robert Sinskey Vineyard Spacepen

Speck Barnaby Star

Stella & Dot Jewelry Michael Stern

Michael Stuhlbarg Robert S. Towner

Timo Weiland Michael Weiss

Andy Weiss Marilyn Valdez

Wendy Vanden Heuvel Widow Jane/Michelle Clark

Mark Wing-Davey Jim Wooten

Wowch Pi Waller

SONGS

"Tenderly" Performed By Bill Evans

Written By Walter Gross and Jack Lawrence Used by Permission of Edwin H. Morris & Company,

A Division of MPL Music Publishing, Inc., and Range Road Music, Inc.

"Boogie Stop Shuffle"

Performed By Charles Mingus Courtesy of Columbia Records,

by arrangement with Sony Music Licensing Written By Charles Mingus

Used by Permission of Spirit One Music o/b/o Adams Avenue,

Flying Red Rhino, Jazz Workshop Inc. and The Mingus Music Werkshop

"Gone the Bells"

Performed By Cotton Jones Courtesy of Suicide Squeeze Records, by arrangement with Sub Pop Licensing

Written by: Michael Nau, Whitney McGraw Published by Portable and Affordable Songs;

Administered by Secretly Canadian Publishing

"(Don't) Tremble" Performed by The Low Anthem Courtesy of Nonesuch Records,

by arrangement with Warner Music Group Film and TV Licensing;

and [PIAS] Recordings (UK) Limited t/a [PIAS] Cooperative Written by Jocelyn Jager Adams, Benjamin Knox Miller,

Jeffrey Carl Prystowsky Published by Chrysalis Music (ASCAP) /

Art Boat Publishing c/o BMG Rights Management (US) LLC

Filmed with the support of the New York State Governor’s Office for Motion Picture & Television Development

The events, characters and firms depicted in the photoplay are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons,

living or dead, or to actual firms, is purely coincidental.

ANESTHESIA

© 2014 Anesthesia Holdings, LLC