Twister's Boone: Brandon Perea Embraces the Philip Seymour Hoffman Legacy

Brandon Perea may be a newcomer to summer blockbusters, but his performance as Boone in "Twisters" proves he's quickly finding his footing. Stepping into the supporting role of Glen Powell's tornado wrangler's right-hand man, Perea delivers a high-energy, often comedic performance reminiscent of Philip Seymour Hoffman's iconic character, Dusty, in the original "Twister".

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Perea revealed that he immediately recognized Boone as the Dusty of the sequel, but had no idea he'd be the one to play him. "When I first got the script, I didn’t know which character I was actually reading for. I just got the script to see if I was into it. And then we had the roles mixed up," Perea shared. He explained that his agency had given him the wrong character to audition for, but Boone's personality stood out to him.

"In the middle of reading the script, I told my partner, ‘Oh man, there’s this funny guy, Boone. He is kind of the Philip Seymour Hoffman type. Shout out to the poor bastard who plays him because that’s going to be so much weight on your shoulders.’ And I ultimately ended up being that poor bastard," Perea confessed.

Instead of shying away from the pressure of filling Hoffman's shoes, Perea embraced the spirit of the late Oscar-winning actor. "Of course, I was terrified, but I was also grateful to be able to play a part that you can make stand out in a sense. That’s what Phil Hoffman did his entire career," Perea told THR. "He stood out in these great supporting roles, and he just brought so much fun to the first film. So I just wanted to bring a pinky-nail amount of fun that he brought to it, and I hope I did."

For Perea, the freedom to let loose and embrace Boone's wild personality proved to be a comfort. "With Boone, it’s all out there, so it’s so much easier to commit to the bits and just throw things at the wall and see what works. So I call Boone the easiest acting performance I’ve ever had to do," Perea explained. "Just being able to run around and scream and have fun was the easiest gig, and I was so grateful that it just felt that easy. So, shout-out to the cast and crew who dealt with me running around and screaming the whole time."

Perea's commitment to embodying Boone's spirit shines through in his performance, creating a memorable supporting character that honors the legacy of Philip Seymour Hoffman while offering a fresh, energetic take on the role.