How Dylan Sprouse's Marriage Helped Him Prep for New Film With Mason Gooding

Dylan Sprouse’s real-life marriage to wife Barbara Palvin has given him a leg up when it comes to crafting a healthy relationship with his costars.

“In general, [marriage has] taught me a lot of patience and communication. Obviously that’s the cliché, is that people say communication is key, but it really is,” Sprouse, 33, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting his new film Under Fire. “It’s also just understanding you’re both human and you both do things. For most people’s lives, until they’re in a really serious relationship, they’re used to being in survival mode, which is, ‘How do I survive independently and live?’ And then when you are in a committed relationship and you’re married, you have to rewire yourself to be like, ‘Oh, I’m fighting for two people. And everything I think of now is what we do together.’”

The former Disney star, who has been married to Palvin since 2023, noted that those lessons of patience, communication and trust come in particularly handy in films like Under Fire, a buddy comedy that follows Sprouse and Mason Gooding as undercover agents who are forced to reveal their true identities during a cartel deal gone wrong.

“When [Mason] says I’m empathetic on set, it’s because he is himself. He knows what that looks like, so he’s able to be that for me in the same way that I’m able to be that for him,” Sprouse explained. “And that’s when, I think, really, really good projects get made. [It’s] when everyone understands intimately what they’re going in to create and they can learn and play with those borders as they go.”

Gooding, 28, agreed with his costar, adding that when jumping into a dynamic like their characters in Under Fire, the relationship can echo “that of [a] romantic” one.

“As long as we’re articulating our thoughts and feelings, we have a better understanding of the other person’s comfortability or emotional equipment,” he said. “Not that we had any intimacy coordinators on set. But I think the dynamic of creating a safe avenue in which to communicate and express one’s comfortability and boundaries is important, not only in movies, but in real life, too.”

Sprouse pointed out that buddy comedies can be a lot like “watching a married couple” on screen. “There’s always someone in the relationship who’s losing their head or blowing up, and the other one steps in and be like, ‘Honey, it’s all right,’” he said with a laugh.

Sprouse, who plays the taco-eating, wisecracking Griff — a character reminiscent of his Disney Suite Life character Zack — noted that there’s a specific opposites-attract dichotomy between the characters in Under Fire, which varies from their first film, 2023’s Aftermath.

“In this movie, we took a lot more of funny man, straight man dynamic,” he explained. “We both have great comedic moments in this, but I think Mason certainly is more of, like, the executioner. He’s definitely more ‘daddy’ in this, and I’m definitely more ‘mommy.’ Let’s put it that way.”

Gooding — who plays the straight-laced Abbott — disagreed, arguing that they are “both daddy and mommy” depending on the scene, playing off one another in ways that challenged both actors to deliver better performances.

“I will say comedy has never been like a strong suit of mine,” Gooding — who, despite his insistence, is undeniably funny in the film — continued. “I don’t think I’m very funny in real life, regardless. So a lot of times, Dylan would find these nuggets of comedic genius that I would remember in the moment being like, ‘Just don’t f*** up. He delivered a great joke. Let it sit.’ And sometimes I think that’s great. Sometimes your scene partner executes a phenomenal delivery, and the worst thing you can do is try and be like, ‘Well, what about this singer?’ Sucks all the fun out of the room.”

Gooding added that the natural chemistry between him and Sprouse is amplified by the fact that the duo actually like each other even after the director yells cut.

“If you ask a seasoned actor, like, ‘How do you create chemistry?’ The answer is, as in real life: consideration, empathy and understanding usually concoct a more genuine or positive experience,” he explained. “Like, the first scene I remember we shot was us in the car, where we’re hanging out, and there is no correct sequence of conversational points that we could hit that would mean we either do or do not have chemistry. Dylan’s a good guy. I like to think that I’m at least trying to be a good guy every day. So something there clicked.”

Expanding on his costars point, Sprouse claimed the “best” bonding moments between actors are the ones that aren’t scripted. (Getting to do cool stunts on an action film set is just a bonus.)

“We hang out outside of set. We’re friends outside of this,” Sprouse told Us. “Everyone likes a story to tell, and walking away with a story from set during filming are the moments that really bond people. Action movies tend to have those in spades, because you’re watching cars blow up, or you’re watching explosions, or you’re getting covered in blood, or you’re doing like, all the things that we love in movie magic. So putting squibs on and watching your friend explode? It’s always [a] pretty fun time.

Under Fire is available in select theaters and on demand Friday, August 15.