20 Things You Didn’t Know About Whiplash

20. The Leads’ Surprising Musical Talent

It does not hurt to have actors who are musically talented (or at least musically inclined) when bringing a rhythm-heavy story like Whiplash to life. That kind of talent lends the proceedings a level of realism that simply cannot be replicated with a combination of professional doubles and clever editing alone.

While the 2015 Best Picture nominee certainly had its fair share of stand-in and filmmaking magic at its disposal, Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons’s respective musical backgrounds ensured that their characters’ talents were well-realized as far as their musical talent was concerned.

Teller had been playing drums since he was 15 and took on additional classes before filming to sell Andrew’s sublime skill on screen. Simmons on the other hand has a musical degree and played piano in the past and was able to sink into his role after a bit of practice before filming began.