Miles Teller says he got ‘really annoyed’ with his onscreen son while filming paper tiger

Teller recalled that during the first day of filming, one of the actors playing his sons used a swear word while the cast was improvising a scene. The actor said he found himself reacting as though he were actually the boy's father.

In another moment, the young performer delivered a line suggesting that he had learned the behaviour from his onscreen dad. Teller said he immediately called for a cut and questioned whether he could discipline the actor playing his son.

The actor joked about how quickly he became invested in correcting the teenager's behaviour, explaining that the experience was particularly unusual because he is not yet a father himself. Teller plays Irwin Pearl in Paper Tiger, a crime drama directed by James Gray.

The story follows two brothers, played by Teller and Adam Driver, who pursue a business opportunity in 1980s New York but become entangled with the Russian Mafia, putting their family and livelihood at risk. Scarlett Johansson also stars as Irwin's wife, while the film explores the pressures of family life, ambition and the consequences of dangerous business dealings.

Playing a father of teenagers represented a different kind of role for Teller, who is more commonly associated with younger characters. He previously discussed the experience in an interview with Vanity Fair, admitting that portraying a family man made him reflect on parenthood and the kind of father he might become.

Paper Tiger is directed by Gray, whose previous films include Ad Astra and Armageddon Time. The project premiered at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it received a lengthy standing ovation. The film is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on November 13, 2026.