Taylour Paige Boards Dark Comedy ‘The Trainer’ From ‘American History X’ Director Tony Kaye

EXCLUSIVE: Taylour Paige (Zola) has signed on to star alongside Vito Schnabel in The Trainer, the upcoming dark comedy, which Tony Kaye (American History X) is directing from a script by Schnabel and Jeff Solomon.

The film, which has been in development for nearly a decade, is based on an original story by Schnabel. It unfolds over eight days of sleep-deprived chaos and follows Jack (Schnabel), a down-on-his-luck fitness expert living with his mother in Los Angeles, who takes a maniacal swing at fame and fortune, trying to realize his version of the American dream. Julia Fox and Steven Van Zandt are also confirmed to star.

Schnabel, Kaye and Jeremy Steckler (Old Man and the Gun, Only the Brave) are producing, with George Paaswell (Night House, Jack Goes Boating) serving as exec producer. Production will kick off in Los Angeles early next month.

Paige is perhaps best known for her turn as the title character in Janicza Bravo’s comedic crime pic Zola, which recently won her the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. The actress will next be seen in Lena Dunham’s Sundance 2022 title Sharp Stick, Katie Aselton’s comedy Mack & Rita, Max Barbakow’s Brothers and Macon Blair’s adaptation of The Toxic Avenger. Other previous film credits include Eddie Huang’s Boogie, George C. Wolfe’s Netflix Oscar winner Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Yann Demange’s crime drama White Boy Rick, and Stella Meghie’s comedy Jean of the Joneses. Paige has also been seen on such series as The Baxters, Grey’s Anatomy, Hit the Floor and Ballers.

She is represented by CAA, Management 360 and Granderson Des Rochers.