Edward Lovelace "stalked" Adam Pearson before approaching him about featuring in Zero Intention of Living Quietly.
The filmmaker has helmed the new documentary – which sees the actor, who suffers from the genetic condition neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), mentoring teenage girl Ellie Jim as she grapples with NF1 – and revealed that he was desperate to work with Pearson after watching his performance in the 2013 film Under the Skin.
Speaking to BANG Showbiz at the documentary's premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on Sunday (11.10.26), Lovelace said: "I stalked Adam. I saw Adam in Under the Skin in 2014. I loved his performance in that film and I loved that film so much. I just thought a lot about him, I guess subconsciously, over the next 10 years that passed. I wondered what other films he was going to be in, I wondered how much personal experience of life he brought to that part.
"Then I finally plucked up the courage to email his agent and we hung out together and quite quickly, the film that both of us wanted to make was kind of born I guess.
"It was a film about Adam, but very much about movies and films that have inspired and guided him in his life.
"Also, it was going to be about this girl called Ellie who plays a really big part in the film, and that was really important to Adam. It kind of just happened quite quickly and easily."
Lovelace explained that he has been taught the value of being positive by Adam – who has facial tumours as a result of his condition.
The director said: "I would say that Adam's taught me that kindness and laughter are superpowers and you can overcome more things than you think by making a joke and finding the positive and steering away from the negative.
"I've been in very intimate spaces with Adam during so many joyful times and also some more tricky times. I think Adam finding a way to laugh, make someone else laugh, that's really inspiring and that genuinely changes things. He's taught me to try and laugh more, basically."
Lovelace accompanied Adam to New York during the making of the 2024 movie A Different Man and explained that he was taken aback by the star's popularity in the Big Apple.
Asked for his favourite memory of making the documentary, he said: "Being in New York with Adam when he was shooting A Different Man, that was pretty amazing. That was pretty special.
"Adam had talked about the fact that in New York, before we went there together, he was saying, 'My experience in New York is, like, strangers come up to you in the street. Everyone wants to speak. London is a bit like that too, but New York is a whole other level.'
"I was intrigued by what it would be like being in New York with Adam, and it was true. So many people are coming up to him and wanting to hang out with him, crack jokes with him, learn about his career and his life."