Video Interview: Talkin' ‘Tuner' With Leo Woodall

Leo Woodall stars in “Tuner,” the feature film debut of Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Daniel Roher. Woodall stars as Niki, an apprentice piano tuner suffering from hyperacusis, hyper-sensitive hearing that serves him well as a tuner… And as a safe cracker. When money gets tight, he finds himself in the company of a gang of robbers who appreciate his particular skill, as long as he remains useful to them. Meanwhile, he strikes up a romance with a conservatory student, played by Havana Rose Liu, but keeping these two sides of his life separate turns out to be tougher than expected.

“Tuner” is anchored by performances from Liu and Dustin Hoffman, but Leo Woodall is the undisputed jewel in the film’s crown. His character is shy and soft-spoken, but will go the distance and do what he must for the people he loves. It makes Niki a unique and refreshing lead character in a high-stakes crime drama, and Woodall absolutely nails the assignment here.

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I had the opportunity to chat with Leo Woodall about his work on “Tuner.” He shares some stories from the set, about sharing the screen with the legendary Dustin Hoffman and honing his piano skills for one of the film’s pivotal scenes. He also talks about getting into character and learning about hyperacusis, and what it was like to work with Daniel Roher, a filmmaker who had never really worked with actors on a project of this scale before.

Check out my video interview with Woodall below. “Tuner” is out now in limited release, and expands to theaters nationwide next Friday, May 29.

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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 11:17 AM.