Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
THE GREAT FILMS.
I'VE WATCHED IT MANY TIMES.
THIS MOMENT WHERE YOU REALIZE
YOU'RE REALLY IN THE PRESENCE OF
A KIND OF ACTING GENIUS.
TELL ME ABOUT THAT.
>> WELL, I MEAN, FOR ME "ALMOST
FAMOUS" WAS MY FIRST REAL VERY
EXTENSIVE ACTING EXPERIENCE.
MY FIRST FILM, MY FIRST LEADING
ROLE.
AND IT WAS MY FIRST TIME AROUND
ACTORS OF THAT CALIBER.
PHILIP AND BILLY CRUDUP AND
JASON LEE AND ALL THOSE GUYS.
WE HAD TWO MONTHS OF REHEARSALS.
I GOT TO MEET EVERYBODY BUT
PHILIP.
PHILIP SHOWS UP ON THE DAY AND
IN CHARACTER WHICH CAMERON CROWE
HAD WARNED ME ABOUT.
HE SAID PHILIP IS PROBABLY JUST
GOING TO BE LESTERISH WHILE HE'S
AROUND SET.
HE WAS BUT VERY VERY KIND.
IN WATCHING HIM AND SEEING THE
AMOUNT OF PREPARATION AND THE
AMOUNT OF THOUGHT AND CARE THAT
WENT INTO WHAT HE WAS DOING ON
SET THOSE DAYS WAS A NEW LEVEL,
A NEW SORT OF --
>> THERE WAS ALSO AN INTENSITY
TO HIS WORK.
EVEN WHEN HE WAS FEELING SICK
AND HAD THE FLU HE'D STILL BE
RIGHT ON HIS GAME, IN FACT EVEN
MORE INTENSE PERHAPS.
AND A KIND OF INTOLERANCE OF
TRYING TO MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD OR
RELAXED OR HAPPY.
>> OH, YEAH.
>> HE WAS LIKE GET ON WITH THIS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I APPRECIATED THAT, THOUGH.
EVERYBODY WAS VERY WARM AND VERY
WELCOMING TO ME BECAUSE I WAS
VERY YOUNG AND INEXPERIENCED.
THEY DIDN'T WANT TO PRESSURE ME
TOO MUCH.
BUT PHILIP, I MEAN, CAME FROM A
REAL GRASSROOTS AND VERY GRITTY
ACTING BACKGROUND.
AND I THINK HE IS ATTITUDE WAS
LIKE, HEY, KID, YOU GOT LUCKY.
NOW YOU GOT TO FILL THE ROLE.
>> HE WAS CLEAN AND SOBER AT THE
TIME, HAVING ALREADY BEEN
TREATED IN REHAB FOR ADDICTIONS
IN HIS EARLY 20s.
AND YOU SAID IN THE POST IT WAS
A CERTAIN WEIGHT THAT CAME WITH
IT.
A CERTAIN DARKNESS AS PART OF
WHAT MADE HIS ACTING SO
COMPELLING AND SO COMPLETE THAT
HE WAS ALMOST CARRYING THE SCARS
OF I GUESS WHAT HE'D BEEN
THROUGH.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND THERE WAS A DARKNESS THERE,
THERE'S A PAST THERE THAT YOU
DON'T KNOW ABOUT.
AND I ALWAYS APPRECIATED THAT IN
HIS ACTING.
IT ALSO SEEMS BLED INTO THE WAY
THAT HE CHOSE HIS ROLES AND
CHOSE THE FILMS THAT HE ENDED UP
IN.
I MEAN, FILMS LIKE "LOVE LIZA"
THAT ARE VERY DARK IN THEIR