IPOD
RADIO
John C. Reilly
By Daniel Robert Epstein
Sep 9, 2004
Actors don’t like to be called character actors for some reason. I don’t know why. They always seem to take umbrage when I say that but I think it’s a compliment of the highest order. But maybe they think if they get put in that box they will have trouble getting leading roles. Anyway John C. Reilly is one of the best. Of the three Best Picture Oscar nominees from 2002 he was in three of them Chicago, Gangs of New York and The Hours.
His latest role is Richard Gaddis in Criminal. It's the story of an extremely odd couple: a young Latino man who will do anything for his family [Diego Luna] and a 30-something scheming white guy who will do anything to his family [Reilly]. One wants to save his father. The other wants to get rich, in any way possible. So when they come across one of the most valuable pieces of currency in U.S. history, they're suddenly stuck together, and that's just...criminal. All they have to do is sell it, which is where the real problems begin. And of course the only way out is family: the one person who can help them, hates them: the schemer's sister [Maggie Gyllenhaal].
Check out the website for Criminal
Daniel Robert Epstein: Hi John, I’m Daniel from SuicideGirls.
John C. Reilly: I know that website.
DRE:
You’re a fan?
JCR:
I’m familiar with it. It’s linked from indienudes.com.
DRE:
In Criminal you’re kind of playing the Philip Baker Hall role from Hard Eight. Did you think of that at all?
JCR:
Yeah I did. I first heard of Nine Queens from a casting director friend of mine. He sent me an email telling me that it was a great movie; it’s kind of like Hard Eight. He said there was a great part for me thinking I would play the same kind of role. Then I didn’t see Nine Queens and six months later I get this call saying they’re remaking it and they wanted me to play a part. It was even better than they wanted me to play the mentor part because I’ve already done the student role.
DRE:
Did you think you were like Philip Baker Hall now?
JCR:
Yes he’s the man but I wouldn’t go as far as to say I am like him because he’s his own man.
DRE:
Did the mentor/student roles translate offscreen to you and Diego?
JCR:
I would like to say that I was Obi-Wan Kenobi and he was the young Luke Skywalker but to a certain extent that’s true because he’s new to American films and he had a lot of questions for me. He even said that one of the reasons he was interested in the movie was because I was involved. The thing is he’s a very confident and intelligent actor. He didn’t need a lot of mentoring from me. I think we learned from each other. You just learn through osmosis from being with someone like that. He’s acted his whole life. He’s was a professional actor as a child and I didn’t go professional until I was in my early 20’s. I was doing community theatre since I was eight but he’s been in show business much longer than me.
DRE:
I would consider you a real character actor in the grand tradition of character actors. I see you smiling, does that make you happy?
JCR:
I smile because people bring up that term character actor all the time. They say, how does it feel to be storming the ranks of leading men? I don’t even think about it. I just think about the roles I am given regardless of size trying to create a complex real characterization. I think those are categories other people put you in. I don’t think anyone calls themselves a sex symbol, that’s me I’m a leading man. If you’re someone who enjoys being an actor and not a celebrity you’re just looking for good roles and it’s up to other people to call it something. You hear musicians call themselves unique because no one wants to be boxed in.
DRE:
I just saw Joe Pantoliano on Dinner for Five and he said that character roles in Hollywood are going to big stars. I think the best example of that is Matt Damon’s role in Ocean's Eleven. That role would normally go to actor that’s coming up in the ranks.
JCR:
Unfortunately the ranks of character…whatever, the inventory of character parts is shrinking in general because the way people are paid in movies is making it harder and harder to be a mid-level actor meaning someone who’s name is not on the marquee bringing people into the theatre but he’s also not starting out in the business. That great tradition of character actors you mentioned is a disappearing breed. The movies tend to pay $14 million to the top guy then scale to everybody else. If you’re a guy who isn’t 19 years old and is trying to work for a living, scale doesn’t cut it. People find other work or get involved in TV. It’s a trend I hope to see reversed.
DRE:
You work a lot.
JCR:
It seems that way but in fact I’m pretty lazy.
DRE:
Well you’re in a lot of films that don’t suck. How do you choose your roles?
JCR:
I have patience and choose things that engage me as an actor and a person. I don’t have condescending thoughts to the audience. If I don’t want to see it then I don’t go. Part of it is luck as well. I’ve been lucky to build some momentum and once you begin working with good people then other good people get interested. It’s not easy to do that but I don’t have sleepless nights wondering about all the money I’ve thrown away either.
DRE:
When you work with someone like Daniel Day Lewis [in Gangs of New York] and watch his process, do you think you could ever do what he does which is to immerse yourself so deeply in a character that you literally have to shake it off to discuss it with the director?
JCR:
I don’t know exactly what Daniel does. I just know that I respect him and it works. I couldn’t do what he does because that’s the way he has to do it. I do things in the way I have to do it. I think it’s a personal journey for everybody. One of the cool things about film is that you have your own methods of how you like to get stuff done but you have to constantly adapt to the people you are working with. If you’re game plan for how you like to approach a character is in direct opposition with the director then that’s a problem. Part of an actor’s job is to be adaptable.
DRE:
Have you always acted the way you do or has it changed over the years?
JCR:
Every job you have to see how much of the character you already relate to or how much of it seems foreign to you. You have to respect the director and actor’s processes. It changes with every movie and the things that stay the same are the way you cross into the looking glass, that moment on camera when you suspend your disbelief.
DRE:
Is being a con man and an actor similar?
JCR:
They are similar except you are a little more honest as an actor. You’re letting people know that they’re getting conned. Con men are ultimately not so good for civilization. Another title for this movie could be the Bad Samaritan. He tries to elicit people’s sympathy and then uses it against them. I think my character, Richard, feels that the best cons are when people don’t realize they’ve been conned. There is no harm done which is how he likes it. Most of the time people realize it five minutes later.
DRE:
Have you ever watched a movie on cable and then not realized you were in it until you appeared on screen?
JCR:
I don’t really watch too much of my older stuff. It’s too sad. I just see a lot of missed opportunities. I’m not one of those actors who never watches their own work. I think that’s actually foolish. You can learn a lot from watching your own work to an extent then it becomes a punishment. I usually watch stuff I’ve done two or three times. Once it goes to video I let it go because that was yesterday and I’m trying to figure out what the next challenge is.
DRE:
Did Sean Penn copy your hair for Carlito’s Way?
JCR:
I don’t think so. I think he was going more for the Jew fro rather than the Mick fro.
DRE:
Are you going to be in the next Paul Thomas Anderson?
JCR:
I hope so. We have an agreement that he doesn’t have to cast me and I never expect to. If it’s a good part and I’m the right actor to do it then great. At this point our friendship is more important than that. Of course I love him and I want to support him but I don’t feel it’s fair or good for the artistic process to force yourself onto somebody. It’s got to be right otherwise who gets served? He’s writing something right now so we’ll see.
DRE:
Do you have a favorite role you’ve done for him?
JCR:
I don’t think in terms of favorites. Journalists always like to ask about favorites. I don’t have favorite anything. I’m into what I’m into at a given point.
DRE:
Do you have a favorite pizza topping?
JCR:
[laughs] No! one of the more personal things I did with Paul was Magnolia because that was based on improvisations I did with Paul when we were horsing around doing our own version of COPS one summer long before he wrote Magnolia. Then he took videotapes of those improvisations and turned it into that character.
DRE:
Was that a difficult movie to make?
JCR:
Definitely. I can’t say it was fun going to set everyday and dealing with some of the issues it deals with. That was the most ironic criticisms of that movie. Paul did Boogie Nights and critics thought it was a lot of fun but they wanted to know what he really feels and what moves him. Paul took that to heart and poured out his guts into Magnolia. Then critics were like “Whoa that’s a bit too much! How about some of that fun stuff from Boogie Nights?” You can never win.
DRE:
Did you like Punch Drunk Love?
JCR:
Well I was around for the making of that movie. I was in it at one point. But we were having trouble doing it right. I was supposed to be one of the guys that comes in from Utah. I told Paul that I felt like people were going to expect something to happen because I’m in that part so maybe it would be better if it wasn’t someone known as me and he agreed.
DRE:
What else are you working on?
JCR:
I’m working on selling my ass for Criminal. This is one of the few leading roles I’ve done. I have another movie coming out called Dark Water with Jennifer Connelly which is another remake and The Aviator which is another film with Martin Scorsese.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
Actors don’t like to be called character actors for some reason. I don’t know why. They always seem to take umbrage when I say that but I think it’s a compliment of the highest order. But maybe they think if they get put in that box they will have trouble getting leading roles. Anyway John C. Reilly is one of the best. Of the three Best Picture Oscar nominees from 2002 he was in three of them Chicago, Gangs of New York and The Hours.
His latest role is Richard Gaddis in Criminal. It's the story of an extremely odd couple: a young Latino man who will do anything for his family [Diego Luna] and a 30-something scheming white guy who will do anything to his family [Reilly]. One wants to save his father. The other wants to get rich, in any way possible. So when they come across one of the most valuable pieces of currency in U.S. history, they're suddenly stuck together, and that's just...criminal. All they have to do is sell it, which is where the real problems begin. And of course the only way out is family: the one person who can help them, hates them: the schemer's sister [Maggie Gyllenhaal].
Check out the website for Criminal
Daniel Robert Epstein: Hi John, I’m Daniel from SuicideGirls.
John C. Reilly: I know that website.
DRE:
You’re a fan?
JCR:
I’m familiar with it. It’s linked from indienudes.com.
DRE:
In Criminal you’re kind of playing the Philip Baker Hall role from Hard Eight. Did you think of that at all?
JCR:
Yeah I did. I first heard of Nine Queens from a casting director friend of mine. He sent me an email telling me that it was a great movie; it’s kind of like Hard Eight. He said there was a great part for me thinking I would play the same kind of role. Then I didn’t see Nine Queens and six months later I get this call saying they’re remaking it and they wanted me to play a part. It was even better than they wanted me to play the mentor part because I’ve already done the student role.
DRE:
Did you think you were like Philip Baker Hall now?
JCR:
Yes he’s the man but I wouldn’t go as far as to say I am like him because he’s his own man.
DRE:
Did the mentor/student roles translate offscreen to you and Diego?
JCR:
I would like to say that I was Obi-Wan Kenobi and he was the young Luke Skywalker but to a certain extent that’s true because he’s new to American films and he had a lot of questions for me. He even said that one of the reasons he was interested in the movie was because I was involved. The thing is he’s a very confident and intelligent actor. He didn’t need a lot of mentoring from me. I think we learned from each other. You just learn through osmosis from being with someone like that. He’s acted his whole life. He’s was a professional actor as a child and I didn’t go professional until I was in my early 20’s. I was doing community theatre since I was eight but he’s been in show business much longer than me.
DRE:
I would consider you a real character actor in the grand tradition of character actors. I see you smiling, does that make you happy?
JCR:
I smile because people bring up that term character actor all the time. They say, how does it feel to be storming the ranks of leading men? I don’t even think about it. I just think about the roles I am given regardless of size trying to create a complex real characterization. I think those are categories other people put you in. I don’t think anyone calls themselves a sex symbol, that’s me I’m a leading man. If you’re someone who enjoys being an actor and not a celebrity you’re just looking for good roles and it’s up to other people to call it something. You hear musicians call themselves unique because no one wants to be boxed in.
DRE:
I just saw Joe Pantoliano on Dinner for Five and he said that character roles in Hollywood are going to big stars. I think the best example of that is Matt Damon’s role in Ocean's Eleven. That role would normally go to actor that’s coming up in the ranks.
JCR:
Unfortunately the ranks of character…whatever, the inventory of character parts is shrinking in general because the way people are paid in movies is making it harder and harder to be a mid-level actor meaning someone who’s name is not on the marquee bringing people into the theatre but he’s also not starting out in the business. That great tradition of character actors you mentioned is a disappearing breed. The movies tend to pay $14 million to the top guy then scale to everybody else. If you’re a guy who isn’t 19 years old and is trying to work for a living, scale doesn’t cut it. People find other work or get involved in TV. It’s a trend I hope to see reversed.
DRE:
You work a lot.
JCR:
It seems that way but in fact I’m pretty lazy.
DRE:
Well you’re in a lot of films that don’t suck. How do you choose your roles?
JCR:
I have patience and choose things that engage me as an actor and a person. I don’t have condescending thoughts to the audience. If I don’t want to see it then I don’t go. Part of it is luck as well. I’ve been lucky to build some momentum and once you begin working with good people then other good people get interested. It’s not easy to do that but I don’t have sleepless nights wondering about all the money I’ve thrown away either.
DRE:
When you work with someone like Daniel Day Lewis [in Gangs of New York] and watch his process, do you think you could ever do what he does which is to immerse yourself so deeply in a character that you literally have to shake it off to discuss it with the director?
JCR:
I don’t know exactly what Daniel does. I just know that I respect him and it works. I couldn’t do what he does because that’s the way he has to do it. I do things in the way I have to do it. I think it’s a personal journey for everybody. One of the cool things about film is that you have your own methods of how you like to get stuff done but you have to constantly adapt to the people you are working with. If you’re game plan for how you like to approach a character is in direct opposition with the director then that’s a problem. Part of an actor’s job is to be adaptable.
DRE:
Have you always acted the way you do or has it changed over the years?
JCR:
Every job you have to see how much of the character you already relate to or how much of it seems foreign to you. You have to respect the director and actor’s processes. It changes with every movie and the things that stay the same are the way you cross into the looking glass, that moment on camera when you suspend your disbelief.
DRE:
Is being a con man and an actor similar?
JCR:
They are similar except you are a little more honest as an actor. You’re letting people know that they’re getting conned. Con men are ultimately not so good for civilization. Another title for this movie could be the Bad Samaritan. He tries to elicit people’s sympathy and then uses it against them. I think my character, Richard, feels that the best cons are when people don’t realize they’ve been conned. There is no harm done which is how he likes it. Most of the time people realize it five minutes later.
DRE:
Have you ever watched a movie on cable and then not realized you were in it until you appeared on screen?
JCR:
I don’t really watch too much of my older stuff. It’s too sad. I just see a lot of missed opportunities. I’m not one of those actors who never watches their own work. I think that’s actually foolish. You can learn a lot from watching your own work to an extent then it becomes a punishment. I usually watch stuff I’ve done two or three times. Once it goes to video I let it go because that was yesterday and I’m trying to figure out what the next challenge is.
DRE:
Did Sean Penn copy your hair for Carlito’s Way?
JCR:
I don’t think so. I think he was going more for the Jew fro rather than the Mick fro.
DRE:
Are you going to be in the next Paul Thomas Anderson?
JCR:
I hope so. We have an agreement that he doesn’t have to cast me and I never expect to. If it’s a good part and I’m the right actor to do it then great. At this point our friendship is more important than that. Of course I love him and I want to support him but I don’t feel it’s fair or good for the artistic process to force yourself onto somebody. It’s got to be right otherwise who gets served? He’s writing something right now so we’ll see.
DRE:
Do you have a favorite role you’ve done for him?
JCR:
I don’t think in terms of favorites. Journalists always like to ask about favorites. I don’t have favorite anything. I’m into what I’m into at a given point.
DRE:
Do you have a favorite pizza topping?
JCR:
[laughs] No! one of the more personal things I did with Paul was Magnolia because that was based on improvisations I did with Paul when we were horsing around doing our own version of COPS one summer long before he wrote Magnolia. Then he took videotapes of those improvisations and turned it into that character.
DRE:
Was that a difficult movie to make?
JCR:
Definitely. I can’t say it was fun going to set everyday and dealing with some of the issues it deals with. That was the most ironic criticisms of that movie. Paul did Boogie Nights and critics thought it was a lot of fun but they wanted to know what he really feels and what moves him. Paul took that to heart and poured out his guts into Magnolia. Then critics were like “Whoa that’s a bit too much! How about some of that fun stuff from Boogie Nights?” You can never win.
DRE:
Did you like Punch Drunk Love?
JCR:
Well I was around for the making of that movie. I was in it at one point. But we were having trouble doing it right. I was supposed to be one of the guys that comes in from Utah. I told Paul that I felt like people were going to expect something to happen because I’m in that part so maybe it would be better if it wasn’t someone known as me and he agreed.
DRE:
What else are you working on?
JCR:
I’m working on selling my ass for Criminal. This is one of the few leading roles I’ve done. I have another movie coming out called Dark Water with Jennifer Connelly which is another remake and The Aviator which is another film with Martin Scorsese.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
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