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Interviewed following his role in Pleasantville, in which he plays a
real life teen who gets sucked into an alternate universe based upon
a favorite 50s TV show. An outsider in "real" life, he becomes a
leader, bringing color to a black and white world. (And, as in The
Ice Storm, Joan Allen once again plays his mom).
Cranky: What did you watch when you came home from school?
Tobey Maguire: It varied through my ages, but Three's Company
and shows like Charles in Charge. I just flipped around a lot,
watched whatever. I'm not a big television kind of guy.
Cranky: Are you a big TV watcher?
Tobey Maguire: Not all the time. It depends. If I'm
traveling in a hotel I'll watch TV. If I'm home I hardly watch any
TV at all.
Cranky: So how did you get in the mindset for a 1950s sitcom?
Tobey Maguire: I don't know. It's a fantasy world. Just read
the script and use your imagination; the sets and the costumes — you
go there and you're transported. They built a 20-building town.
Everybody's in costume, as a matter of fact I saw a couple of the
'townspeople' out of their costumes and hair and stuff, a couple of
the girls and they're like "Hey Tobey how you doing?" and I'm like
"Who are you" "I just worked with you at the soda shoppe" and I'm
like "No way!" You're just transported as soon as you step on the
set.
Cranky: You've played two period teens; one in the 70s (The
Ice Storm) one in the 50s (Pleasantville). Is one harder than the
other?
Tobey Maguire: I guess Pleasantville was a little more
difficult in that he wasn't a period teen. He was a modern teen who
went into this world. Maybe his clothes and hair were of that period
but he was very much an outsider. I think it was harder to play the
modern day guy than the guy from the 70s.
Cranky: Why?
Tobey Maguire: I don't know. There was more research to look
at in front of me to play the guy in the 70s. There was more to read
about the times. It's different when you're actually in something.
You don't have that removed objectivity.
Cranky: Did you crack open old TV sitcoms for research?
Tobey Maguire: I didn't do much of that. I was definitely
asked if I wanted to see TV shows, but I chose not to go into that
stuff because it was such a particular fantasy world. I've talked to
a couple of people about the times but it's really not a reality.
There may be exaggerations of some things but I decided that I was
going to talk with Gary and use the script.
Cranky: One of your costars, Don Knotts, was a big star of
those shows. What did you know of him and how did you get a long?
Tobey Maguire: I really liked Don, he was so funny and
everybody was thrilled that I was working with Don Knotts, and so
was I but for me I was working with Mr. Furley from Three's Company.
[laughs] You get to tell people about the film and I'd say I'm
working with William H. Macy and Joan Allen and Don Knotts and
they'd say "Don Knotts!? No way! Can I come down to the set when
he's working?" It was fun. He was just hilarious. When Gary cast him
I remember thinking "Wow, that's an interesting idea." The first day
I couldn't even do my scenes well because I was laughing so hard.
Cranky: Considering the way the script is laid out, it's kind
of funny to think of Don Knotts as God (!) 'Cuz that's what he is.
Tobey Maguire: Yeah. He is God. I think it's unlikely and
perfect at the same time.
Cranky: You may be on the verge of some real stardom here.
Have you prepared for it?
Tobey Maguire: I've thought about it. I'm just going to do
the best I can. It's really interesting to me, the idea of fame. I
think it can be a real test of somebody of who they are. I've seen
some peculiar things as far as a person living their life and these
things get thrown into it. I think some of it's strange and some of
it is very appealing. I'm just going to do the best I can.
Cranky: You've been grouped in Leo [DiCaprio]'s posse from
time to time. Has this ever come up?
Tobey Maguire: Well, specifically, I've definitely talked to
Leo a little; observed his life. A few weeks ago we went to an art
gallery in Pasadena and we're just walking up the street looking at
paintings and we look across and there's a guy hiding in a parking
garage taking photos. There was something in the (tabloids) like him
standing next to my girlfriend, saying how they're an item. None of
this really matters to me. I just feel bad that he can't go and do
things like any normal person can do without people watching him.
But then there's a lot of things he gets to do. It's not a big issue
I think about.
Cranky: This is the second time you've worked with Joan Allen
as "your mom." Was she a better mom this time?
Tobey Maguire: Well I guess as far as the story goes, but she
was great for Tobey both times. She's just so phenomenal. She's a
great actor, no ego. She's so professional and so focused and
doesn't get caught up in anything. Sometimes you need to do that.
Sometimes I can goof off and have conversations and stuff but ... I
don't want to let go of being a kid. There's a certain
responsibility to work and her work ethic is amazing. She has such
freedom at the same time. It's great to see her work.
Cranky: All the descriptions of you say you're a likable guy.
Do you ever go home and kick the dog?
Tobey Maguire: Well I don't have a dog. I'm a human being. I
get pissed off or sad. I don't own any weapons. I think I'm a decent
guy. A decent friend. I'm a decent son. Are there things I can
improve? Sure. Do I let people down? Sure.
Cranky: Your character finds a perfect life in Pleasantville.
Why does he want to come back to the "real" world?
Tobey Maguire: That's a good question. That's where he
belongs. I think in a way he was done with that place. He knows
Pleasantville's not his home. He wants to go home. He felt like he
really got really brilliant gifts. He gave of himself and had a very
unique experience. But that wasn't his home. I always want to go
home. I do films for 3-4 months and then I'd go "well I can't wait
to go home to LA". And I complain about LA left and right but then I
always end up wanting to go home.
Cranky: Were you ever worried about being upstaged by the
effects or the symbols and metaphors in the film?
Tobey Maguire: No. I don't really care about that. The film
is the star. I knew that going in. It's an ensemble movie. The
concept itself, the film is the star more than any actor. I mean the
story itself getting lost in the technical challenges.
Cranky: Do you think teens will respond to this movie?
Tobey Maguire: I think teens will definitely respond to it.
The character development is strong with Bill and Joan and Jeff and
me and Reese. They're all very different people. I think you're
going to get a lot of people responding to this film. I don't know.
It's my opinion.
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