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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Nov. 10, 2000 -- In January, Tobey Maguire
had the honor of presenting a Golden Globe Award to Jack Lemmon for
his work in "Inherit the Wind." Backstage, however, it became
apparent the roles were reversed. "I was thrilled. I don't know
about the kid, but I was thrilled," Lemmon gushed to reporters of
meeting Maguire. "I think he's one of the finest young actors I've
ever seen in my life." Tobey Maguire plays James Leer, a gifted
writing student who goes on an adventure with his professor Grady
Tripp (Michael Douglas).
Not bad for a 25-year-old who, until a couple years ago, was known
mostly as a buddy of Leonardo DiCaprio. And while his pal was
swimming in "Titanic's" wake, Maguire was quietly impressing some of
the best actors and directors in the business, selecting projects
that teamed him with Joan Allen, Michael Caine, Woody Allen, Johnny
Depp, Lasse Hallström and Ang Lee, to name a few. And while he's
bound for Leo-size success when he headlines in the widely
anticipated "Spider-Man" -- reportedly beating out Freddie Prinze
Jr., Wes Bentley and Scott Speedman among others -- Maguire seems
content with learning from the best and participating in strong
ensembles.
Hollywood.com spoke to Maguire on the second release of his last
film, "Wonder Boys," which Paramount admitted it mishandled its
marketing the first time around and chose to delay its more
profitable video/DVD release. Maguire plays James Leer, a gifted but
troubled college student who tags along with his professor (Michael
Douglas), an award-winning novelist who is having sophomore-slump
issues over his follow-up book. The film also stars Robert Downey
Jr., Frances McDormand, Rip Torn and Katie Holmes.
H: Does it feel weird to be promoting "Wonder Boys" all
over again?
T: It doesn't really feel strange. I'm excited about
it. It's a really good film; it deserves as much attention as it can
get and I'm proud to be a part of it.
H: How did you find out Paramount was re-releasing it?
T: I think I got a phone call from somebody telling me
they were re-releasing it, and I was thrilled, I was really
thrilled. I called [director] Curtis Hanson ... it sends a good
message that [Paramount's] getting behind it.
H: People talk a lot about the dynamic between you,
Michael Douglas and Robert Downey Jr. What was the chemistry like
during filming?
T: I had a blast. Michael Douglas is unbelievable. The
guy comes to work and he's full of ideas and he's so prepared as an
actor, it's unbelievable. And he has different ways to do a scene; I
was in awe every day working with that guy. And he's so relaxed and
fun, you know. Robert is just a ball of energy with tons of ideas,
like "Let's try a scene this way" and "Let's improv." And he'll
throw little things in there and you gotta really be on your toes --
it's a great atmosphere to work in. And everybody else in the cast,
and the director, Curtis Hanson.
H: You've worked with an intimidating list of great actors.
Have you been pretty nervous before working with them?
T: I've been pretty fortunate; everybody I've worked
with has been pretty ego-free and they're just there to do the work
and they're famous because they do good work. And the people I've
run into have generally been pretty giving, caring people. It's easy
to connect with that. Maybe the first time I met Michael, I was a
little nervous about meeting him.
H: How do you learn from them? Do you interact a lot on
the set or observe from a distance?
T: I pretty much try to leave people to do their thing
and not ask tons and tons of questions. I think the greatest way to
learn is to learn by someone's example.
H: Your character, James, in "Wonder Boys," as well as
the roles you played in "The Cider House Rules," "The Ice Storm" and
"Pleasantville" - now onto Peter Parker/Spider-Man - are all social
misfits. What draws you to these types of characters?
T: I know with James, I just found him so interesting.
A kid who is ultimately a good kid, who really wants to connect with
somebody. He doesn't have anybody in his life to care about, who he
feels cares about him, really. I'm sure his parents, grandparents
do, but he really doesn't have that kind of connection. So him
opening the doors a little bit, and getting frightened, and telling
stories and feeling bad that he's doing that -- he's a really
interesting character ... I had a lot of fun plunging into James
Leer.
H: All right. I know you've been asked about this all
day, but what are you allowed to tell us about "Spider-Man"?
T: I'm preparing for the role; we start in January.
They're casting the film -- I'm ready to go.
H: Are you training? What kind of training do they have
you in?
T: Different kinds [laughs].
H: You'll have to scale walls and stuff, though, won't
you?
T: I'll have to do various things; various spider
things.
H: Boy, this is mysterious. Can you tell us anything
about [director] Sam Raimi's vision of the film, then? What kind of
film should we expect?
T: [Still laughing] May 2002, you'll find out.
© Ellen A. Kim, Hollywood.com 2000 |
