You're damn right... I'm takin one
Lol, nice. Told you.
Ok, I'm behind on posting up his Q&A. here:
January 2007
Most people remember where they were and what they were doing on September 11. Where were you and what were your thoughts about that day?
I was filming on the set of Buffy. Sarah stopped filming, shut down the set, and she and I went with her mother to try and find a place of worship to pray and to get some silence. We were the only two New Yorkers on that show.
Has anyone ever intimidated you? If so, who and why?
I get intimidated all the time, mostly by talent, and most recently by Kathy Bates who was a total sweetheart with a spine of steel and who gave me no reason to fear her.
How do you approach emotional changes within your character when the scenes are shot out of sequence?
Just remember why you came in the room and what you want from the person opposite you and then the brain takes care of the rest. It’s like catching a ball - the brain takes care of the math. But you have to know those two things.
I've noticed for both the Buffy and Angel DVD sets that you very rarely appear in the outtakes. Does that mean it was rare to catch you making a mistake on set?
Correct! (He laughs.) Early in my tenure I almost got fired for making three jokes in a makeup trailer. I decided that my only good defense was to be perfect.
During the Macbeth Q&A you were asked about Method vs. Shakespeare. Part of your answer was that the two don't marry very well. May I ask your thoughts then of Marlon Brando's portrayal of Mark Antony, bearing in mind that he was a Method actor in the truest sense of the word.
Brando showed himself to be an apt technician. He respected the meter and the line and gave a credible Shakespearean performance. I think there was less method in that performance than you’d suspect.
How have you changed or evolved as a musician since this all started?
(Long silence) I’m wondering if I've evolved at all since it all started. I'm better with my changes, I take longer to write my lyrics, and I rehearse more before I perform. But I wonder if I've evolved.
Favorites:
Toy you played with as a child: GI Joe and my rescue copter.
Time of Day: Late afternoon-early evening when the sun is still bright but low in the sky and the shadows are long.
Household chore: Putting up Christmas decorations.
February 2007
I know you quit smoking now, but when did you first start and why?
I first started smoking in college. My favorite actor at the time, Byron Jennings, was smoking and it looked cool.
I noticed that you play a right-handed guitar although you are left-handed. I am guessing that you were taught that way but I wanted to know if you have ever tried to play left-handed and to what result?
I tried to switch after two years to left-handed play and gave up. I didn't want to start over again. But a guitar is a two-handed instrument so I don't think it makes that big of a difference. I'm pretty good with chords but I need to work on strumming.
How was it acting against Michael Rosenbaum? I can sincerely say that you had brilliant performances against several actors, but I could literally feel you two push the other's performance higher with some inner will you both seemed to have. Did they feel like any normal scene you've ever done, or was there something different?
Working with Michael Rosenbaum is like going to Space Mountain in Disneyland. If you are willing to go along with the ride it will be the funnest thing in the world. He kept me off balance which I think is a very good thing. It’s always fun to play scenes where the conflict is right out there in the open.
If you had to live without one of your five senses, which one would you be able to "give up"? And which one would be totally indispensable?
I would give up smell. I don’t have a good sense of smell to start with so it wouldn’t be a big loss. As a musician I guess losing my hearing would be the worst.
Is there any mystery or question that you have wanted to have explained or answered?
I’ve always wanted to know why people do what they do, although I don’t think one person can teach me that. People are weird and wonderful and I think I became an actor in order to answer these questions. Also, why do molecules have the tendency to go from chaos to order? I understand complex molecules, amino acids and the effect of epoch of time to create life, but I still don’t understand why molecules arrange themselves. Why do they bother? In there somewhere, I believe, is God.
Why Chekhov? What about his work appeals to you?
Philosophically Chekhov states that we are all of us loveable fools, idiots really, but also adorable. If done right he is howlingly funny. He skewers humans and their silly behavior and cuts deeper than anyone, but does it with love and humor.
If you could record a song with any other artist/band who would it be and why?
I would love to record with Tom Petty - he has never once gone dry. I would love to party with Mozart - that would be cool. I could blow his mind with some blues progression.
What annoys you most about other drivers?
(laughs) I get annoyed with drivers who pull out in front of me in traffic and count on me to slow down, putting their lives in my hands, counting on me to be the better driver. And there should be the death penalty for honking with no reason.
March 2007
As a humanist, what is your opinion on the age-old question of whether a male and female can truly be friends? If not, why not?
Of course a male and female can truly be friends; but if there is a sexual attraction it is more complicated. It’s kind of sad that it’s still an open question.
How do you deal with discouragement and disappointment?
Don’t dwell on it. It’s inevitable as long as you’re breathing. Keep focusing on possibilities. It only takes a few successes to make a good life.
Is there any information you can share about P.S. I Love You or your part?
It’s the story of a strapping young Irishman and an intelligent, driven New Yorker trying to make it work in Manhattan. Things are complicated when the man dies of cancer but finds ways to stay in contact with his wife after his death. I play the man’s best friend. The driven New Yorker is played by Hilary Swank and the man is played by Gerard Butler, who is currently flexing himself in “300”. Both were fabulous people and made me feel very welcome. I’m as anxious to see it as all of you are.
Could you explain what the "punk" philosophy is?
Yes, that there is no future for the current young generation, age 15 - 25. All the jobs and money is getting sucked up by the older generation who does not want to share the pudding. Punk got its birth in England, which has a permanent white underclass discriminated against much like our discriminated black underclass. So it’s a protest movement where you throw off any attempt to fit in with the culture and you revel in the fact that you are not admitted into the white hall. This makes middle-classed American punk rockers, like me, a bit suspect.
What is your musical guilty pleasure?
I guess I classify Nora Jones as a guilty pleasure. Maybe I’m too serious. But ABBA ain’t bad.
Do you have any interest in, or have you ever thought about writing a play?
Hmmm, in all honesty no. I had experience at adapting plays from other source material, some translation from other languages and helping young playwrights edit their plays, but I’ve never had the burning need to say something in the form of a play. I’m hoping that may come. There are some ideas but they are not fully formed yet. Right now I’m more likely to write a movie than a play.
How do you go about learning your lines and is the process different for TV, film and theater?
Learning my lines is the funnest part of my job. Many actors complain about it but I find that that is the time that I get to dream whatever I want and I don’t have to worry about the needs of a film crew. The difference between theater and film is that in film you have to memorize your lines as you would opening night in theater but you have no rehearsal to get that done so you do it yourself.
Firsts:
How was your first kiss?
Wow. Ummm….I remember playing Spin the Bottle in 6th grade. I don't remember any particular kiss, but I remember having my mind blown. It was a little 11 year-old kissing orgy.
What was the first guitar that you owned and do you still have it?
Don't remember.
Favorites:
Childhood cartoons
Cartoons sucked when I was a kid. We had Super Friends and didn’t appreciate the irony because that’s as good as we had. We didn’t even have good Japanese stuff yet; it was all people running around in rubber suits smashing models.
Item of clothing
Old leather jacket from the 50s. I believe it to be an original Hell’s Angels jacket. It’s older than me and can’t help but look cool.
Pizza
It's all in the execution. There is a Pizza Plus in Northern California that cooks its dough fresh and hand tosses their pies – this is rare. Most places have pre-made frozen crust. I just like plain cheese, but the crust is everything.
** Be sure to read the two new questions in the FAQ this month*
Next session: April 17
There ya'll go. Also, two new bits of James news from his site. Here you go:
James to Guest on New Series
James will be making a guest appearance on the new TNT series Saving Grace. The cast includes:
Grace: Holly Hunter
Earl: Leon Rippy
Ham: Kenneth Johnson
Butch: Bailey Chase
Rhetta: Laura San Giacomo
Leon: Bokeem Woodbine
The character he will play is:
DUDLEY PAYNE - 40-45 years old, handsome, wealthy from oil money, a born salesman, wearing custom-made boots, he owns Payne/Grady Rigging with his best friend, murder victim Bo Grady. While being questioned by Ham, Dudley reveals that due to the recent spate of vandalism, he'd wanted to hire security, but Bo opposed this idea. Seemingly shaken up by Bo's death, Dudley is hiding vital information about their relationship, as well the truth about his relationship with Bo's wife, Bell...GUEST LEAD
We will post the air date as soon as we have it.
&
Shadow Puppets now has MySpace page
From Director Michael Winnick:
The "myspace" site for Shadow Puppets is finally up and running. If you can let the fans know, that would be great. Thanks!
www.myspace.com/shadowpuppetsmovieThere, now were all James caught up. Go to his site for anything else you may wish to see.
Aug 31, 2018 5:37:36 GMT -5
Aug 31, 2018 5:37:36 GMT -5