Daniel talked with Salon about Swiss Army Man.
With this film, have you actively tried to distance yourself
from Harry Potter? What appealed to you about playing a farting corpse?
That’s the thing; I’m absolutely not
trying to distance myself. It’s in other people’s minds. I have no
desire to make people forget about “Harry Potter.” It’s part of my life,
and I am proud of it. But I do want to do interesting and different
work. I was never going to play Harry forever. This was a chance to do
something crazy and different. Part of it was I got to page three where
Hank rides Manny across the ocean like a jet ski. If I saw Paul Dano
ride someone else, I would have felt I’d really missed out. I was an
easy sell on the script. It was funny, well written and fucking
ambitious. It was aiming for funny stupid and mad and anarchic and was
profound and sweet and moving and incredibly earnest at the same time.
Do
you have concerns about alienating fans with such a career move? I
think my nieces who adore “Harry Potter” would be taken aback by “Swiss
Army Man.”
I don’t think you can make decisions based on
what you think people want you to do. It’s doing what I enjoy and what I
am passionate about. Towards the end of “Harry Potter,” I did “Equus,”
and I feel like if you survive that moment, and I didn’t alienate you
then, then I’m not going to alienate you now. Either the fans won’t
watch me, or they’ll think I was doing something interesting and are
supportive. If you want to drive yourself crazy in this industry, you
can plan for what other people think you should do, or worry about other
people’s perception.
You have terrific deadpan comic
delivery as Manny, but what is extraordinary about your performance is
your sheer physical qualities. I think it’s hilarious when Manny is
splayed out in the forest, or can’t keep his head up in the cave. I know
there was a stunt Manny. How did you develop the character’s comic
timing and contortions?
I’m proud to say it was mostly
me. The physical challenge was why I wanted to take the job. There is so
much comedy in that, and I like to think I’m good at falling over and
doing stupid physical comedy. A lot of it was Paul and I choreographing
the scene. There’s a certain moment when I look at Sports Illustrated,
so we worked out when I would slip and fall over or nudge my head to
work out the language of each scene. We rehearsed at first, but then it
was super easy because Paul and I knew he would do something and I would
react in a way that was appropriate. We improvised with each other by
the end.
Manny’s bromance with Hank is what keeps the film compelling.
Can you talk about how you actively worked with Paul Dano—or even
against him—to help each other perform so well together?
I
think at first Paul’s character is uncomfortable with the idea that
Manny is a dead guy, and that [Hank] may be crazy, but then there is a
physical ease. I loved working with Paul and I really felt I was there
to not fuck up Paul’s shots, because he carried so much of the film. The
emotional weight of him talking about his father…so I was there to
support him and help him, and not be too much of a heavy fucking lump to
carry around.
The film’s messages are
about being weird, but also comfortable in your own skin. Can you talk
about how you are weird, and what makes you comfortable doing all the
strange things in “Swiss Army Man?”
How am I weird? I
think I’m weird in a bunch of ways, but everyone does, and they think
their weirdness only applies to them. “Swiss Army Man” is about making
them not taboo, and identifying with others—that we are not alone in our
weirdness. That helps with self-acceptance and that helps us love and
be loved. That message is in the film, but there’s also a farting corpse
jet-ski thing. Profundity and ridiculousness working under the same
banner—that’s why this film is exciting and unique to me.
[Co-writer/director] Daniel Scheinert gave a description of the film as
“an olive branch from the weirdos to the closet weirdos.”
Can
you talk about the special effects—Manny spewing water, farting,
getting erect and the challenges of that work? Was there a point where
you drew the line?
[Laughs]. I never drew that line in
this film. There’s one shot where I offered my ass out to them. They
thought that would be fine. The special effects by Jason Hamer are
practical. He created the mold of my butt, and they put a pipe in so
they could blow air into a prosthetic butt that farted. And the water
spewing was something he jammed into my mouth and operated off camera.
There was an animatronic dick that acted as a compass. There is
something incredibly funny having an animatronic penis being operated
off camera.
“Swiss Army Man” has an important message of love, and doing
what makes you happy. In fact, there is a beautiful thought that helps
the characters keep going. What thoughts keep you going?
Getting
to work and being on film sets. I love working on set. It’s a place of
immense comfort for me. That’s my joyous space. I also love my friends
and family—not an original answer, I know—but that’s what I live for.
Hanging out with them and just watching TV.
The film also addresses issue of fear. What scares you, or what are you afraid of?
I
supposed I’m afraid of getting older like everyone is. And the idea
that I won’t be able to do things I do now. Like all actors, I have a
fear that a guy in a suit will arrive and say I won’t get to make films
anymore. That’s my fear: If anyone takes away my job.
If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you want to have with you to survive?
I
feel I would be OK if I had some way of playing music. And I had 10
albums I could last without going insane. That would be my luxury item.
And a knife or spear for catching food.
What music do you listen to?
I’m excited by the Libertines’ most recent album, and M. Ward, who’s fantastic.
I‘d take the Beach Boys. I like being on the beach and listening to “Good Vibrations.”
If you had a special power, as your farting corpse does, what would it be?
I would like the ability to make fire by pricking my fingers like Manny does.
Given all you have done in screen so far, what role do you want to take on next?
I’m
doing a play in New York that’s about to open called “Privacy,” which
I’m excited about. And like every actor, I have aspiration to direct.
I’d like to write as well. I’m in no rush though. I’m happy to carry on
acting. I don’t know what’s going to come up next. I can’t predict, but
three years ago I never thought I’d read “Swiss Army Man.”
source: salon.com
No comments:
Post a Comment
Rude or hate comments will be deleted. Same for commercial links.