Interview With Hollywood.com
Osment's Premature "Intelligence"
by Ellen A. Kim, Hollywood.com Staff


Haley Joel Osment is not 13.

He can't be. There's no way. One conversation with the just-anointed teenager tells you that Osment has either a) been trained in Perfectly Articulate Soundbiting since birth, or b) been possessed by the soul of a 35-year-old.

Maybe that's why his generations-older colleagues, which include Bruce Willis and Kevin Spacey, never use the word "child" in their praise of the pint-size actor. Maybe it's why he faced down the likes of Michael Caine and Tom Cruise in the Best Supporting Actor category at the 2000 Academy Awards -- and actually had a good shot. And it could be why directors are entrusting him to carry entire feature-length films on his tiny shoulders while grown-ups take the back seat.

The latest director to take on that gamble is Steven Spielberg, who cast Osment in the leading role in A.I., his top-secret collaboration with the late Stanley Kubrick. In the futuristic drama, Osment plays David, a test-case robot who is programmed to love his "parents," (Frances O'Connor and Sam Robards). But when circumstances distance him from his new family, David sets off on a journey to find his true place in the world, accompanied only by a walking, talking teddy bear and a fellow robot played by Jude Law).

It's a role that's more than challenging for an adult, much less a youngster who was born 11 years after Spielberg's otherworldly Close Encounters of the Third Kind. But Osment, whose actor father Eugene coaches him and goes with him to each set, is getting to be a pro in the eyes of Hollywood. From his screen debut as little Forrest in Forrest Gump to The Sixth Sense and Pay it Forward, Osment's the hardest working child -- er, little man -- in movies today.

Here's our conversation with the actor (and we swear these are his exact words).



As you know, the film is the result of a longstanding collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick. Did you know much about that?

Haley Joel Osment: There was always a little bit of Stanley on the set. And his style was always there. I just saw [A.I.] recently again, and a lot of the shots, you can just see Stanley's style. And since this was developed with Steven, a lot of things in the film were his creation and you can see it in the story and the shot. Even on the set, Steven would say sometimes, "This is a shot Stanley would've done."

But, um, aren't you a little young to have seen any Kubrick films and know what his style is?

Osment: A.I. is almost a Kubrick film, so after seeing this and talking about it with Steven, it sort of feels like you know Stanley. I'm waiting to see 2001: A Space Odyssey on a big-screen revival. 'Cause Dad says it's better to see it there because the small screen doesn't do that much justice.

Was it hard to act like a robot who wants to be a real boy?

Osment: It was pretty challenging. Before we shot, we had to develop the physicality and mentality of his character's reaction; how he perceived the world around him. And how he thought and how he moved; and all that was developed before we started shooting. And we had a lot of meetings with Steven to get all that down before we could put it all together and use it to create a character that would react to things that get thrown at him in the film. Because when he comes into the film, he just has his basic blueprint; [he] just goes and develops through all these things that happen to him.

You share a lot of scenes with a mechanical teddy bear with its own personality. What was that like?

Osment: He was almost like another actor on set ... There'd be Teddy acting notes. Sometimes he'd miss his mark and stumble forward and Steven would go, "THE BEAR IS NOT ON HIS MARK." He'd get frustrated with Teddy, just like any other actor.

How did you spend your down time?

Osment: On the set they had a [Sega Dreamcast] in the craft service trailer. So at lunch we'd play … I got pretty good, but the craft-service guy, he was probably the master. He beat everybody. We had our own championship of video game playing at lunch.

You've also expressed your desire to write and direct. Have you made any progress?

Osment: I've made some attempts. Some of my friends at school this summer, we're gonna try to shoot a small movie ourselves. There's some pretty good talent my friends have with the camera. I think it'll be fun. Nothing too serious. But I love to write.

You've also been described as a voracious reader. What do you read?

Osment: The Lord of the Rings is probably my favorite series of books. Also Killer Angels, a great war book.

Are you excited about the upcoming Rings films?

Osment: I'm excited to see that. It's one really rare instance where I think it could make a good movie. And what I've seen or read about what they're doing, I'm really excited. I'm interested in seeing what they can do with that. With the right work it could be good.

You also read Harry Potter. Are you breathlessly awaiting that movie as well?

Osment: I think it's gonna be hard to make that into a good movie. [I'm] sort of not really anticipating seeing that, because it'll take away everytime you read the book -- take away that magic.

It would be hard, we imagine, keeping the Hollywood world out of your backyard and vice versa. How do you maintain normality?

Osment: Everything [at home] is very normal and nothing comes out of the movies. I get ready for school and do my chores at home, so everything is like a normal kid. So it's almost like two different worlds. And I like getting the best of both worlds. 'Cause I love working and I love the normal part of life … and it's good that you have that to come back to.