2003 年度雜誌訪問

V Life

Playboy

V Life

A Hero's Ride
by Steven Kotler

Having just dismounted "Seabiscuit," Tobey Maguire swings back into action in the Spidey sequel.

Our hero, Tobey Maguire, is between movies. He's just wrapped the already Oscar-hyped horse racing biopic "Seabiscuit" and is about to don the familiar red-and-blue suit for the next installment of the "Spider-Man" franchise, "The Amazing Spider-Man."

Maguire is also between categories. In the past year he's risen from the $4 million he made for Spidey I, to the $12.5 million he made for "Seabiscuit," to the reported $17 million he'll be making for Spidey II. All of which means that sometime in the near future he could join the ranks of Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington, Mel Gibson and a few select others and become a $20 million man. But how did this happen? How is it that this gentle, soft-spoken actor became young Hollywood's reigning, post-9/11 cinematic hero?

He is, after all, not cut from that cloth. At 27, standing 5-feet-8, with a slight frame and a permanent muss to his hair, his most heroic pre-Spidey moment may have been his turn in "Pleasantville," as a kid so powerful that it takes him nearly two hours to save uptight, middle-class, middle America from the deadly perils of black-and white. But a hero? This is Tobey Maguire we're talking about - yoga practitioner, ardent vegetarian, squeaky-clean sober non-party animal. For Christ's sake.

And this is America. Over the past three decades our idols have gone from gruff, manly malcontents (Steve McQueen, Harrison Ford) to over-the-top chiseled champions (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Russell Crowe) and in the middle we had multitudinous variations, but none of them like Maguire.

But, then again, as "Spider-Man" creator Stan Lee points out, "My Spider-Man was not your normal hero. He had all kinds of non-heroic problems: Acne, dandruff, school work. Readers could empathize with Spider-Man. He wasn't impervious to everything like Superman and he wasn't a millionaire like Batman. He was just a troubled teen. Tobey's a fellow who won't stand out in a crowd. He's easy to identify with. Spider-Man is lonesome and troubled and if Tom Cruise had played him, it wouldn't have been believable."

Maguire was far more than believable. "Spider-Man" opened to a $114.8 million record-smashing weekend and went on to make more than $800 million worldwide. It is the ninth highest grossing film of all time at the worldwide box office.

While this turn of events was unlikely, it's made even more so by Maguire's troubled past. His rough ride has been well-documented by now, but the greatest hits are worth recounting: Born to parents way too young to be parents; a divorce and a broken home; a wildly itinerant childhood that had him uprooted upward of a gazillion times; a bad spate of adolescent truancy; a mother who paid him $100 to take an acting class in a last-ditch effort to save her son; some early Hollywood success, which led to some excessive partying, which led to a self-described "near-nervous breakdown," which led to no drinking, no partying, yoga; a run of good luck that landed him good roles; a long, mildly demeaning battle to persuade Sony that he was really Spidey; and then, finally, stardom.

Which should have been where the story ends, but it didn't. Most recently, Maguire fought another battle to keep the role of Peter Parker and his alter-ego, Spider-Man, in the franchise's highly anticipated sequel - a fight about which Maguire won't comment, but one that either involved a bad back or a big backend or both. Once again, Maguire had to don the costume and hang from the wires and prove that he was ship-shape and still worthy. And, sorry Jake Gyllenhaal, but the part really is his. Tobey is Spidey. Tobey is the franchise. Tobey triumphs again.

Men in Tights

It's no simple thing to turn a superhero into a superhero. In many cases, such high-wire choices can quickly become long-fall catastrophes. Like "Rocketeer" did so much for Billy Campbell's career. And maybe only the Shadow remembers Alec Baldwin as "The Shadow." And forget the flops. A quick look at box office numbers for leading men in successful masked movies and their follow-up projects says it all. Michael Keaton's "Batman" took in $411 million, but he followed it up with "Pacific Heights," which only made $45 million. George Clooney's turn as the caped crusader made $238 million, but his follow up, "The Peacemaker," took in less than half that. Even if you do hit it out of the park, as Christopher Reeve did in 1978s "Superman," which grossed $242 million worldwide (in the '70s, no less), he was far better in "Deathtrap," not that anyone remembers. Typecast is, after all, typecast.

And Maguire didn't just sign on the dotted line for the first Spidey, he inked II and III before Sony would even give him the nod.

"That was a big leap for me," says Maguire. "I was committing to three pictures without having seen the script or met the director - and those are the two most crucial elements to me. I felt that the people making the decisions, the people at Sony, were very capable and that made it easier. And as far as being typecast as a superhero, I had a career before 'Spider-Man.' I was pretty confident that I would have one afterwards."

The people at Sony were equally trusting of Maguire. "Tobey, to get the part, considering what we put him through, was very ego-less," says Matt Tolmach, exec VP at the studio. "Every decision you make in a movie is so daunting, but much more so with a franchise. He never saw this as a one-off. Tobey's role as Peter Parker wasn't something we could just swap out." As for recent rumors that Maguire wouldn't be returning in the Spidey sequels, Tolmach will only add, "We're just thrilled that everything is on track."

Craft Man

Our hero is hard working. His preparation for "Spider-Man" is now legend: Five months of gymnastics, martial arts, weight training and yoga. The training for his role in Universal's "Seabiscuit" was shorter, but no less arduous. He lost most of his Spidey mass and spent long days riding on a mechanical horse and then longer ones on a real horse, eventually succumbing to the sore back that plagues most jockeys. But this kind of blue-collar ethic was nothing new.

"I'm very obsessive, I always have been," Maguire says. "When I was 14 and 15, when other kids were out running around, I was home, alone, poring over early De Niro and Hoffman movies, trying to figure out how they did what they did."

This devotion to craft also meant a persnicketiness about projects. The gap between "Spider-Man" and his previous starring role in "Wonder Boys," spanned two years, which is a long time in the real world, much less Hollywood. And this is not a new posture.

"I started making choices long before I had the power to do so," Maguire says. "Even when I was a kid, I was like that. My agent would send me a script and I would tell her, 'I'm not gonna go read for that.' She would say, 'Why not? You're not in any kind of position to be this way. Don't you want to work?' But I didn't believe in it. I didn't want to go to an audition and perform something I didn't believe in."

Not that Maguire didn't take the occasional rent-paying gig, as his walk-on on "Walker, Texas Ranger" attests. Still, his career has been incredibly well managed and most of the credit for that belongs to him. The list of film makers he has worked with - Woody Allen ("Deconstructing Harry"), Ang Lee ("The Ice Storm"), Lasse Hallstrom ("The Cider House Rules"), Gary Ross ("Pleasantville" and "Seabiscuit), Curtis Hanson ("Wonder Boys") and Sam Raimi ("Spider-Man" and "The Amazing Spider-Man") have all, save for Raimi, been on Oscar's shortlist as directors, writers or producers.

Horse Latitudes

"Tobey has the best chops of any actor of his generation," Ross says. "He could have cashed in a lot earlier than he did, but he only wanted to do projects that he loved."

And if that's not compliment enough, when Ross bought the rights to Laura Hillenbrand's non-fiction bestseller "Seabiscuit," he did so with Maguire in mind. "I wrote the part of Red Pollard for him," Ross says.

He did more than that, too. He happily paid Maguire his post-"Spider-Man" quote of $12.5 million.

"Seabiscuit" is the story of an undersized racehorse ridden by an oversized jockey (Red Pollard) who, in 1938, beat out Triple Crown winner War Admiral at Pimlico racetrack in Baltimore. Both a true story and a Depression-era fairy tale, it's a hero's tale now as then. At the time of the actual race, more than 40 million Americans tuned in via radio for the blow-by-blow. Forty million. If Spider-Man is a fantasy-land hero, then Red Pollard and Seabiscuit are the same, only this time rendered real.

Based on Maguire's selectiveness, Pollard, like all his previous roles, was not a random choice. And one of the interesting things about Maguire's choices - despite the heavy accolades his performances have received - is that he has not, truthfully, strayed all that far from home. In each of his films he plays a version of himself, a kid overcoming a bad past to emerge, ultimately, victorious.

In "Pleasantville" he's a kid stuck in the past; in "The Ice Storm" he's just stuck; in "Wonder Boys" he's the aimless college student with a savant's gift for prose; in "Spider-Man" he's the awkward, lovelorn teen; and in "Seabiscuit" he's an erring isolationist riding the most unlikely of long shots. And in the end, all of these characters prevail.

Maguire has become the poster boy for the troubled teen turned triumphant man. The protagonist in each of his films takes over right where the previous one left off - slightly more able to deal with life, better at responsibility, each victory a bit greater than the last.

So would Maguire say he's succeeded in real life as he has in fiction? "I try not to let my past dictate my present," he says. "I'll also say that I certainly don't want to play young, naive kids anymore. I'm not interested in bumbling around with girls as the main aspect of my character.

"Look, Peter Parker's a great role and there's some of that to him, but after these movies, I think I'll put that to bed for a while. Truthfully, it's hard for me to comment on my life, for me to take myself out of my life and speculate. My life, just like everyone's, is a gradual unfolding."

A Big Production

Our hero runs a production company out of an office building near the bent elbow that is Sunset, as the boulevard departs the hectic crunch of the Strip and heads into the yawning lawns of Beverly Hills. You could call the building clandestine, if by clandestine you mean towering and nondescript and so utterly unremarkable that even an accounting firm might feel anonymous inside. The parking garage is a maze that Maguire's co-workers describe as the setting for an early David Fincher film. The office has no nameplate, nothing to distinguish itself.

Inside, the rooms are lined with beige matting, more straw than carpet, which complements the sparse furnishings - elegant, minimalist: tables, chairs and a kitchen with a coffeepot. On the walls hang framed posters of Maguire's bigger films and one of the singer Jeff Buckley, maybe as a warning. Buckley himself drowned young, cut down in his prime, maybe drugs, maybe bum luck, a stark reminder that even genius answers to fate.

Maguire comes to work in a white T-shirt, a few days' scruff on his maw, his hair messy. He carries a backpack. He works long hours. He does not pretend. Ross talks about how often Maguire was willing to stay on-set and do the off-camera line reads. "He would even stay and feed lines to day players, to guys who were just in the movie for one scene."

This level of generosity extends from his first profession as an actor to his new one as a producer. One of his first major producer credits was on Spike Lee's "25th Hour" last fall.

"Looking back on it, the whole thing was kind of a miracle," says David Benioff, who wrote the script and the book on which the movie was based. "We sent Tobey an unpublished book by an unknown writer, and he read it. Why? I never asked him that. I'm glad he did, though. He gave me my career."

Maguire was involved in every aspect of "25th Hour" until he got the chance to star in "Seabiscuit" which meant he had to drop out as the lead (replaced by Edward Norton) and only stay on as a producer. "I was very disappointed when he dropped out of the acting role," Benioff says. "I figured the movie was probably dead in the water. But Tobey remained involved. The movie never would have gotten made without him."

"25th Hour" is only the beginning of Maguire's producing arc. "Right now, it's very much as time allows, but I want to be involved at every level," he says. "I'm just dipping my feet in, but I want to make some good films. I'm looking for things to develop, both with me as a producer and an actor."

And will he pay himself the going rate? "Well," he says with a laugh, "I guess that depends on the project."

最頂層　｜　返回訪問情報站　｜　返回首頁

Playboy

A candid conversation with the soulful superhero about his morphing body (small for "Seabiscuit," big for "Spider-Man"), his time in AA and keeping his life private.

Weighing in at 140 pounds, 5-foot 8-inch Tobey Maguire isn't that big to begin with. To prepare for the role of jockey Red Pollard in "Seabiscuit," the 28-year-old actor worked out on a mechanical horse to drop another 20 pounds. Then, in an almost cruel twist, immediately after wrapping Seabiscuit, Maguire had to bulk back up for "The Amazing Spider-Man," the sequel to the 2002 blockbuster that grossed $800 million.

Before he became a superhero, Maguire had carved out a niche in art-house cinema, portraying brooding but moral young men in "The Ice Storm," "The Cider House Rules" and "Wonder Boys," holding his own with such established leading men as Kevin Kline, Michael Caine and Michael Douglas. Then in 2002 he took on Willem Dafoe's sinister Green Goblin in "Spider-Man," becoming one of the quirkiest action heroes in memory.

"Maguire will never be the traditional hunk that studios prefer in these kinds of parts," wrote Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times, "but the appropriateness of his creaky-voiced sincerity, the very ordinariness of his offbeat charisma, turns him into the most convincing of Spider-Men."

Maguire was born and raised in Southern California, where his young, unwed parents worked as a cook and a secretary. They married two years later, and soon divorced. When he enrolled in a home economics class in junior high, Maguire's mother bribed him with $100 to take drama instead. It changed his life. Maguire dropped out of school after the 10th grade to pursue roles in commercials and TV shows. He later hung out with his buddy Leonardo Dicaprio and a crowd of young Los Angeles actors dubbed the Pussy Posse by tabloids. Maguire and Dicaprio both auditioned with Robert DeNiro for a part in "This Boy's Life" in 1993. Although Dicaprio snagged the lead, he helped his friend land a small role. A series of critically lauded movies followed, but it took "Spider-Man" to make Maguire a major star. Now, with “Seabiscuit,” based on Laura Hillenbrand's best-seller, and next summer's "Spider-Man" sequel, he joins the ranks of Hollywood's highest-paid actors (reportedly $26 million for two Spidey sequels). Contributing Editor David Sheff went to Maguire's West Hollywood office, where the actor, with a few days' stubble and a smoldering cigar stub in his mouth, arrived after a day of performing back flips while hanging from the ceiling on wires.

Spider-Man is larger than life, whereas jockeys are tiny. Does going from one to the other and back again wreak havoc on your body?

There isn't much difference in the physical requirements for a jockey and Spider-Man. I did have to lose weight for "Seabiscuit." Most people don't know it, but jockeys are incredibly strong. I didn't think of it that way when I was a kid. Most of these guys weigh under 115 pounds and yet they have to control incredibly powerful racehorses that weigh 2,000 pounds. The jockey is at once driving, pushing and reining in the animal, using his legs, arms, upper body, back and shoulders. They are small, but ripped and muscular.

Had you had much experience with horses before "Seabiscuit"?

I love horses, though it's a guilty pleasure. I feel badly about putting my body weight on an animal and asking it to carry me around. I probably wouldn't appreciate it if something was climbing on my back. Before this, when I made a movie called "Ride with the Devil," I learned how to ride horses and shoot guns. Riding racehorses is different, though. These horses want to go. It's in their blood. Keeping control is hard. The first time I was on the track, I held back, but the next time I eased up and went for it. Whoa. The real jockeys cheered. Afterward, they told me, "You broke your cherry." I got better and better as I rode more.

Are horses cooperative actors?

There are certain challenges to working with these horses. There are rules about what they can and can't do - how much time they can run before they get a break. At least 10 horses are used to portray Seabiscuit. The racing scenes were incredibly complex. We were doing shots with eight jockeys and eight horses and a camera car driving around the track. We were re-creating real races, so certain things had to happen - certain horses had to win and win by four lengths, or whatever. We used tons of horses and rotated them.

Was it easier working with Chris Cooper and Jeff Bridges?

Sure. They're both great guys and great actors. I love working with people who are good at what they do, whatever their job is. We spent the whole time teasing Chris about his Oscar nomination for his role in "Adaptation."

Teasing him how?

Telling him he was definitely going to win the Oscar. People don't like to hear that kind of stuff. [Still, he won.]

Before making the movie, did you read the book?

[Director] Gary Ross told me to, so I did. I found the story and the characters and the racing itself fascinating. The book slows everything down, so you go through the intricacies of racing in ways that I never could have imagined. You learn what's going on with the jockeys and horses - the emotions as well as the technicalities. You see what these characters are going through. You see who this horse was and what it meant at that time in history. It's a fascinating story.

Had you ever gone to horse races before?

When I was a kid, but it was just a show to me. You watch these guys get on these horses, watch them run around the track. For me, the show was exciting. However, working on the movie, I got to go behind the scenes, and I learned how everything plays out. I saw all the things that go on in order to put on the show. I saw the roles of the trainers and the grooms and jockeys and owners. I learned to have incredible respect for jockeys. There's no season for this sport, which means that the jockeys are working 52 weeks a year. They don't get paid much unless they place. If they win, they get a piece of the purse. The owner gets something like 60 percent and the jockey gets 10 percent of that - 6 percent of whatever the purse is, but only if they place. The top 10 percent of jockeys make a decent living, but the rest don't. It's amazing what they do for every two-minute race. They have to keep their weight down throughout the year. Whereas a wrestler or boxer may have to pull weight before a match, jockeys have to do it every time they get on the scale, which may be as much as eight times a day, every day. After a boxer fights, he can relax and gain a few pounds. A jockey gains a pound or two and has to take it right back off.

Sounds torturous. How did you lose weight for the role?

Diet and exercise. There's no other way. You might be able to pull some water weight if you sit in a sauna for a while, but not much. A jockey told me that you can pull a pound in a sauna in about 20 minutes, but the second pound is torture. It takes an hour or more. They have to go through that all the time. They often get dehydrated and have to race like that.

Right after "Seabiscuit," you put weight back on for the "Spider-Man" sequel. Easy or hard?

Putting weight on is not difficult. For a few weeks, I let myself go, ate whatever I wanted. The problem was that I then had to get the body fat down and build up the muscle again. That was really hard work.

How hard?

It was extreme. If I was working out on my own to stay in shape, I'd do it a few times a week to get the heart pumping. I do this six days a week and several hours a day.

What is Spider-Man's typical workout?

This time it's different. For the first movie, I did general training on every part of my body. I did gymnastics, martial arts and even dancing, in addition to weights and cardio. This time I've been doing wire work, in a harness, practicing leaps, kicks, jumps and flips. I have to land in a Spidey pose. I also do cardio. I'm preparing for specific scenes.

Is it ever dangerous?

They're not going to put me in any positions that are too dangerous. But I've banged my head a couple of times.

Recently there were persistent press reports that you wouldn't be in the "Spider-Man" sequel and that you had been replaced by Jake Gyllenhaal. What happened?

When I got the part, I had to decide if I was willing to commit to a three-picture deal, which is what the studio wanted. It was a leap of faith for me. So those reports were fiction. I knew I would be doing the sequel from the moment I signed up.

What was behind the reports?

The only concern was that the stunts in this new picture exceed the ones in the original, and I have back problems. My back is better, but I had to make sure that I could do the stunts. I went to some doctors. I wanted to see how it felt on the wires. The studio was being cautious, too. It was a little thing that got blown way out of proportion.

Some of the reports about the "Spider-Man" sequel suggested that you were holding out for more money. Was it really just about your back?

Correct.

Did you hurt your back on the first "Spider-Man"?

The injury actually predated the movie. I've been seeing an osteopath for it. It's like a miracle.

Why an osteopath? Some mainstream doctors are dubious about osteopathy and its effectiveness.

I've been to neurosurgeons. They're great, too, but a neurosurgeon doesn't treat you with conservative care. They prescribe. I also saw a physical therapist and a chiropractor. Physical therapy was great, and thankfully I've been to some good chiropractors who said that their adjustments wouldn't help my problem. This osteopath, though, is unbelievable. I don't even know what he does. It's almost like acupressure, but way more complex.

Willem Dafoe, who played the Green Goblin, confessed that he was unusually rough on you - and your back - in your fight scenes.

Nah, though the stuntmen were more gingerly than he was.

Did you complain?

We teased each other. I said he was overly aggressive - that he didn't need to kick and punch me the way he did. So he called me a crybaby.

You've also worked with Kevin Kline, Michael Douglas, Jeff Bridges and Michael Caine. Are you ever intimidated by older and more experienced actors?

I'm fortunate enough to work with guys who don't carry themselves in a way meant to intimidate, but if you dwell on who they are or indulge in it, it's going to screw you up. You have to focus. The first time I met Michael Douglas, yeah, there were some jitters. Once I worked with him, it was easy. He's a really warm guy. We talked a lot about sports. I'd tease him about the Knicks and Heat, his teams. Earlier I was going to read for Woody Alien for "Deconstructing Harry." I was 20. I thought I was going to be fine. I went into the waiting room and had a panic attack. I could see Woody Alien and I was like, "Holy shit. I've got to go in and read for Woody Alien." I was taking these big breaths and some woman I didn't know started rubbing my back. "It's going to be OK, sweetie." I went in and I was just terrible. So I went back later and read again. I was just as terrible, but he gave me the job anyway.

Did you ever ask him why?

No, but it worked out, and I thought I was pretty good in the film. Before that, I was only 16 when I met DeNiro for "This Boy's Life." I was reading for the part that Leo wound up playing. There were eight or nine of us kids all reading with DeNiro. At the time, I was just discovering DeNiro and the other greats of that generation, including Hoffman and Pacino. I was really intimidated and a total mess. Leo went in and he was oblivious to who he was reading with. He was the only kid who stood up and matched DeNiro.

Was it true you and Dicaprio agreed that if either of you got a part in the movie, you would try to get a role for the other one?

We did, and Leonardo followed through.

How was it working with him?

Pretty amazing. I had a great moment with him. We're all in this cave, where he and his buddies go drinking. We're talking about our big plans for our lives. He says, "Who are you guys kidding? You're going to end up just like your dads," and he lays into us. Then he falls down off this ledge and starts crying. I watched him do the scene and thought, "Shit, my friend is a really good actor." He blew me away.

For a while, you, Dicaprio and some other Hollywood friends made the social scene in a big way, traveling as a pack.

That's just a press thing. It has nothing to do with reality.

The press said you guys called yourself the Pussy Posse.

Are you kidding? The only way I'm aware of that name at all is by reading it in tabloids. There's nothing for me to say about it. I can't even answer a question associated with it because it's completely fictitious.

One report had you guys throwing grapes at paparazzi. Did you?

No. I don't mess with those guys. They're all looking to rope you into a lawsuit. I prefer not to give them any energy.

How about lobbing stink bombs?

Maybe when I was a kid, but not since then.

Do you still hang out with Dicaprio?

Sure, but I don't like talking about my friends. It's part of my private life. I'd rather talk about my movies.

Do your work relationships often develop into friendships?

It's like anything else. In any situation, you hit it off with some people and some you don't.

What about Michael Caine?

He was great. He's powerful and sensitive and fun and funny.

Robert Downey, Jr.?

He is really fresh. He likes to keep things alive and spontaneous. He's great at going off the cuff.

Does his battle with drugs and alcohol affect his work?

I'll say that we all can't help bringing the sum total of our personal experiences to our work.

You once said that your spiritual advisors include Bill Wilson, who was a co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. Are you in AA?

I can't really comment on that.

Why not?

The tradition of the AA program is that you remain anonymous in the media.

Do you know why?

Historically that came from a baseball player who went out and talked about his sobriety. He became a poster child for AA. Then he fucked up and his life went to shit. It put a bad light on AA.

But lots of famous people have movingly described the impact of AA on their lives.

I know. It's a really powerful program with a tradition I'd like to respect. It is to protect the anonymity of others. I wouldn't tell you so-and-so is a member of AA. They tell you, "What you hear here stays here." I respect that. I have no business talking about other people.

How about yourself?

Well, the program just makes sense to me.

What is it that appeals to you?

It's derivative of all religions and all philosophical practices. AA is no-frills spirituality. There are no hokey traditions. The program makes sense to me. It's just all practical. I'm an analytical guy. A thinker. There are no holes in the program. I like the osteopath because there are results. This has results, too. It's a little clunky because it was created in the Thirties. It's a little sexist, I guess - it talks about "the man" a lot. But the truths within it are astounding. It's so simple. I come in, I ask for help. I'm willing. The person doesn't tell me what to do, they tell me what they did. That's how I learn what to do. It's monkey see, monkey do. You could be brainless and do it. You do what they ask you to do and shit happens. It's that simple.

What shit happens?

Your life gets better. Your life changes. It has totally changed my life.

From what? How bad was your problem that led you to AA?

I never have talked about it this much. Not ever. It's a private thing.

You're an actor. People are interested in your life.

That's definitely the downside. Especially after "Spider-Man." No one cared as much before that. "Spider-Man" changed everything.

Did you anticipate the huge success of "Spider-Man"?

In some ways it exceeded my expectations and in some ways it was about where I thought it would be. I knew the movie was highly anticipated. I knew there were 40 years of history with that character.

Was that history a mixed blessing? Did people already have "Spider-Man" fixed in their minds?

When you adapt something, all you can do is get the essence of it and make a movie that stands on its own. "The Cider House Rules" was nothing like the book, though it was a very successful film, adapted by the author himself. We certainly didn't want to alienate "Spider-Man's" fans, but we were also making a film for people who had never read a comic book.

Had you?

Actually, not much.

Were you reluctant to do an action movie?

I had lots of questions. How many cooks are going to be in the kitchen? What's the tone? What's the quality? Those questions were answered once I spoke with [director] Sam Raimi and read the script. It became an easy decision. I was convinced, but I had to convince the studio.

That involved not one but two screen tests. After a string of successful movies, did you mind having to go through that process?

I had a couple of moments of ego, but I got over them. After I did the first scene, which was a dramatic piece of the movie, they wanted to see a screen test with an action sequence. That sort of irritated me, because they didn't mention that the first time. I grumbled, but then did it. The action scene test is on the DVD. It's a short sequence where I have my shirt off and I'm in tights.

Did they tell you to take your shirt off?

They put me in this unitard. I was in pretty good shape at the time, because I had been preparing like an animal. The unitard compresses your muscles, so they don't really show unless you're Arnold Schwarzenegger in his heyday. So, I decided to peel the top half off. I did a fighting scene.

You started working out before you knew you had the part?

I had been working out in anticipation of something coming along in which my physicality would be important. I was considering other movies, including "Training Day," playing Ethan Hawke's part. I was interested in doing that, but "Spider-Man" came up and I shut down all other possibilities.

What's it like to wear the Spider-Man suit?

It's really not bad. Apparently the Batman suit was hot and heavy, but this one is lighter and flexible.

Yet you once said you felt as if you were trapped in a sleeping bag.

I did when they were making a mold for the suit. They cast my head in the same gummy and rubbery stuff the dentist uses to make impressions of your teeth. They pour it over your entire head and shoulders. There are two tiny nose holes through which to breathe, but everything else - your mouth, your eyes - are covered. As it was hardening, some of the stuff got into my air passages and I started freaking out. Then they wrapped me in a plaster cast, which was heavy and got hot as it hardened. I had to be in there for half an hour and started freaking out then, too. It wasn't much fun. Sometimes the zippers would break when I was wearing the suit. They would stitch me inside. That wasn't a great feeling, either. The stuntmen, some of whom worked on Batman, told me a trick, which was to stay hydrated. You get squeamish in there if you get dehydrated. But the more you drink, the more you have to use the rest room. In the suit, that's an ordeal.

Because...?

It takes them 10 minutes just to get the suit off.

You were rewarded when Kirsten Dunst gave you a real kiss in a scene even when she didn't have to. What happened?

I was off camera. She leaned forward to give the kiss. She didn't have to really kiss me, because the camera wouldn't see it, but she planted one on me. I wasn't expecting it.

What did you think?

I understood what she was doing. She was doing it for the realism of the moment.

You make it sound like a chore.

Doing scenes like that is usually awkward.

Was that one?

A little. You don't know the person that well. You feel funny about it. You're apologizing. For "Deconstructing Harry," I was in bed with some woman. I don't even remember her name. We've got half of our clothes off. I'm asking her, "Is this OK?" I was apologizing. I didn't want to offend her. It's pretty awkward when there are 40 people around.

Can't you get into it?

It's too awkward. I feel self-conscious. I'm trying to mask it, obviously. I'm trying to be involved in the scene, but it's the most awkward thing there is.

Many guys would love the chance to be that awkward.

Yeah, you tell people how hard it is and they go, "Yeah, right." Yes, I get to kiss hot chicks, and the truth is that it's really weird. You want to get it over with. A lot of times the person will be married or you'll be in a relationship. That's weird, too.

Yet with Dunst, it apparently led to a real-life romance.

This is where the wall goes up. [He motions with his hands.] That's what I don't talk about.

But there have been numerous reports about your romance and then your split-up.

[Smiles, shakes his head.]

All right. How about now: Do you have a girlfriend?

The wall is up. That's the boundary I won't cross.

Isn't it part of the deal that actors will be asked about their personal lives? Can you be a movie star and retain your privacy?

I think so. I do interviews because I have to promote my films. I don't have a problem with people being inquisitive about my life, but I don't have to answer.

And yet when you succeed in this business, your private life becomes the stuff of gossip and innuendo.

I don't pay that much attention to it. I don't react. There's no point. It's what it is. You accept it. You don't let it affect your life. You try not to have an emotional reaction, because it's a waste of energy.

Did you always want to be a movie star?

I never did. I wanted to act, but that's different. However, there's a greater reward in this industry for being famous than for being a talented actor. I'm a businessman as well as an actor. I would never do a film just because I thought it would be a high-profile movie. I did "Spider-Man" because I believed in the story and the filmmaker, but as a result of getting famous I get more power in this business - more options, more opportunities. But it's not something to which I aspired. I just wanted to act.

Is it true that your mother paid you $100 to take an acting class?

Yes. I was signed up to take another class - home economics. She wanted me to take a drama class, and $100 was a lot of money for me.

She and your father were extremely young when you were born. Have you had conversations with them about what it was like to have a child at 18 and 20?

Many. I've thought. My god, when my dad was my age, he had a 10-year-old and a seven-year-old. It blows my mind. At my age, my mother had a nine-year-old. I don't know what I would have done if I had had kids at their age. I would barely be able to take care of myself. I'll wait until I'm in my 30s to have kids. Thirty-two to 36 seems like a good window.

Your parents divorced when you were very young. Did you still see them both?

Yes, I always lived with one or the other. We moved around a lot, but I was always in touch with them both.

You've said you were "super-poor." How did you deal with it?

At times I was embarrassed. When you hit that age of 12, 13 years old and you're just going through puberty and you like girls and all that stuff, people start commenting on how you look and how you dress. I went through a period there when I was embarrassed, like when my Mom would pay for food with food stamps or use Medi-Cal at the doctor's office. I got over it. They worked hard to give me things they felt were important. My mother gave me amazing gifts on my birthday and Christmas. She took me to Hawaii and paid for it with credit cards. She bought a piano on credit. She got me in martial arts and dance and all that. They extended themselves in ways that were hard for them. They made sacrifices, and I respect that. I wouldn't change anything, though I wouldn't have kids so young and I wouldn't move around so much.

What was the effect of all that moving around?

I didn't have many friends. By the time I was 12, I stopped making friends. I just didn't want to deal with it. I hung out with people, but didn't get invested. I prided myself on that. Later we settled down and I made good friends, but it took a while. I have friends from when I was 14, but it took a few years for me to admit that these were my friends. It took time for me to realize that I could trust them.

And now? What do you like to do with your friends?

Just hang out.

Are your clubbing days over?

I love music, but I haven't gone to clubs in a while.

What do you listen to?

Hip-hop. I like Snoop Dogg from 1993. Dr. Dre is one of the best producers of all time. I like most music, though I can't get into country music. Folk is OK. Lennon-McCartney is the best writing team ever. I definitely enjoy hip-hop, especially the guys who aren't speaking redundantly about making a lot of money and all the women they've got as slaves. Eminem is not only an interesting artist, but also an interesting topic. He has a strong, emotional voice. I think he's an interesting product of our society.

Are cigars now your only vice?

And a little caffeine.

What kind of cigars do you prefer to smoke?

Cohiba Robusto is really the mainstay.

When did you start smoking cigars?

I started smoking them occasionally a few years ago. It's a little more than occasional now. I try to keep it out of certain publications. I wouldn't care, except that I'm in a kid's movie and don't really want kids to be going, "It's cool. Look at him." If I'm anywhere high profile, I don't smoke.

Any other vices?

Some video games.

Are they a vice?

They can be. When you play a lot, and I have been known to do that sometimes.

What games do you play?

Now I'm playing "Indiana Jones" on Xbox. I just got done with "The Getaway" and "Vice City" on PlayStation. "Vice City" is an intense game and I kept waiting for some redeeming value to show itself, but there's none. There's no good moral to this game. It's about a crime lord. He does despicable things. I thought maybe he would be some undercover good guy or something, but no. It's a mind-blowing game.

When and why did you become a vegetarian?

About 10 years ago. I was always picking through stuff and getting nauseated half the time I was eating. I don't like bloodstains. I don't like gizzards and veins. I don't like eating dead carcasses pumped full of chemicals and hormones. It's not a moral thing. It's logical to me not to eat that shit since I would get nauseated.

How has your life changed since you became famous?

I have to protect myself. People follow me sometimes.

Are you referring to the dreaded paparazzi?

Yeah. You look in your rear view mirror and you see two cars following you - guys with cameras. I don't like people getting photos of me.

How intrusive is it?

Intrusive, but you adjust. Sometimes I'm like, "Screw it, I'm staying home because I don't want to deal with it." Sometimes three or four cars are following me and I decide, "This is ridiculous," and I just go home.

Are you bothered by fans?

Fans tend to be respectful. I don't mind them. I mind the people who make money at other people's expense. I don't respect that. Fans ask permission - "Can I have an autograph?" "I'm eating now, but maybe on my way out." Paparazzi, though, don't ask permission. They want to get you at your worst or your most intimate moments.

Do you worry that it could become so invasive that you would be unable to have a normal life?

I can always move. I live in Los Angeles because it's where my friends are. It's my home. I'm active here producing movies now. But I could leave. I don't imagine there are many paparazzi in Montana.

Montana?

Who knows? When I start a family, I probably wouldn't choose to do it here. That's all I know. For now, I deal with it. It's a price I can pay. My life isn't half bad.

最頂層　｜　返回訪問情報站　｜　返回首頁