David Arquette, the latest member of the Arquette acting clan to star on the silver screen, relishes his role as a male prostitute in “johns.” Arquette plays Los Angeles hustler John, who wants to spend his birthday, Christmas Day, in the luxurious Plaza Hotel. John will do anything to acquire the $300 cash, including manipulate his best friend Donner (Lukas Haas).
“It’s great to play someone desperate,” Arquette said, twisting the end of his moustache. “He was as desperate as it gets. He’s like a rat in a maze.”
With his spiky black hair and neon green pant suit, Arquette is definitely hard to miss in the beige elegance of the Hotel Nikko. As the youngest member of a famous family, however, he sometimes gets lost in the shuffle.
Eldest sister Rosanna blazed the way in the 1980s with “Desperately Seeking Susan,” and Patricia followed suit in the 1990s. Recently seen in “The Secret Agent” and “Infinity,” Patricia stars in the new David Lynch film “Lost Highway” across from Bill Pullman. Brother Alexis also made a splash in “Down and Out in Beverly Hills.”Arquette, 25, the son of actor Lewis Arquette, grew up around show business. Of Russian and French descent, the family originated in New York City but moved to Los Angeles.
“johns,” written and directed by Scott Silver, takes place in one day along a sunny stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard. Arquette worked for scale on the project because he admired the characters in the film.
Arquette just finished shooting “RPM,” where he plays Bond beauty Famke Janssen’s brother. Although he frequently gets beaten up by the lovely Janssen, he said he still enjoyed filming.
“Dream with the Fishes,” which screened at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, stars Arquette as a suicidal voyeur. The film has not been picked up for distribution at this time.
The inspiration for his roles comes from a variety of sources, Arquette said, flexing his right elbow, which sports a tattoo of an eight-ball. “Art inspires me,” he said. “Love inspires me.”
