[IMG:L]After emerging in the always hilarious (if criminally under-watched) Arrested Development as an actor who could ground a character in reality in even the most outrageous of situations and still deliver huge laughs, Jason Bateman has broken out on the big screen as a go-to guy to throw some glib comic curveballs into a scene. Now bringing his quirky improvisation to the high-minded, high-octane action/drama The Kingdom, Bateman talked exclusively to Hollywood.com about his shift into serious films, surviving child stardom without rehab and the famous father-in-law you didn’t know he had.
Hollywood.com: The Kingdom’s an action thriller with some serious political themes at it’s core–not the usual kind of role for Jason Bateman. Were you looking for a different project like this?
Jason Bateman: Pete [Berg, the director] and I were in a film called Smokin’ Aces together. I did the scene that he was in [and] I guess he just really liked what he saw. It was this great monologue that Joe Carnahan wrote. We had to shoot it all day and at one point Joe said “I want you to start screwing with it, you know make up some lines, blah, blah, blah.” I guess Pete kind of remembered that and when he went off to go direct this movie, there was this part that he knew would kind of lend itself to some levity, perhaps, if one needed it in this movie. He figured out he did, so he asked me to do the part. I couldn’t have been happier to do it because obviously it’s a great big movie.
HW: It was the kind of challenge you were looking for…
JB: It’s an incredible script, a political thriller, Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, and Jen Garner–It’s not stuff I am thought of for, so yeah, I jumped at it. My big job was to not be too much of a wiseass. Even though my job was to make up some jokes every once in a while, I kind of had to pick my moments because of the seriousness of the film, the jeopardy they were trying to maintain in the movie. Also, you’ve got an Oscar on one side, an Oscar on the other side, a Golden Globe behind you, so I didn’t want to be too much of a schmuck. I couldn’t really phone in any days. There was a handful of lines that were written for me, but most of them I had to just kind of keep riffing and finding moments. I kind of had to be on my toes every day.
HW: Did you have a favorite ad-libbed bit that didn’t make the movie but felt really funny when you were saying it?
JB: Yeah, at one point I was making fun of these Saudi guys that were kind of making fun me. I start making fun of what they are eating. I came up with all this crap to say about their couscous and their babaganoush, but it didn’t make it in. I don’t know, I have a feeling that perhaps it may have been a bit too disrespectful. You know, they’ve got a little bit of a minefield to dance in this movie. It touches on some things that people could be painting some banners to wave on premiere night, who knows. I think they did a really good job at not shying away from the obvious political fabric of the movie. I think they did a good job of not being overly sort of didactic or precious or message-intensive. I think that they deliver this great action movie that, if you happen to focus on one line, or three or four, perhaps then maybe it will provoke some thought. But it certainly doesn’t teach you anything, I don’t think.
HW: Did you at all have to think about the political implications of this movie before you said yes?
JB: No, I was on board. I’m just a dumb actor. I don’t know what the fuck they are trying to say in this movie, politically. I’m just there doing a job and its not really my job to be the person who is over seeing ‘Are we being accurate or fair to this group or that group?’ that’s not my job. My job is to act in it and if someone is trying to say a message, then it’s their responsibility to deliver it. It’s not the actor’s job. The actor’s job is to learn his lines and say them. If they are trying to say something with it, then perhaps it’s other people’s jobs. I don’t necessarily have to support it or deny it, its all pretty much over my head anyway.
HW: You’ve done comedy throughout your career, but the kind of comedy you are really being becoming known for in features seems to involve bringing a good deal of your improv game to the table. When do you think that people started realizing that was part of your skill set? Dodgeball seems like the start – people loved you in that movie and that had to be a lot of you coming out.
JB: Some of it, yeah, but [director] Rawson Thurber was there writing a lot of alternative lines. In fact, we went into the ADR room afterwards and added a lot of stuff. A lot of my stuff is off-screen anyway, just sort of commenting on the play. I don’t know, maybe perhaps watching Arrested Development people thought that a lot of that was improvised, when in fact it wasn’t. That is really a testament to the writing on that show, which made it so naturalistic. Because the show was supposed to be a mockumentary, there was a lot of very conversational dialogue written–a lot of overlapping and a lot of “ums” and “uhs,” things that would sound like improvising, so maybe they thought that I could do that. And so far, I guess, I’ve got them fooled. I keep getting these things and people are saying “I just need you to add a little bit to this.” In fact, Pete and I are doing another movie together right now called Hancock, and he just keeps the camera rolling and tells me “All right, now talk about this, talk about this subject.” I’m like ‘I’m not Robin Williams you know? I’m not going to give you five minutes of hilarity.” But so far, so good, and it’s a muscle that is growing in me.
HW: Is the world of feature film where you want to put your energy exclusively now?
JB: I am just trying not to screw it up. I’m trying to just knock on as much wood as available to me, and take these roles that are less starring roles, but more roles that are with people that I can really learn something from. I’ve been doing television for X number of years. I think my welcome was worn out a little bit there, so I would like to find some longevity in a new medium. I think the best way to do that is to work with the people that know what they are doing there. Pay my dues, come on up, and not jump to the top of the call sheet too soon. The people who watch the show are handing out some really good jobs, and luckily I am being thought of for those. Just try to keep those going and build some other base there.
HW: Was Arrested Development the ultimate television experience for you, and has it spoiled you for television for a while?
JB: Yeah, the idea of doing another television show, at any point in the near future, just doesn’t make any sense to me. I wouldn’t want to sully what was such a great experience for me, and dilute it by jumping on to something else. I would like for that to be the last television that I have done for a while, maybe forever. I don’t know, that is the way you want to go out., especially having done as much as I did. It was like you won the Super Bowl, so why come back? I would be whistling a different tune if I wasn’t getting so many nice, flattering calls in the feature world.
HW: You work so well with Michael Cera on the show. Have you seen Superbad?
JB: He’s such talent and was such a talent from the very, very first episode. I think he was 14, maybe? At that early age, to know your face as well as he does. To be able to be as subtle as he is and trust that it’s coming across, is a huge talent unto itself. The older he gets, the better he gets at that, so I think he’ll be around for a long, long time. I think he’s going to have a huge influence on changing the comedic tone in that genre. I think that there will be a lot of people that are trying to do what he does… He certainly didn’t need any help from me. He certainly doesn’t need any help on how to handle this stuff. He’s got a couple of great parents and such a good head on his shoulders.
HW: How did you make it past the pitfalls of becoming an actor in Hollywood at such a young age? Back then we didn’t see you doing a few hours in jail, rehab, or the whole thing. How did you get through it? It can’t have been entirely easy.
JB: No, and I was certainly not under a rock or in a safe room my whole life. I just was better at hiding it, there were a couple of close calls of being exposed, but I definitely was out there participating in doing that which one does at every particular age. I just wasn’t doing it hanging out my window on Sunset Boulevard, thumbing my nose at the cops. If a cop is coming you pull over and turn off your lights, and wait till he passes. I don’t know–it’s just kind of simple to me. You just stay out of trouble, sew your oats, and try to do that privately. Get it out of your system, become an adult, get married and have a kid. Put down the booze and get on with it.
HW: Do you consider yourself officially part of the Vince Vaughn–Ben Stiller–Owen Wilson group–some people cal it the Frat Pack?
JB: Oh God, no, no, no. That would be a dream, because they are the kings. I’ll be a jester in their court every once in awhile, if they will have me. They are all doing great stuff and I’ll buy a ticket to go see it, if the cast is filled up.
HW: How cool is it that your father-in-law is Paul Anka?
JB: It’s really cool. He is a very, very, nice, interesting, generous man that works harder than anybody I’ve ever met. He’s on the road 300 days a year, and he’s a great provider to his family. He’s got great stories, great advice for me–he’s been doing this since he was 16. I got lucky with that, you know?
HW: His last album, Rock Swings, was awesome–I loved his old school take on the modern songs.
JB: Yeah, he’s doing another one too. I’ve got it on my iPod. It’s fantastic.
