Definitely, I did not, after 'SNL,' say, 'OK, first I'll go be in Alexander Payne's movie.' I thought I might go back to writing, to be honest.
I would love to work with Quentin Tarantino - he's my number one. My ultimate. I would love to work with Paul Thomas Anderson, Alexander Payne - Pedro Almodovar wouldn't be too shabby. There are so many good directors, but those are some of my favorites.
I wasn't creative enough to imagine my first novel becoming a film directed by Alexander Payne. Nor did I consider the possibility of seeing Hollywood stars moving through my personal version of Hanalei town: going to Tahiti Nui, rehearsing a scene in front of my cousin's cottages, driving the snaky roads.
Obviously, if you get a chance to be in Alexander Payne's movie, you're going to go for it, or you'd be a crazy person.
I kind of got really lucky a couple of years ago: I got to do a part in 'The Descendants,' in Alexander Payne's movie. I just had a small part, but I got to do a few scenes with my best friend George Clooney.
I loved 'About Schmidt'. I like Alexander Payne's work a lot.
How much do you have to pay someone to be in a George Clooney/Alexander Payne film? Nothing! Because everyone in the world wants to be a part of it. Therefore you pay nothing. And that continues until you become something they need... I'm not that kind of actor. I'm blue collar and very replaceable.
Alexander Payne's very specific. His scripts are always complete when you start working on them.
It was also wonderful to have the prospect of playing with Jack Nicholson. It was a terrific part, a terrific script, with Alexander Payne and Jack Nicholson. You can't get any better than that!
'Citizen Ruth' I saw when I was in college, and I really flipped out over it. I just knew I wanted to work with the person who made that movie.
I would have played any character in an Alexander Payne movie.
