[Onactinginthemoment]Ithinkallthegreatsreallydidthat.IfyouwatchBrando,ifyouwatchMcQueen,everysceneyoucouldseethattheyweredoingsomethingandthat'swhyitseemedsohumanandsorealasopposedtoactorstryingtofindanemotionorplaythatemotionwhenthecamerasareupandthelightsareonit'shardtosettleinandhavearealmoment.Ithinktheonlyrealwaytodoitistohaveanobjectiveforwhatyou'redoinginthescene.
WhenIwasakid,Iwasalwaysanathlete.Iplayedalotofsports.Iplayedfootball,basketball,baseballandsoccer.Mydadwassuperintoathletics,sothat'swhatIdidasakid.Iplayedsports.WhenIwas11or12,Istoppedwantingtoplayfootball,basketballandbaseballandIstartedsmokingweedandhangingoutwiththe'badkids'.Iwantedtodoanythingthatwasrebellious.Myoldmanhatedskateboardingandsurfing.Hewasateamsportsplayer.Theindividualityofitiswhatdrewmetoskatingandsurfing.Itwasa'Fuckyou!'atthetime.Iknowthatskateboardingandsurfinghavebeenaroundalongtime,butitwasn'tlikeitisnow.Surfingnowislikeahighschoolsport.Everyonesurfsandeveryoneskateboards.Backthen,ifyouskated,youweredefinitelyoneofthebadkids.Ifyousurfed,youwereastoner,soyouwereoneofthebadkids.Atthetime,Iwantedtobelikethat.Iwantedtoberebellious.Ididn'twanttofitin.Iwantedtobeapunk.Whenwe'dgooffandskateorsurf,weweredoingourownthing.Therewasnobodystandingoverourbacks,watchingus.Therewasnoonejudgingus.Itwasjustaboutone-uppingeachotherallthetime.
Mydaddidn'tworkonalotonmovieswhenIwasgrowingup.Hestoppedworkingforfifteenyears.FromthetimeIwasfiveuntilIwasfifteen,Ididn'tknowwhohewasasanactor.Hewasjustmydad.Hewasn'toffonmoviesetswhenIwasakid.Hehungoutwithme.Hewasalsoarebelliousguy.Hiswholelifehadalotofupsanddowns.Toansweryourquestion,yeah,hewastheshit;buttome,hewasjustmydad.Ididn'tknowhimasJamesCaan,thebigmovieactor.Asakid,InevergottoseeanyofhismoviesbecausetheywereallratedR.Ididn'tseeTheGodfatheruntilIwas11yearsold.Whentheyshothim,Iwaslike,'Thissucks.'Itwasfuckedup.Itwasweird.Iturneditoff.Itbummedmeout.NowIlookbackandwatchhismoviesandI'mlike,'Damn.Hewastheshit.'
Myoldmanwasverystrictaboutifyouweregoingtodosomething,begoodatit.Bethebestatitordon'tdoit.AnyonecanworkhardandhaveGod-giventalent,butit'sashamewhenpeoplehaveitanddon'tuseit.Youhavetouseallaspectsofit.Youhavetobegoodatitandworkharderthanthenextman.Healwaysinstilledthatinme.EvenwhenIwasakid,he'dsay,'Ifyou'regoingtodosomething,doitright,doithardandbepassionateaboutit.Doitgoodordon'tdoitall,becausethereisalwayssomeoneelsethatwantstoplayharderthanyou.'
ThereasonIstartedwritingmovieswasbecauseIkeptgettingpartsthatIjustkindofsteppedinto.Ididn'thavetodoalotofworkandIendedupgettingsortofbored.WhenIfirststartedacting,allIdidwasworkonplaysandspendalotofhoursinthetheater.IwasimmersingmyselfinwhatIwasdoing.Iwantedtobethebestatit.Iwaslike,'I'mgoingtodothisandbethebestactorintheworld.'ThenIgotintothemoviebusinessandmaybeonceeverythreeyears,I'dgetapartthatIcouldactuallysinkmyteethinto.ThereasonIstartedwritingwasbecauseIdidn'talwaysgetthoseparts.IfiguredIcouldwritemyselfplaysandperformthingsthatIfeltstronglyabout.Thatsetmeoffonwritinganddirecting.Iendedupthinking,'Icandothistoo.'Igotreallypassionateaboutwritinganddirecting.AndnowthatI'minmyearly30s,I'mgettingpartsthatIcanreallysinkmyteethintoit.NowIcangobacktowhatreallygotmeintoacting,whenitwassomethingthatIwassuperpassionateabout.
(2001)Ifyouloveactingandyou'veeverexperiencedtheater,thenyouknowthatinamovieit'salmostimpossibletoliveoutthatexperience,unlessyou'reaPacinooraDeNiroorsomebodywhogetstopicktheirparts.It'sveryrarethatyougetapartthatattheendofthedayyoufeellikeyou'vereallyliveditout,andformegoingbackanddoingtheateriswhereIgettodothat.Irealizedthatoverthepastcoupleofyears,andIhopetoGodIneverlosethat,andIneverrestonmylaurels
(2001)I'llgodoanybody'smovieifIfindsomethingIlikeinit,I'llsay,'Let'sgodoit.'Good,badmediocreorwhateveritis,ifadirectorwantsmeinhismovie,Itakeitasacompliment.Andattheendoftheday,ifthemovie'snogood,I'lllivetofightanotherday.
WhenIwas17-years-old,Iwasinthemusicbusiness.Iwasoutonthe1993SoulAssassinsTourandtherewasthisdirectornamedMitchMarcuswhohadheardaboutme,sohecameandsawtheshow.HethoughtI'dberightforapartinhismovie.Hesaid,'Doyouwanttocomeandauditionforthismovie?'Isaid,'No,that'snotmything.'ThenIreadthescript.Itwasaboutthis17-year-oldpunkkidthatgetsoutofjuvenilehallandrideshismotorcycleandcarriesagun.ThenIwaslike,'Okay.I'llcomeinandaudition.'Iendedupgettingthepart.ItwasamoviecalledABoyCalledHate.It'snotthegreatestmovieevermade,butonceIgotonthatmovieset,Iwaslike,'Okay,thisiswhatI'mgoingtodofortherestofmylife.'IwasgoingtobeagriporanactororwriterorwhateverIhadtodotobeonamovieset.ThenIwentstraighttoatheaterschoolandstudiedforthenexttenyears.IstartedstudyingatPlayhouseWestintheValleywhenIwas17-years-old.Istartedwritinganddirectingplays.That'sbeenmycenterforactingforthelastfifteenyears.