Cera talks ‘Youth,’ ‘Development’

The Muse sat down to chat with Portia Doubleday and Michael Cera about inappropriate books, how Cera looked forward to playing a part in drag and their upcoming movie, Youth in Revolt.’

The MUSE: Had you guys read the book prior to filming, and if you did, did that change the way you approached your character?’

MC: It definitely changed how I approached it. I just wanted to get the feeling I had when reading the book, basically.

PD: Actually I hadn’t, but a bunch of my friends had for high school. I don’t know if you guys had that? I don’t know, I don’t think it should be on a reading list because I think it’s totally inappropriate for anyone to be required to read.

MC: Catcher in the Rye? That was pretty inappropriate.

PD: Yeah, Catcher in the Rye, that, too. But, yeah, a couple of my friends had read it in high school, so when I was talking about the project they said, ‘Oh my god! I love this book! Who are you auditioning for?’ And they knew everyone in the book. It’s amazing. It’s a really good book. Have you read it?

TM: Yeah, I have.’

MC: Did you read it before there was a movie?

TM: I read it last summer.’

MC: How long did it take you to read it?

TM: On and off, maybe a week?’

MC: Wow. Way to go. I read it in real time, so in about five months. It’s a special book.’

TM: There are other books in the series of Nick Twisp. Are there going to be any other movies coming?

MC: I don’t know. I don’t think anyone has been thinking about that.’ ‘

TM: What originally attracted both of you to working on this movie?

MC: I just love the book, and was really excited about it being made into a movie. I think the book just really feels like a movie, reads like a movie, and I think it was a pretty obvious choice to make it into a movie. I just thought it was really funny and wanted to be a part of it and be able to say some of the lines from the book.’

TM: Having read the book and being a fan of it, what was your first reaction to the script? Do you think it matched up pretty well?

MC: Yeah, well, we kind of worked on it the whole time. The script was always changing. But I think the main focus to the approach of the script was making it as much like the book as possible, which was an exciting thought to me. I thought that was the best way to make the movie. I mean, if the book could just be made into a script that would be great, but it’s too long to include the whole. . .so it had to be worked on a lot. But it’s pretty shootable the way it is, you know. I mean, the dialogue is great and feels really cinematic, and so it was nice. Miguel was striving to make it as much like the book as possible.’

TM: Do you think it’s a challenge, when you’re doing a book based on a book, feeling like you’re bound to it?
‘

MC: Well, you’re not really bound to it. I mean, you have to do what’s right for the movie because you need it to be entertaining as a movie. You’re not really bound to it, it’s just there to help you, and to refer to. It’s really nice as actors to have something that clearly shows you what your character is, and goes really in depth to your character. It was just helpful.

TM: When you read the script, were you particularly disappointed that there wasn’t much Carlotta? Were you looking forward to playing in drag?

MC: Not particularly disappointed, but it’s a fun part of the book and it would have been fun to have fit it in. I thought the movie did a good job of condensing the tone that is the book. I think that some day someone should make it into a mini-series for HBO and have all of it.’

TM: Wasn’t it originally slated to be an MTV mini-series?’

MC: It was a TV series, I think. It was an MTV pilot but was never put out.

TM: Do you know why?

MC: No.

TM: Michael, are you ever afraid of being typecast? You’re in teen movies a lot and movies that are geared towards our generation; do you think they cause you to be typecast? And do you think Youth in Revolt may have had an effect in steering you away from that?’

MC: You get to choose as an actor what you’re in. To be typecast it doesn’t happen against your will; you sign onto everything you’re apart of. So I’m not really afraid. But this was different and fun to be able to work on. You just have to see what comes along as an actor, keep your eyes open and go with your gut, and try and get lucky. Its really lucky if you’re in something good, because as an actor you’re just kind of there and not in control of anything. Your performance even, you can do what you want on set but someone else is shaping it. You have to go with your gut and hope you get lucky.

TM: I see you more as a Nick that a Francois, but in scenes with the two of them, Francois seemed to steel the screen. What was it like to have to act against yourself? Did you have to do anything differently to prepare to this role?’

MC: It was really fun doing the scenes where I’m acting off myself. It was really technical and you have to hit your mark really precisely and the timing has to be perfect. You’re trying to find the rhythm of this other thing you’ve just recorded. It was a lot of fun to figure out. For every situation there’s a different way to shoot it, a different trick, so it was cool watching that. I’m really interested in that kind of stuff. I didn’t really have to do any sort of special preparation, just thinking about it and talking with Miguel.

TM: Is there one character you like playing more than the other?

MC: Not really. I mean, I got to do more fun stuff as Francois. I got to face off with Ray Liotta, and just do cool stuff, but I had fun doing both. I had lot of fun doing everything in the movie. There were a lot of great actors and a lot of fun stuff to do.

TM: What was it like working with such big name actors as Ray Liotta?

MC: It was awesome. It was really interesting being around them and seeing how they work.’

PD: I think that I was just in so deep that I was kind of desensitized. When that happens you just kind of go with it. It was incredible. They were all really warm and awesome and have great personalities. They’re super talented. I enjoyed it. It sucks, because Michael got to work with so many of them and I only got pieces here and there, but they were awesome.’

TM: Portia, for you, who is closer to your ideal man: Nick or Francois?

PD: I don’t necessarily want guys burning down half of Berkley for me, but I could say I always want a taste of both. I want there to be a little bit of adventure, a little bit of bad is always good. A good bad boy.’

TM: Do you guys relate to the characters you play in any way?’

PD: I mean I make guys do those things for me. I mean, haha, never mind scratch that out. We’re exactly alike in everyway. No, I guess in some ways. I don’t even know how to answer that. What about you?

MC: Yeah, I think there are some elements in there that everyone can relate to with both the characters. Everything goes through something growing up where you feel isolated or that you don’t relate to people properly. Hopefully people can see some of themselves in those characters.

TM: How did you each get involved with the project?

MC: I got attached to it when it was in development, and then Miguel came in and got attached and we started talking about it. I was really interested in it because I really loved to book. It was around for a few years and I kept calling and asking about it. I was worried that I was going to be too old by the time they made it, but it finally came together.’

TM: Isn’t he supposed to be 14 in the movie?

MC: In the book, but in the movie I don’t think it’s specified.’

TM: What about you Portia, how did you get involved?

PD: Just auditioned for it. I kept coming back and started reading the book and watching some films and met Michael. It just kind of worked out.

TM: Michael, there has already been a lot of talk on the Internet saying that this is your best acted film yet. Do you think this is true? Has this film been different for you in anyway?

MC: I have no idea. It’s so hard to tell. It didn’t feel different. It is so collaborative that I felt like I was really apart of every step of it. It felt like the same process, though. Just trying the best you can. It didn’t really feel too different, but that’s nice.’

TM: What was your favorite part to film? Were there any scenes you were really looking forward to doing?

MC: I like the Thanksgiving scene a lot. There’s a scene were Trent shows up and there’s a lot of tension in the room. It was really fun to play because there were a lot of people there and almost felt like a play. M. Emmett Walsh has potatoes all over his face. Remember how annoyed he was? They were putting on mashed potatoes with a fork. Fiola, this German makeup woman who’s crazy, was putting it on his face with a fork. That was fun.

PD: I really just loved seeing Trent’s costume. Every single time I saw it I just laughed. He was wearing these platforms that were like a foot tall. They were crazy.

MC: Yeah, he’s like 4’11’, isn’t he?

PD: Yeah, he’s really tiny. I liked watching you guys figure out the rumble at the end. That was really fun, but I was just watching.’

MC: I had rug burn on my face after that.

PD: You know that bad feeling whenever you see a fight? There’s just something so animalistic about it. I got that feeling.

MC: Oh yeah, I love that feeling.

TM: So what’s next for the two of you?

MC: I have a movie coming out next year called Scott Pilgrim vs. the World that I shot this year, but that’s the only thing I have right now.’

PD: I don’t know. I’m doing a short, I think. I don’t know. I have a couple friends and people, but I’m not sure about it yet. I guess we’ll see what happens because I’m in school.’

TM: Where do you go?

PD: I go to North Ridge. It’s kind of laid back.

TM: What’s it like at school, after the movie?’

PD: It’s funny because I have a project due the day I get back. So I’m in the middle of writing an essay on self-managing my biting my cuticles.

MC: Do you have a problem with that?

PD: I have a bad problem with that.’

MC: I would have never known.

PD: Yeah, I got them done as one of my interventions. It’s definitely weird at school, though. I came back from Toronto and went to school the next day. It’s a whirlwind. It’s really bizarre going back and just sitting in class and just doing that whole schedule. But at the same time, it definitely keeps me going. I always want to keep being inspired or influenced with something. I actually enjoy it.

TM: What are you studying in school?

PD: Psychology. I would love to get into Pre-Med but it’s ridiculous, so I’m just kind of postponing that for a long time.’

TM: Michael, something interesting I found about you was that you originally auditioned for the role in The Sixth Sense. Do you ever look back and think about how your career would be any different if you got that role?

MC: No, let me do that right now. I didn’t even know he could see dead people. There’s a scene with Bruce Willis where he slides a penny across and he does a magic trick with a penny, or something, and that was the scene. I didn’t even know he could see dead people.’

TM: How old were you?

MC: About nine, or something. I actually said something about Haley Joel Osment about how much I like him, and how good I think he is in that movie. It was taken out of context in the interview and it looks like I’m making fun of him. I was so uncomfortable with it. It just looks sarcastic written down. I think he’s amazing. I think he’ll come back and do some other great stuff.

TM: What’s going on with the ‘Arrested Development’ movie?

MC: I don’t know. I think the same stuff. I think it’s just being developed right now.

TM: But you would be in for it?

MC: Yeah, definitely.

TM: ‘Arrested Development’ has such a cult following, and it seemed like you all were close. Would you be excited to work with all of them again?

MC: Yeah. I would be so excited. Everyone on the show is so great. It’s sad when you get really comfortable and then you don’t get to do anything with them or do anything together.

TM: Do you ever go back and watch them?

MC: Nope. Haven’t seen it since it aired.’

TM: I know you’ve worked a lot with Clark Duke in the past with ‘Clark and Michael’ and The Long Goodbye. Are you still collaborating or doing anything?

MC: No, no. He’s on a show now. ‘Greek.’ And he’s just doing that for a little while, and I’ve been shooting. So no, we haven’t done anything in a while.

TM: Any plans to do any more episodes of ‘Between Two Ferns?’

MC: No, I don’t think so. Zach is still making them with other people. I think he is afraid they’re becoming an overdone thing, but they’re so funny.

TM: I was excited to see Zach Galifianakis in Youth in Revolt.

MC: Yeah he was awesome in this movie. There’s a scene of him having a heart attack that they had to cut out. It’ll be on the DVD I think.’

TM: Are there any other scenes that you wish had made it into the film but didn’t?’

MC: Yeah, there’s a few that had to get cut. There’s one where me and Lefty wrestle, and we really went for it. We had each other to the ground. It’ll be on the DVD I think. And there’s one scene that I really like where Trent calls Nick, and he hands the phone to Francois. They have this really great conversation that’s straight from the book, and one of the best parts of the book. It’s a great conversation.’

TM: What’s the next city on the tour?

MC: Philly? Philadelphia. We call it Philly. We’re close friends with it’s. We’re going to West Philadelphia born and raised.