Thursday, June 4, 1998
Seeing green
FILM: With over 40 films to his credit, Eric Stoltz is a
certifiable movie star, and although he still gets bad scripts, his
down-to-earth nature puts his
co-stars at ease
By Stephanie Sheh
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Iago once advised Othello, "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It
is the green-ey’d monster which doth mock the meat it feeds
on."
Lester Grimm should have taken Iago’s advice, since it is this
beast that drives him to unhealthy obsessions with his girlfriends’
ex-lovers, creating pathetic yet farcical situations that
ultimately result in the relationship’s demise. This is the basis
for Eric Stoltz’s new film "Mr. Jealousy," which opens Friday.
"I’m a big fan of movies where the people in it – the man and
the woman – are smart and funny and interesting and care about
things and yet at the same time somehow end up acting like complete
idiots and doing ridiculous foolish things," Stoltz says in a phone
interview with The Bruin.
"Because you care about them even as you watch them go down that
slippery slope, you think, ‘Oh my God. What is this bonehead
doing?’ And I find that enormously attractive in a film," he
continues.
Stoltz’s Lester is definitely someone the audience can care
about. The well-meaning character is entirely likeable as his dark
side surfaces, pushing him into atrocious acts, while managing to
maintain others’ adoration for him.
"Following around a lover is a little bit dark," Stoltz admits.
"And it’s uncomfortable, but the whole theme of jealousy is an
uncomfortable one that all of us have to confront at some point in
our lives."
The actor says that he was forced to confront his own jealousy
in college. And while he hasn’t necessarily slain the green-eyed
monster, he’s learned to deal with it.
"I haven’t conquered it at all; it still comes up," the actor
says. "But now I know that I can’t let myself do ridiculous things.
I just feel it and complain about it. I don’t break the law."
"Mr. Jealousy" is Stoltz’s second film with writer-director Noah
Baumbach, the first being the 1995 film "Kicking and Screaming." In
fact, "Mr. Jealousy" reunited Stoltz with a number people from that
very film, including producer Joel Castleberg and actors Chris
Eigeman and Carlos Jacott.
"I think it’s great working with friends," Stoltz says. "I would
much rather work with people I care about than people I just can’t
stand. It makes it a lot more fun."
Being part of the producing team on the film likewise made the
process more enjoyable. "Mr. Jealousy" is Stoltz’s third venture
into producing.
"I was in the editing room. I was all over this picture," Stoltz
says. "I like being able to hire good people. I like having my
fingers in all parts of the pie. It’s fun."
Stoltz’s closeness with the other cast members may have come in
handy during some of the improvising sessions at the rehearsals. He
points out that studio films normally don’t provide the actors with
the opportunity to ad-lib.
"The studio has to approve every word and every comma that you
say," Stoltz explains. "One of the advantages of independent film
is that Noah and I and Joel ran the whole show. So if we wanted to
change the scene or improvise or try something, we would."
He continues, "That being said, we got most of the improvisation
out of the way in the rehearsal room, and Noah was smart enough to
encourage us to improvise and take notes about what he liked. Then
sometimes when we were filming he’d say, ‘Hey throw in that stuff
about the rhinoceros on this next take.’ And then we would. And
he’d use it or not. So it was a very free set."
Stoltz says that it might have been a little bit intimidating to
Annabella Sciorra, who plays Stoltz’s love interest in the film,
because she never worked with any of the others before. But they
tried their best to put her at ease.
"Two months before we started filming, all the guys in the film
started to take her out to dinner once a week, sort of like a group
date," Stoltz recalls. "And, you know, we all tried to charm her
and flirt with her and we all tried to kiss her good night at the
same time. By the time we started filming, I think she was very
much at ease. She knew we were a bunch of dopes and she was going
to have a good time."
The actor also recognizes the fact that playing comedic
characters is more fun, but notes that it is not necessarily more
rewarding. He says that one of his favorite roles is probably the
one he played in the small dramatic film "The Waterdance" with
Helen Hunt and Wesley Snipes.
"I think the material was thick and not easy, and it made me
sweat and I like that," Stoltz says. "It made me nervous."
"Mr. Jealousy" is yet another notch in the thirty-something
actor’s list of over forty-something films. But Stoltz doesn’t
spend his time counting the films he’s done or even looking
back.
"I do love to work, it’s true. I’m an American," he says. "I’m
defined by my work, but I’m also sick of it at the same time. I’m
also really lazy. So I’d love to take some time off. I just might
do that."
With his extensive filmography, Stoltz has been able to embody a
variety of roles, avoiding the doom of playing the same character
over and over again. Yet Stoltz would have to say that,
frighteningly enough, all of his characters reflect a part of
him.
"I am of the belief that every role an actor plays represents
some side of their personality whether it’s acknowledged or not,
whether it’s consciously recognized or completely repressed,"
Stoltz explains. "I think there is a reason we are drawn to certain
roles, and usually it’s because it involves some aspect of
ourselves that we are looking to explore."
And with all these films also come countless interviews. So what
question is Stoltz tired of answering?
"That question," the actor says simply. "People ask that
question and they ask, ‘What are some of the questions no one else
has asked?’ or ‘What else would you like to talk about?’ Questions
where the journalists make me do the work. They make me think of
the questions."
Stoltz says that before the interviewing days, he never had an
epiphanous moment when he knew that he wanted to be an actor.
Acting was something that he always did and by the time he finished
college, where he studied literature and drama, Stoltz says that he
must have done 43 plays.
"I just kept doing it," he says plainly. "I just loved the
theater, and gradually it became lousy TV shows and then
films."
Stoltz says he doesn’t know if studying literature and drama
necessarily helped him analyze characters, but he feels that it has
helped develop his taste in material.
Unfortunately, Stoltz says he normally receives bad scripts.
Understandably, the actor refuses to reveal which ones that he has
read recently were the worst.
"Oh, I’m not going to name names. Who do you think you are –
Kenneth Star? I’m not going to name names," he says. Then after a
pause, he continues, "Let me put it this way: 89 percent of the
scripts that get made are almost unreadable. They are that
bad."
Nevertheless, Stoltz says that he tries to get about halfway
through a script before he just stops reading it. He says he used
to read everything but realized that it was simply a waste of time.
Similarly, he no longer sits through every movie.
"If I’ve been there for an hour and I’m looking at my watch and
would rather be somewhere else, I would go somewhere else," he
says.
He hasn’t gone as far as to ask for his money back, though.
"I don’t think I’ve ever done that," Stoltz says. "There’s never
been anything I hated that much. I just leave. I’m the sucker."
Although the very busy Stoltz doesn’t have much free time, it
seems that many of his fans do. There are a number of personal web
sites devoted to the actor. One such site is titled "Eric Stoltz is
a God."
"It’s a little weird. Someone’s got a lot of time on their
hands," Stoltz says. "I mean, one of those web pages says that I
was married to Robin Wright who I’ve never met … I don’t know how
much I would believe. I suppose it’s flattering in a bizarre
way."
Hmm. It could have others seeing green.
FILM: "Mr. Jealousy" opens Friday.
Photos courtesy of Lions Gate Films
Annabella Sciorra and Eric Stoltz play opposite each other in
"Mr. Jealousy."
Eric Stoltz portrays Lester Grimm in "Mr. Jealousy."
Annabella Sciorra stars in "Mr. Jealousy."