Cyrus seems to have a lot of improvisation in, what is that process on set like?
I had a lot of leeway. These guys wrote a great script and then we were encouraged not to use it! But we used it as a blueprint. Every time I went off in some direction they were always delighted. They loved being surprised and our honest reactions to things. Most days I felt like I had too much freedom – I would say, “What do you want to happen?” and they would tell me to follow my instincts. I said, “My instinct is to do what you want me to do!” Sometimes you feel brave and creative and full of ideas, and sometimes you’re just terrified.
What was Jonah Hill like to work with?
It was the easiest part of it for me. He’s such a clever and funny actor, and he can go toe to toe on the improvisation. Moments I felt more at sea were in the relationship scenes with Marisa (Tomei). I am a modest person so I felt a little more in need to direction.
How did working with the ‘Duplass method’ compare to the improvisation work you’ve done with Will Ferrell?
We do a lot of variations of things when Will and I work together, mainly riffing off the same idea and finding funny ways to say the same thing. Generally the plot doesn’t change. On Cyrus there was often a bewildering world of options - I could literally say anything. Because we were working in chronological order, they said we could even change the plot of the movie. You’re used to relying on certain things as an actor.
Is there an added pressure to be funny?
With Will, the super-objective when you’re working on a big comedy is ‘make it funny’. That was the great luxury with Cyrus, it could go anywhere – it didn’t matter if it ended up being kind of sad or awkward, anything was fine as long as it was truthful.
John, would it be fair to say you have made a shift from drama to comedy?
I just made a film called We Need To Talk About Kevin, which is not a comedy at all. I just try to keep employed. For whatever reason, over the past couple of years, some of the most interesting people in film are people making comedies. Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are really smart, subversive guys. Judd Apatow is one of the smartest people making movies right now. I wish I could say I had some master plan but the truth is, somebody invited me to come play and I said sure.
Was it easy for you to identify with your character?
I’m much luckier in love than poor John has been, I’ve been married for a long time and have a family, but that was one of the great joys of playing him – getting to play someone my age who wasn’t like a 12-year-old was a real pleasure. The guy has some real gravitas and he’s been through the ringer. A lot of the words are the way I would put things. We’re both romantics and I often meet people and start giving them my honest opinion, maybe too much information. I’m the kind of person who will come into a room, and if there’s an elephant in the room, I talk about the elephant!
Is it the most vulnerable you have felt playing someone?
It’s definitely up there. I tend to have a lot of vulnerable moments on-screen even when I am playing tough characters. Closed characters are not that interesting.
Would you go to a party and sing?
Sure, hopefully a lot better than I did in this movie! I am one for instigating dance parties, why not?
Have your expectations of acting changed since you got into the business?
I just feel really lucky. From the beginning of my career, it has been a complete fluke that a person of my background has been able to do what I have. I hope people keep making good movies and putting me in them! I would like the world to come to a place where people go to the movies to be moved in a dramatic way again, people are usually drawn these days to laugh or be thrilled out of their own reality, to escape. It’s getting really hard to make good dramatic films Hollywood right now.
Cyrus is out now at cinemas nationwide.