Off Camera with Sam Jones

Just mention Will Ferrell’s name or glance at a picture at him and chances are you are already smiling. But the really funny thing is that it’s not necessarily because his best known characters are so gosh darn lovable, you see Ferrell never bought the conventional movie truism that comedic leads have to be likable and he went on to prove it perhaps most pointedly with the iconic Ron Burgundy. In fact, he doesn’t even think comedy has to particularly funny to be hysterical. While working a number of regular jobs like valet and bank teller, Ferrell did stand-up in small comedy clubs. Clinging to his father’s surprisingly helpful advice that his ever making it would be a long shot, it was just that take it or leave it approach that allowed him to pursue his unique comedic style free from the angst that might have otherwise crushed it. It might also explain a small sadistic streak that underlies his performances. If you don’t like what he’s doing, sit back and enjoy it anyway, or else. In Sam’s chat with Will, he describes his stomach churning, knee buckling Saturday Night Live audition and the even more daunting experience of joining the legendary show at one of it’s lowest points. He also shares his writing process, stories behind some of his best loved impersonations, and his long and sometimes perplexing film resume.

What does it take to feel confident that you’ve made it in Hollywood? “Coming from nowhere with no connections” and going almost overnight to A-list status with leads in a string of the most highly acclaimed films in recent history would do the trick. So would a modest but steely belief that acting is what you’re meant to do, and always will do. Jessica Chastain wasn’t always certain of her path, but she never questioned her destination. That helps when you find yourself going to audition after audition with zero film work to show casting directors. Though daunting, it allowed her the rare opportunity to enter wide public and industry consciousness with a series of performances as revelatory as they were different in Jolene, Tree of Life,The Help and Zero Dark Thirty. While deeply appreciative of the experiences those films earned her to work with some of the most innovative and talented directors and cinematographers in the business, Chastain says she still feels the need to eventually take her roles away from the writers and directors with whom she collaborates. Call it an overdeveloped sense of ownership; but it’s the kind of ownership that creates characters whose inner life is so transparent that we’re along for the ride from first frame. But perhaps the most admirable and inspiring aspect of her position in Hollywood is how she’s using it to advocate for a much-needed increase in female presence, perspective and opportunities in the industry she loves. She knows bringing Off Camera votes Jessica Chastain for Best Actress…and maybe for President.

If some actors enjoy the privileges of descending from families of acting royalty, Chris Pine reaped the lessons of the blue-collar version – his dad, mom and grandma were hardworking actors, if not red carpet regulars. And Pine wanted none of it. Fighter pilot, maybe; baseball player, sure; acting, not so much. But when the family trade eventually caught up with him, it caught up fast. What else are you going to do with an English major anyway, right? After some early theater work and less than a year of the requisite waiter gig, he started landing jobs and soon faced a career-defining choice: Play a homosexual, homicidal detective in James Ellroy’s White Jazz, or go be Captain Kirk in Star Trek? The decision wasn’t easy, but perhaps it was inevitable. Kenneth Branagh, who directed him in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, once compared him to Paul Newman, calling him “…the character actor in the leading man’s body.” But many projects in – from popcorn fair like The Princess Diaries 2, Smokin’ Aces and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit to critically acclaimed turns in Bottle Shockand plays like Neil LaBute’s Fat Pig, Farragut North and The Lieutenant of Inishmore – Pine still claims to have no idea what he’s doing…except having a good time.

As a high school sophomore, Jason Sudeikis switched schools in pursuit of serious basketball dreams and, of course, a girl. Instead, he discovered classes in radio and TV and debate – and a new career option. Soon after swapping Final Four tickets for a video camera, he gave up on college hoops and eventually college itself to go pro in the improv leagues. He honed his chops at ComedySportz, the Annoyance and ImprovOlympic before getting drafted by Second City and eventually Saturday Night Live, where some of his most memorable work occurred behind the scenes writing skits for Justin Timberlake, Amy Poehler and buddy Will Forte. Along the way he happily stole (a term he prefers to “borrow”) from lifelong mentors to develop his own comedic DNA (watch him in the We’re The Millers and guess who he’s channeling). In this issue, Sudeikis discusses his improv roots, his development as an actor and writer, his early love-hate relationship with SNL, the art of guest host management, and of course, hoops. To this day he’s a flashy, joke-cracking point guard who never lets you see how hard he’s working.

A long time ago, Jon Brion asked some fellow musicians, “What if there was a performer that made up every song on the spot?” Consensus was, the songs would suck. “But what if they didn’t?” persisted Brion. The short answer is his legendary live show at L.A.’s Largo, the key components of which are mind-blowing musical genius, an audience-generated set list and surprise sit-ins by a list of musical luminaries. It’s almost as fun to watch the audience sitting in slack-jawed delight to see and hear what happens next. It’s a truly rare experience that tends to turn people into “you just have to see it” evangelists. As word got out, Brion found himself in increasing demand as a producer for artists like Fiona Apple, Kanye West and Elliott Smith. A more unexpected line of work emerged creating quirky, curious film scores for directors like Paul Anderson and David O. Russell. Brion’s artistic path hasn’t always been easy, but it’s always been clear. He’s defined his career by taking things he didn’t like (school, most live music shows, needle-drop film scores) and turning them into something new and completely his own. He’s a one-man case study on how truly unique talent can succeed in an industry that rarely embraces iconoclasts. Sometimes the biggest victory is getting away with being yourself.

It’s understandable that “Oh My God” was the only caption Surfer magazine could come up with for their cover photo of Laird Hamilton, whose drop into Tahiti’s Teahupo’o break on the morning of August 17, 2000 established him as the greatest surfer in the sport’s recorded history. How he got there (and lived to get there) is the story of a life lived far outside the confines of tradition. Hamilton has always seen himself as an outcast, first as a white boy growing up among native Hawaiians, and then as a world champion surfer who refused to prove it in any organized surf competition. Brought to the island as little boy by a single mom, he grew up young, fast and precariously. Ironically, the same ocean that was always one wave away from taking his life at any given moment was probably what saved it. His passion for the sea and finding unheard of new ways to ride it gave him focus, direction and an enviably heightened connection to our environment. You don’t spend a lifetime doing certifiably insane things in the awesome, powerful sphere we inhabit without developing a deep appreciation for it. After all, why are we on earth if not to really be on it? Off Camera invites you to enjoy some epic stories and life lessons from a master who reminds us that we’re all equal before a wave. We doubt he’ll be catching his last one anytime soon, but if he does, you can bet it’ll be with no regrets.

Some artists do what they do because it’s simply impossible for them to do anything else. Meet exhibit A: Taylor Goldsmith. At just 28, the songwriter and front man of LA-based band Dawes is already hailed as one of our most mature song crafters. His work has been compared not only to some of the greatest classic authors (whom he reads avidly) but also to some of the musical poets who inspire him: Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Robbie Robertson, Warren Zevon – many of whom he seems undaunted by actually having worked and toured with. Goldsmith grew up in a musical household, and has played music with his brother Griffin since age 10. He appears to somehow have sprung from the womb with an almost fully developed sound and lyrical approach. He’s stayed true to both while still managing to evolve over Dawes’ last three albums. So who better to discuss the mysteries process of songwriting than one of its most authentic and thoughtful practitioners? What experience informs a great song and makes its story valid over time? What role should the writer’s life experience play in a song? And if great songs are deeply personal, how do they still connect with thousands? And also, why does a guy whose songs are widely associated with the Laurel Canyon sound and who indeed recorded his band’s first album in Laurel Canyon not actually like LA that much? Whether you’ve pondered these questions before or not, we guarantee you will enjoy the conversation.

For someone who balked at entering the family business, Jeff Bridges has one well-developed CV. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis “Bad” Blake 2009’s Crazy Heart and has received multiple nominations and accolades for his brilliant work in such iconic films as The Last Picture Show, Starman, True Grit, Fearless,Tucker, The Fabulous Baker Boys, and perhaps his most successful “unsuccessful” film ever, The Big Lebowski. Such a lineup could make a lesser actor all too ubiquitous, but watching him perform remains nothing less than pure cinematic joy. Attribute that to his canny choice of roles, or according to him, sloth – “All these jobs are messing with my laziness, man.” We think New York Magazine film critic Pauline Kael nailed the truth when she wrote that Bridges “may be the most natural and least self-conscious screen actor that has ever lived.” In this episode, Bridges shares his often unorthodox means of finding his way into characters, and how each has influenced his many creative paths. When Bridges immerses himself in a role he never comes out…at least not without a new skill or passion that enriches both his films and his reputation as a creative polymath. As apt and interested in his music, sculpting, photography, philanthropy and drawing as he is in film, he admits to some anxiety about being all of them versus, well, just being. But with time he’s cultivated an enviable lack of worry and the ability to embrace the yin while on occasion “yanging my ass off”.OC and Bridges wax philosophical on life, art and the creative process, so just abide and enjoy the ride.

Say you’re an actor who’s been in over 50 films and on just about every TV show known to modern audiences, but no one can ever figure out where they’ve seen you before. You might start to wonder what you’re doing wrong. If you’re Judy Greer, you realize it means you’re doing everything pretty right, and you write a hysterical book about it. The archetypal sweet, hardworking Midwesterner who moves to LA with dreams of making it big, did – as everyone’s best friend, playing sidekick to the stars in films like The Wedding Planner, 13 Going on 30, 27 Dresses, and The Descendants. Between movies, she piled up appearances on TV shows such as Arrested Development, My Name Is Earl, Californication, ER, House, Modern Family and The Big Bang Theory. So naturally, she’s written the book on what makes a great co star. Really, she did. It’s called I Don’t Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star. An inveterate hustler whose already-long, successful career is marked by equal parts talent and persistence, Greer admits she still struggles with fears and insecurities, including whether she’s actually even an artist. In the course of becoming comfortable with herself and her place in the industry, she’s accumulated some wisdom, which she generously shares: judge books by their covers, really fuck up auditions, and most importantly, give up your dreams. She joins Off Camera to talk about forging her way Hollywood, her dreams of resurrecting the big romantic comedy, and what it’s like to finally play a leading role on her new TV series, Married. We loved talking to the first lady of second fiddles, who calls her whole career “a luck-out”. But don’t let the nice Midwest exterior fool you. She’s a mouse-killer, friends. And she really, really wants a gun.

Jackson Browne is a master songwriter whose artistic journey spans the evolution of folk music and in many ways, the evolution of the music industry itself. That journey began with the de rigueur cross-country van trip from suburbia to NYC financed with $50 and his mom’s credit card. Few such aspiring-artist journeys result in an offer to gig with Warhol superstar Nico and a record label deal – at 18, no less. His timing was good. As music began moving away from the circumscribed pop of 50s and 60s, musicians were searching for more original, personal fare. And Browne had plenty, writing for himself, and also for the likes of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Gregg Allman, Joan Baez, the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt and The Byrds to name a few. Recording his own material proved more challenging; challenging enough that early champion David Geffen was forced to start his own record label just to make one. You’re welcome, David. Browne’s lyric genius and mind-boggling ear for melody gave us some of the most iconic entries in the American rock songbook – “These Days”, “Running on Empty”, “Doctor My Eyes”, “Somebody’s Baby” –anthems that evoke images and emotions with that rare ability to morph and bend to resonate with each new generation. Perhaps that’s because he takes the time to let the songs take shape and become what they need to be. Jackson Browne is a legend yes, but one with the discipline, and relevance and plain old love of craft to keep creating and moving forward. Aspiring songwriters, here’s your User’s Manual.