Jason Schwartzman - Shopgirl
by Daniel Robert Epstein for SuicideGirls (http://suicidegirls.com/)

I am so damn jealous of Jason Schwartzman. He’s gotten to act alongside two of my comedy idols, Bill Murray and now Steve Martin in the film adaptation of Martin’s own book, Showgirl.

Shopgirl stars Claire Danes as Mirabelle, a plain young girl in the middle of Hollywood who is romanced by two men. One is an older wealthy man played by Steve Martin and Schwartzman plays Jeremy, an awkward schlub who borrows money from her on their dates.

Check out the official site for Shopgirl

Daniel Robert Epstein: Were you concerned about doing this movie your character wasn’t in the original novel much?

Jason Schwartzman: No, because he was in the movie script a lot more. So if I had just read the book that might have been a concern because he is only in it very little. But then I saw how Steve took him and made him more whole.

DRE: Were you nervous about working with Steve Martin?

JS: I was so nervous to do it because Steve Martin is a big influence on me and on the way that I approach acting and comedy. I felt that even though it may not be obvious, but that anytime he was going to notice when I have ripped him off. So I felt scared and I bumbled a lot. It was kind of awkward the way I was reading and I thought I was going to get fired. But he came over when we finished and said he thought the mumbling was great. That was the first ounce of permission I felt that I had to begin to make Jeremy somewhere between the script version and myself.

DRE: Did you ever feel you were emulating a comedic Steve Martin-like character for this character?

JS: I don’t think I ever emulated one that already existed but it did cross my mind to think how Steve would have done it if he was younger and playing this part. I figured that I would just go there because he wrote it. I listened to Steve’s book on tape of just to hear his tempo. But I wasn’t like basing it on Father of the Bride or something.

DRE: After being a fan of Bill Murray and Steve Martin’s movies and then working with them in more dramatic roles, do you see any similarities?

JS: They’re so different but there is a similarity in that they both are comedic legends and have started doing more dramatic roles recently. I am sure they are totally independent of each other, but I think it must be a natural artistic progression. Steve is interesting because he said that he has always gone between comedy and drama.

DRE: Did you ask him Steve Martin about any of your favorite movies of his?

JS: No, but when I first met him, I had this mantra going into the meeting with him which was “Don’t mention his movies.” Then I said something about Three Amigos and I hope I didn’t offend him.

DRE: What did you like about the character of Jeremy?

JS: He’s so great, because he doesn’t over think anything. He just knows what’s in front of him and doesn’t get stuck second guessing things. He is all gut reaction. I seem to always second guess myself at moments when you shouldn’t second guess yourself and never second guess myself when it would have been better to take a beat and think about what you are going to say.

Also, this sounds cheesy, but I respect a man who’s trying to meet and commit with someone out there. The movie is really about connecting and truly loving someone for who they are, not your version of them. Because he truly, sincerely loves Mirabelle. I think that’s why she stays with him in the beginning of the movie. Clearly he is not what she was expecting but as Steve says in the book; his interest in her was interesting to her.

DRE: Were you surprised to get offered the role of Louis XVI in Sofia Coppola’s Marie-Antoinette?

JS: Very surprised. But the more that I read about Louis XVI I found there were things that I related to.

DRE: I read that Sofia isn’t asking everyone to do an English accent.

JS: Yes, there are just tons of different countries represented in the cast and she asked everyone in the movie to speak with their natural accent. So if you’re from Italy, they’d have an Italian accent even if they were playing a French person.

DRE: Are you still living in a garage like you were on MTV Cribs?

JS: No, it was weird to be on Cribs since I was Ion tour I didn’t have a crib. I told MTV I would do it but I don’t have a place to live so I suggested doing it on a houseboat and they would pay for it. They said no and my friends lived in a tent in another friend’s garage. So we did it there. I have an apartment now.

DRE: Why did you quit Phantom Planet?

JS: It was just a gut reaction. I saw a moment to leave without harming anyone. It just felt right and I took the stance and I made that decision and I feel it was correct for me. I miss them very much. They are getting ready to make a fourth record and I can’t believe they’re going on their eleventh year. I play music everyday but there is something unbeatable about playing to a crowd of people. It’s just like a whole other form of exhilaration that I can’t really find anywhere else but there.

by Daniel Robert Epstein

SG Username: AndersWolleck

web address: http://suicidegirls.com/interviews/+Jason+Schwartzman+-+Shopgirl/