Jeremy Piven is Don Ready, a rock star amongst used car salesman. With the economy and the national psyche in the doldrums, America is in need of a fast-talking, inspirational hero like Ready. We're a nation that needs to live hard, sell hard -- and laugh hard. In The Goods, a comedy from the folks that brought us Talladega Nights and Step Brothers, Ready delivers on all fronts.
Like Piven's Entourage character Ari Gold, Ready is a man who believes that business is war. He is the fearless leader of a crack team of mercenary car salesmen hired to save Temecula, CA dealership Selleck Motors. Ready has just three days over July 4th weekend to sell all the cars on the lot -- and walk away with the girl.
James Brolin plays Ben Selleck, the owner of Selleck Motors, which is under threat of invasion by luxury car dealer Stu Harding (Alan Thicke). Harding plans to turn Sellecks used car lot into a studio and rehearsal space for Big Ups!, a less-than-talented man-band fronted by his too-old-to-be-in-a-boy-band son Paxton (Ed Helms) who just happens to be engaged to Ben's daughter Ivy (Jordana Spiro). Ready is off his game however, after losing a man (Will Farrell) in a tragic incident involving a parachute and a bag of dildos at a President's Day sale in Albuquerque.
Going in you know that Ready will ultimately prevail and save Selleck's American dream, the fun lies in watching how he does it. But Piven is waging a less certain war of his own against two big budget movies that open on the same day. He's proud of The Goods (and rightly so), and is going the extra mile to rally the troops and make sure people see it. Thus, with less than 72 hours to go before D-Day, Piven is working the phones talking to the likes of SuicideGirls. "It's been a long, long, strange trip this promotion," says the exhausted actor. "I feel like I've been literally promoting this movie for fourteen years. And I would do it willingly for another fourteen years."
Nicole Powers: I have to say this movie is absolutely hilarious. Life -- and comedy -- is all about timing, and right now America needs Don Ready. I mean even Obama is getting into the used car business with his Cash for Clunkers scheme. When you started working on this movie you couldn't have conceived how reality would reflect your art, but you've got to appreciate the irony right now.
Jeremy Piven: Well I don't necessarily enjoy the fact that car sales are down 40% in this country and we're in a bad way. I happen to be from Chicago and I love me some Obama, and he's doing everything he can. He's getting very creative like Don Ready gets creative. I mean Don Ready thinks of himself as a rock star and he is the ultimate producer of a party. He brings a celebrity, a DJ, Creatable Inflatables, and he makes it happen. I just love how original these characters are, how funny, and, sometimes, how completely delusional.
NP: It really is a wonderful ensemble piece. Who out of your fellow cast members do you think has the most natural, god-given car-selling ability?
JP: It's hard to say. I think Dr. Ken [a.k.a. Ken Jeong], the Asian gentleman who jumped out of the trunk in The Hangover naked, I think he's so intelligent -- he is a real doctor -- he could probably sell Al Gore a Hummer. I think David Koechner could sell water to a well. I think Ed Helms, Ed's just genuinely funny. So I think either of those. No -- I think the all time winner is Kathryn Hahn. She could sell anything.
NP: What research did you do for the role?
JP: There's this amazing documentary called Slashers. I watched that and was blown away by it. And I just dealt with a bunch of car salesmen, regular ones on the lot, as well as guys that are higher profile that have their own shows and whatnot, just getting their tricks and lingo and history. It's kind of interesting -- actually fascinating. You know we've all been played whether we know it or not. We have been played.
NP: It's hard to be on the receiving end of those psychological games. I went to one car dealership recently that will remain nameless, where they deliberately leave you and your spouse on your own in a car sales booth, and I know it's because they have microphones hidden so they can listen in to the husband/wife conversation.
JP: Yeah, I think so. And also when they go in the other room to "check with their boss" to see what they can do, 'cause they're going to make something happen that's very special just for you, they're not talking to anyone. They're going in the other room and they're having a Pop Tart, and then they come back in and, you know, they're going to close the deal.
NP: What other tricks of the trade did you pick up?
JP: There's so many different ways that they can come at you based on their perception of you. It kind of is all in the movie. At certain points Kathryn Hahn is literally selling sex for cars. You saw it. It's madness!
NP: After this film, you are going to be considered a god amongst used car salesmen. Does that worry you?
JP: By no means. It didn't worry me when people all seemed to think they wanted to be represented by Ari Gold, so I welcome this. Don Ready is a totally original character that I'm insanely proud of. He actually has more quotable lines than anything I've ever gone near in my life.
NP: He really does. Is it true that "we are living in the golden age of lap dances?"
JP: [laughs] That's such a funny line actually. Um, I don't know, but it sure sounds funny.
NP: You must have had fun filming those scenes in the strip club. I was actually concerned though, I mean, did you get any neck injuries? She was really giving you a rough time with her firm thighs.
JP: You're the only one that picked up on that. It's so funny that it takes a woman to notice that. All the guys are like, "Oh my god dude! That strip club scene -- you're so lucky." She was cutting off all the oxygen and blood going up to my head and wrenching my neck. Lovely woman, incredibly strong, and yet I had a big, fat monologue that I had to deliver, and drink a beer, and have my head wrenched. So that was an interesting day at work.
NP: The other interesting day at work must have been when you got to thrust your head into Kristen Schall's ample cleavage. How many takes did you need for that particular scene?
JP: You know that was not too many. She's so funny. That's an example of, like, every beat counts. She's so good. It seems like she had this enormous role, but she came and worked one day with us. Everyone that pops their face on the screen is over-qualified, and we're lucky to have them.
NP: It's a great cast, a great movie, but I kind of feel sorry for Temecula. It does have a lot more going for it than you're led to believe in the movie. It has an amazing wine industry for example.
JP: Yeah. Listen, comedy, it's also about the sound of a name. I mean "Tem-ec-u-la." -- it's like a "tar-an-tu-la." It sounds like something that's very uncomfortable. So god bless Temecula.
NP: Well I definitely recommend that you sample the region's wine at some point.
JP: I love wine, so that's done.
NP: Your character has certain pre-sale rituals that you see in the film. Did you need any to prepare yourself for the role of Don Ready?
JP: This is the kind of role, it's just a dream role. I feel like I've been apprenticing this role my whole life. Just the opportunity to do it made me pop out of bed every day and just sprint to the set. It was an incredible experience.
NP: I understand you were allowed a lot of leeway on set to improvise. What are some of the best examples of the improv that actually ended up on screen?
JP: For me, improvising things like, "Party back at my house. Everyone's welcome. No guys." That was improvised. When she [Jordana Spiro who plays Don's love interest, Ivy Selleck] goes, "Don, that was a one night stand," I go, "Don't ever think it. You're my wife, that's my son." That whole delusional turn is me. Everything that Will Ferrell said is an improv because he's a genius. Ed Helms would continuously crush it...There are plenty of examples of improvs all the way along. Dick Lewiston [who plays terminally politically incorrect car salesman] Charles Napier, he says, "You bald headed fuck, I've seen more hair on bacon." That's improvised.
NP: Ed Helms plays the lead character in a man band. Do you feel, like Jack Black and Tenacious D, that maybe he has a life with his band outside of this movie?
JP: Yes, I do. I do. Actually that's a great call. I'd like to see a whole musical based on Big Ups! Or, as Ivy Selleck's mom says, "Balls Out!"
See that was an example of, she got it wrong in rehearsal. She goes, "It's my son's band, it's Ball Out! Oh, I'm sorry you guys, I said it wrong." I said, "No, not at all. Do that during the take. It's perfect." I mean it's perfect, you know, to have these mistakes. You're looking for beautiful mistakes. We make mistakes in life all the time, why not put it on screen?
NP: There's obvious parallels between Ari from Entourage and Don from The Goods. They both have that Art of War / business is war mentality. Do you believe in that ethos personally?
JP: It's interesting because my life is so different from these characters. I'm a stage actor from Chicago, I go to yoga, and I try to find balance in my life. Not to sound too completely "Kumbaya," but I just know that these types of characters are fascinating to me. And I think I, in terms of my own career and life and that kind of stuff, I think I do share similar kind of philosophies or even ideologies. That you've got to do it yourself. You can't really get reactive if a job's not getting done, you really just got to make it happen yourself. I do think in that way, in that quality, I do share that with both these characters.
NP: You talk about your history in theater in Chicago, and I know that you come from a very theatrical family, and that in between Hollywood roles you run back to Chicago to participate in theater there. In a way you're a victim of your own success, because you've made Ari so believable that when Mercurygate happened, and you pulled out of a Broadway theater production, people automatically assumed you must have pulled an Ari Gold move. But why would you? You love the theater. Why would you, out of choice, pull out of a theatrical experience?
JP: Well I was incredibly guilty of listening to my doctors. That's what I did. It's been such a pleasure and an honor to be a working actor and part of the reason I got sick was I come from a family of not only "the show must go on" but the idea of turning down a role is sacrilege. And the reality is, sometimes you have to take a break. If you don't take a break for 20 years what happens is what happened to me. You hit the wall and you end up in the hospital and you've got an irregular heartbeat and your body is desperately trying to catch up. In my case, after eating sushi and all types of fish for 20 years your body's filled with mercury. The doctors basically examined me for three days and said, "You could have a heart attack. You have to take a break." And I listed to them. So that's what happened, and then you take your lumps -- that's a part of life.
NP: Are you feeling better now?
JP: I feel so much better. I actually think that my life was completely saved. Because had I not had that happen I would have continued on eating nothing but fish -- no red meat, no chicken, no dairy products -- just fish, and then what would have happened? I don't know. Who knows how the mercury would have manifested. But also, you have to take a break. It's OK to say no. I've come to terms with that it terms of having and finding some balance in my life.
NP: Also, I think you get to a point as an actor where you're defined as much my the roles you turn down, as by the ones you choose to take. You are in a position where you can pick and choose now. Are you enjoying that?
JP: Yeah. You have to understand, I come from a family where we've always performed in like a 99-seat house. My father would hang the lights and direct himself, and call the audience himself on the phone and get people in. That's where we come from. So success was always simply, success means being able to have choices as an actor. That fact that I have choices as an actor is a great success. I'm incredibly lucky.
NP: Well, I really hope this movie is going to be a great success because it's so fucking funny, but I feel that the trailer undersells it. How would Don Ready sell this movie?
JP: First of all, right now, I'm lying on my side and I'm having a very un-Don Ready moment...People like you are going to make the difference. Because you have a fan base, people listen to you. Word of mouth has never been so accessible as it is now. People can really get out there and voice their opinions, and you're changing the game so I'm excited about this. Because it's for the people this movie. It's a genuinely entertaining movie. That's it man. People are going to see it and get the word out and I love that.
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard opens in theaters nationwide on August 14.
Like Piven's Entourage character Ari Gold, Ready is a man who believes that business is war. He is the fearless leader of a crack team of mercenary car salesmen hired to save Temecula, CA dealership Selleck Motors. Ready has just three days over July 4th weekend to sell all the cars on the lot -- and walk away with the girl.
James Brolin plays Ben Selleck, the owner of Selleck Motors, which is under threat of invasion by luxury car dealer Stu Harding (Alan Thicke). Harding plans to turn Sellecks used car lot into a studio and rehearsal space for Big Ups!, a less-than-talented man-band fronted by his too-old-to-be-in-a-boy-band son Paxton (Ed Helms) who just happens to be engaged to Ben's daughter Ivy (Jordana Spiro). Ready is off his game however, after losing a man (Will Farrell) in a tragic incident involving a parachute and a bag of dildos at a President's Day sale in Albuquerque.
Going in you know that Ready will ultimately prevail and save Selleck's American dream, the fun lies in watching how he does it. But Piven is waging a less certain war of his own against two big budget movies that open on the same day. He's proud of The Goods (and rightly so), and is going the extra mile to rally the troops and make sure people see it. Thus, with less than 72 hours to go before D-Day, Piven is working the phones talking to the likes of SuicideGirls. "It's been a long, long, strange trip this promotion," says the exhausted actor. "I feel like I've been literally promoting this movie for fourteen years. And I would do it willingly for another fourteen years."
Nicole Powers: I have to say this movie is absolutely hilarious. Life -- and comedy -- is all about timing, and right now America needs Don Ready. I mean even Obama is getting into the used car business with his Cash for Clunkers scheme. When you started working on this movie you couldn't have conceived how reality would reflect your art, but you've got to appreciate the irony right now.
Jeremy Piven: Well I don't necessarily enjoy the fact that car sales are down 40% in this country and we're in a bad way. I happen to be from Chicago and I love me some Obama, and he's doing everything he can. He's getting very creative like Don Ready gets creative. I mean Don Ready thinks of himself as a rock star and he is the ultimate producer of a party. He brings a celebrity, a DJ, Creatable Inflatables, and he makes it happen. I just love how original these characters are, how funny, and, sometimes, how completely delusional.
NP: It really is a wonderful ensemble piece. Who out of your fellow cast members do you think has the most natural, god-given car-selling ability?
JP: It's hard to say. I think Dr. Ken [a.k.a. Ken Jeong], the Asian gentleman who jumped out of the trunk in The Hangover naked, I think he's so intelligent -- he is a real doctor -- he could probably sell Al Gore a Hummer. I think David Koechner could sell water to a well. I think Ed Helms, Ed's just genuinely funny. So I think either of those. No -- I think the all time winner is Kathryn Hahn. She could sell anything.
NP: What research did you do for the role?
JP: There's this amazing documentary called Slashers. I watched that and was blown away by it. And I just dealt with a bunch of car salesmen, regular ones on the lot, as well as guys that are higher profile that have their own shows and whatnot, just getting their tricks and lingo and history. It's kind of interesting -- actually fascinating. You know we've all been played whether we know it or not. We have been played.
NP: It's hard to be on the receiving end of those psychological games. I went to one car dealership recently that will remain nameless, where they deliberately leave you and your spouse on your own in a car sales booth, and I know it's because they have microphones hidden so they can listen in to the husband/wife conversation.
JP: Yeah, I think so. And also when they go in the other room to "check with their boss" to see what they can do, 'cause they're going to make something happen that's very special just for you, they're not talking to anyone. They're going in the other room and they're having a Pop Tart, and then they come back in and, you know, they're going to close the deal.
NP: What other tricks of the trade did you pick up?
JP: There's so many different ways that they can come at you based on their perception of you. It kind of is all in the movie. At certain points Kathryn Hahn is literally selling sex for cars. You saw it. It's madness!
NP: After this film, you are going to be considered a god amongst used car salesmen. Does that worry you?
JP: By no means. It didn't worry me when people all seemed to think they wanted to be represented by Ari Gold, so I welcome this. Don Ready is a totally original character that I'm insanely proud of. He actually has more quotable lines than anything I've ever gone near in my life.
NP: He really does. Is it true that "we are living in the golden age of lap dances?"
JP: [laughs] That's such a funny line actually. Um, I don't know, but it sure sounds funny.
NP: You must have had fun filming those scenes in the strip club. I was actually concerned though, I mean, did you get any neck injuries? She was really giving you a rough time with her firm thighs.
JP: You're the only one that picked up on that. It's so funny that it takes a woman to notice that. All the guys are like, "Oh my god dude! That strip club scene -- you're so lucky." She was cutting off all the oxygen and blood going up to my head and wrenching my neck. Lovely woman, incredibly strong, and yet I had a big, fat monologue that I had to deliver, and drink a beer, and have my head wrenched. So that was an interesting day at work.
NP: The other interesting day at work must have been when you got to thrust your head into Kristen Schall's ample cleavage. How many takes did you need for that particular scene?
JP: You know that was not too many. She's so funny. That's an example of, like, every beat counts. She's so good. It seems like she had this enormous role, but she came and worked one day with us. Everyone that pops their face on the screen is over-qualified, and we're lucky to have them.
NP: It's a great cast, a great movie, but I kind of feel sorry for Temecula. It does have a lot more going for it than you're led to believe in the movie. It has an amazing wine industry for example.
JP: Yeah. Listen, comedy, it's also about the sound of a name. I mean "Tem-ec-u-la." -- it's like a "tar-an-tu-la." It sounds like something that's very uncomfortable. So god bless Temecula.
NP: Well I definitely recommend that you sample the region's wine at some point.
JP: I love wine, so that's done.
NP: Your character has certain pre-sale rituals that you see in the film. Did you need any to prepare yourself for the role of Don Ready?
JP: This is the kind of role, it's just a dream role. I feel like I've been apprenticing this role my whole life. Just the opportunity to do it made me pop out of bed every day and just sprint to the set. It was an incredible experience.
NP: I understand you were allowed a lot of leeway on set to improvise. What are some of the best examples of the improv that actually ended up on screen?
JP: For me, improvising things like, "Party back at my house. Everyone's welcome. No guys." That was improvised. When she [Jordana Spiro who plays Don's love interest, Ivy Selleck] goes, "Don, that was a one night stand," I go, "Don't ever think it. You're my wife, that's my son." That whole delusional turn is me. Everything that Will Ferrell said is an improv because he's a genius. Ed Helms would continuously crush it...There are plenty of examples of improvs all the way along. Dick Lewiston [who plays terminally politically incorrect car salesman] Charles Napier, he says, "You bald headed fuck, I've seen more hair on bacon." That's improvised.
NP: Ed Helms plays the lead character in a man band. Do you feel, like Jack Black and Tenacious D, that maybe he has a life with his band outside of this movie?
JP: Yes, I do. I do. Actually that's a great call. I'd like to see a whole musical based on Big Ups! Or, as Ivy Selleck's mom says, "Balls Out!"
See that was an example of, she got it wrong in rehearsal. She goes, "It's my son's band, it's Ball Out! Oh, I'm sorry you guys, I said it wrong." I said, "No, not at all. Do that during the take. It's perfect." I mean it's perfect, you know, to have these mistakes. You're looking for beautiful mistakes. We make mistakes in life all the time, why not put it on screen?
NP: There's obvious parallels between Ari from Entourage and Don from The Goods. They both have that Art of War / business is war mentality. Do you believe in that ethos personally?
JP: It's interesting because my life is so different from these characters. I'm a stage actor from Chicago, I go to yoga, and I try to find balance in my life. Not to sound too completely "Kumbaya," but I just know that these types of characters are fascinating to me. And I think I, in terms of my own career and life and that kind of stuff, I think I do share similar kind of philosophies or even ideologies. That you've got to do it yourself. You can't really get reactive if a job's not getting done, you really just got to make it happen yourself. I do think in that way, in that quality, I do share that with both these characters.
NP: You talk about your history in theater in Chicago, and I know that you come from a very theatrical family, and that in between Hollywood roles you run back to Chicago to participate in theater there. In a way you're a victim of your own success, because you've made Ari so believable that when Mercurygate happened, and you pulled out of a Broadway theater production, people automatically assumed you must have pulled an Ari Gold move. But why would you? You love the theater. Why would you, out of choice, pull out of a theatrical experience?
JP: Well I was incredibly guilty of listening to my doctors. That's what I did. It's been such a pleasure and an honor to be a working actor and part of the reason I got sick was I come from a family of not only "the show must go on" but the idea of turning down a role is sacrilege. And the reality is, sometimes you have to take a break. If you don't take a break for 20 years what happens is what happened to me. You hit the wall and you end up in the hospital and you've got an irregular heartbeat and your body is desperately trying to catch up. In my case, after eating sushi and all types of fish for 20 years your body's filled with mercury. The doctors basically examined me for three days and said, "You could have a heart attack. You have to take a break." And I listed to them. So that's what happened, and then you take your lumps -- that's a part of life.
NP: Are you feeling better now?
JP: I feel so much better. I actually think that my life was completely saved. Because had I not had that happen I would have continued on eating nothing but fish -- no red meat, no chicken, no dairy products -- just fish, and then what would have happened? I don't know. Who knows how the mercury would have manifested. But also, you have to take a break. It's OK to say no. I've come to terms with that it terms of having and finding some balance in my life.
NP: Also, I think you get to a point as an actor where you're defined as much my the roles you turn down, as by the ones you choose to take. You are in a position where you can pick and choose now. Are you enjoying that?
JP: Yeah. You have to understand, I come from a family where we've always performed in like a 99-seat house. My father would hang the lights and direct himself, and call the audience himself on the phone and get people in. That's where we come from. So success was always simply, success means being able to have choices as an actor. That fact that I have choices as an actor is a great success. I'm incredibly lucky.
NP: Well, I really hope this movie is going to be a great success because it's so fucking funny, but I feel that the trailer undersells it. How would Don Ready sell this movie?
JP: First of all, right now, I'm lying on my side and I'm having a very un-Don Ready moment...People like you are going to make the difference. Because you have a fan base, people listen to you. Word of mouth has never been so accessible as it is now. People can really get out there and voice their opinions, and you're changing the game so I'm excited about this. Because it's for the people this movie. It's a genuinely entertaining movie. That's it man. People are going to see it and get the word out and I love that.
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard opens in theaters nationwide on August 14.
VIEW 3 of 3 COMMENTS
Can't wait to go see this movie. Jeremy Piven makes Entourage half of what it is, so this movie is going to be awesome.