CHRIS MARQUETTE and PAUL DANO INTERVIEW:
Paul, you’ve worked in another movie with Emile Hirsch. Did that make it easier to play best friends onscreen?
PAUL DANO – Emile and I are really good buddies and actually Chris and I worked together when we were like 12 on Broadway. He used to do a lot of theater and that’s how I got started in New York.
Did that help you two play good friends?
PAUL DANO – We haven’t seen each other in so long.
CHRIS MARQUETTE – We’re still good friends. The three of us are pretty good friends.
Did the three of you do anything off the set to help you bond?
CHRIS MARQUETTE – We went to the YMCA gym.
PAUL DANO – (Laughing) Oh God! The first thing Emile wanted to do was go work out. We went to the YMCA and I just sat there.
CHRIS MARQUETTE – We kind of tried to do something for about a second - lift some weights - but there were these really buff guys sitting around.
PAUL DANO– But we all got along so well together it wasn’t like we had to get to know each other.
What was the point of working out at the gym?
CHRIS MARQUETTE – I don’t know (laughing). You have to ask Emile that.
PAUL DANO – Yeah, ask Emile. It’s not explainable (laughing).
You get the script and it’s about a porn star and there are scenes that take place at a porn convention. What did you see in the script that sold you on the movie?
PAUL DANO – It’s a good part in a good movie. It’s a funny movie and I think people are going to like it – and the porn element is great. And kids are going to love it and all my college buddies are going to love it.
CHRIS MARQUETTE – The 12 year olds are going to love it (laughing).
But it’s rated R.
CHRIS MARQUETTE – No, no 12 year olds. It has to be rated R.
PAUL DANO – But it by no means pushes a huge limit on raunchiness. I don’t think anyone is going to get offended or disgusted. It’s not things that haven’t been said before, to an extent, but it is really new and innovative.
Chris, your character is totally obsessed with sex. Could you relate to that?
CHRIS MARQUETTE – Not really… No, I could. What I did was I borrowed Paul’s porn collection and sort of got into the spirit of getting to know Jenna Jamison and getting to know…
PAUL DANO – Are you ever going to give that back?
CHRIS MARQUETTE – See, everything part I go on, I sort of take a little of that person with me so I’ve got to keep them. Sorry.
This movie has been compared a lot to “Risky Business.” Is that a fair comparison?
PAUL DANO – Yeah, I think it is.
CHRIS MARQUETTE – I think with the idea in mind that it’s a 90’s version. It’s not a direct remake or a direct spin-off. Really only the basic premise to “Risky Business” that is similar is that he falls in love with a call girl. Tom Cruise did, and Emile falls in love with a porn star. That’s pretty much the big thing, the romantic/funny story. It’s got those characters and Paul and I kind of play like the Curtis Armstrong type of character.
PAUL DANO – All you can do is compare the two movies and that’s good. “Risky Business” was a great movie to be compared to.
Will they be talking about this movie in 20 years, like we still talk about “Risky Business?”
CHRIS MARQUETTE – My own personal opinion, I would love it if they did but I just think this is going to be one of those comedies that people are going to buy, that everybody is going to get a DVD of and keep watching it. That would be great, but I don’t know.
Are we going to see a lot of extra scenes on the DVD?
CHRIS MARQUETTE – A lot.
PAUL DANO – There should be some good bonus stuff on there – all the outtakes and stuff. That should be fun.
PAGE 2: Paul Dano Talks About "Rose and the Snake" and Avoiding the Teen Comedy Trap
ADDITIONAL "THE GIRL NEXT DOOR" RESOURCES:
Interviews with Elisha Cuthbert and Emile Hirsch
"The Girl Next Door" Premiere Photos
"The Girl Next Door" Production Photos
"The Girl Next Door" Trailer, Credits, and Websites
