Most of the cast went through weeks of training together but you weren’t a part of that, were you?
“Yeah, I sort of stayed out of that. They were all supposed to have known each other, their characters.”
Did that make it a little difficult for you on the set because all the other actors had already bonded?
“Well, yeah. I mean, I didn’t pay too much attention to it, but subconsciously I just didn’t know anyone, really. They all knew each other; they had hung out a lot. But I just sort of came in there and like got to know everyone just the way the character did.”
Before working with Justin Timberlake had you given much thought to how he would handle the transition from pop star to actor?
“No, I didn’t really have any expectations or anything. I was sort of like hoping he would be a good guy, which he is. He is a really good guy. He’s really dedicated to work with, so it was all good.”
The movie focuses on the drug cultural of bored middle-class teens, but what do you think is the underlying moral of the story?
“I think for me it’s about people being absolutely apathetic all the time, you know? They see, but they just don’t care. They’re either living some sort of image that they want to live in, you know, whatever, or they’re just too busy with their own lives and constructing their own lives without realizing that you can’t live your life without paying attention to others. That has a bunch of different outcomes, but in this story it has an awful outcome. The result is so tragic and it’s all because nobody from the teenage girls to parents themselves paid any attention and didn’t care. That, to me, is the most important thing. I think it’s not just parents, even though parents are a big part of it. It’s everybody. We live in a really apathetic culture.”
Were you ever able to meet any of the real people who inspired the true story?
“No. Well, I met a couple of people, like the guy that was making my body cast. Initially there was a dead body cast and the guy that was making my body cast went to school with Nick and all those guys and Jesse James Hollywood and stuff.”
Did he tell you anything about them?
“No, he just said they were quiet, just quiet. He didn’t really hang out with them. I met a bunch of guys like that age, they’re in their early 20’s and they knew all of them.”
You had to do a body cast?
“Yes.”
What was that process like?
“I think it was just my head. Yeah, it was just my head because they were just going to make the rest of the body. But they just put stuff on you, it was pretty cool. I imagined it would be claustrophobic, but it wasn’t. It was interesting. I enjoyed it.”
It seems like it would be pretty freaky.
“I don’t know. It was one of just those kind of movie magic things, that’s the way I approached it. You know, like going to Universal Studios and taking the tour. It was similar to that – except happening to me.”
And your next film, Charlie Bartlett, is premiering at Tribeca.
“Yeah, it’s going to be at Tribeca and it’s coming out August 3rd.”
What’s that film about?
“Well that one, it’s about this kid, Charlie Bartlett, who goes to a high school and starts dealing prescription drugs to all the kids and becomes like the school psychiatrist. Robert Downey Jr’s in it. It’s like a nice, nice sort of touching comedy - not sad at all. Just a very pleasant comedy with bizarre characters…”
Is that refreshing after all these dramatic roles you’ve been doing?
“Yes, it was great. It was the first time I’ve had the opportunity to do that. I’m not complaining. Everything that I’ve worked on, I’ve wanted to work on and it was a learning experience for me. But it was nice to get to be funny and stuff for a change.”
