After we exchanged apologies - O'Connell for calling a wee bit late, me for owning a dog too old to be locked up who might just interrupt our phone interview a few times with random barks - O'Connell talked about life on the set of Piranha 3-D, scary movies, getting naked, and dogs. Yes, dogs. But, thankfully, not dogs getting eaten by piranhas.
Exclusive Interview with Jerry O'Connell
I’ve seen the footage and I want to know being a woman, is there anything in this movie for me?Jerry O'Connell: "Listen, I think it’s a date movie. I think it’s a movie you’re going to want go on a date to. I think it’s going to scare the crap out of you. I mean do women like to get the crap scared out of them at the movies? Sure. Of course."
Absolutely.
Jerry O'Connell: "I believe just as much as men do. I think it’s chauvinistic to think that women don’t like to get scared."
But there are nearly naked women in the movie, so how about naked men? Do women get their share of eye candy?
Jerry O'Connell: "I’m naked. I get naked."
All right then, that just sold the movie to millions of women.
Jerry O'Connell: "I get naked. There are a lot of men’s shirts coming off. In terms of nudity, I think I’m the only male nudity in it."
"I tell you what’s really funny about getting scared. I have two little daughters and they love this game where I'll hide on the other side of a plastic tunnel or the other side of the park when I take them to a play ground. They like me to go, 'Boo!,' so that they jump. They think it’s the funniest thing in the world. I think it's something to do with humans, fight or flight, and when people realize that being scared is actually not happening to you, that it's an experience and your mind is being tricked into thinking that your life is in danger, I think people find it entertaining. Horror movies are here to stay, you know? It’s not a fad. Even the musical has gone in and out of style from time to time. Horror movies have always been around."
And they usually do well at the box office. But is this a horror movie or is it a comedy?
Jerry O'Connell: "How do I say this? It’s a popcorn film. It’s a date movie; it’s a classic summer popcorn date movie, scare the crap out of you and you're going to laugh a lot. Hopefully you’re going to laugh a lot."
Is it a throwback to old school scary?
Jerry O'Connell: "It’s a throwback to the '80s. It’s a throwback to all those videos you rented growing up, except it's in 3-D and the budget it a little bigger."
I don't like wearing the 3-D glasses. Do you absolutely have to see this in 3-D?
Jerry O'Connell: "I think you should see it in 3-D, that’s my opinion. The film was made with 3-D in mind. It was just made in 3-D. Every shot was designed to be seen in 3-D. If you don’t see it in 3-D, you don’t get to see it."
"Let me tell you about some highlights in this movie. Chuck Bass coming to the set and visiting his girlfriend for months. Do you know who Chuck Bass is?
No, I don’t know who Chuck Bass is.
Jerry O'Connell: "There’s a lot of young woman who will be very upset with you. Chuck Bass is the character Ed Westwick plays on Gossip Girl."
I’m not a Gossip Girl kind of person.
Jerry O'Connell: "Ahhh, it’s a fun show, a fun time."
I miss Carpoolers. I'm more that kind of a TV person.
Jerry O'Connell: "What are you going to do? I was doing some press for Piranha earlier this morning and someone was playing clips from Carpoolers. I was like, 'God, man, I miss that show.'"
They always take off the best shows. If they are smart and funny, they cancel them off.
Jerry O'Connell: "What are you going to do?"
So back to Piranha 3-D.
Jerry O'Connell: "My character, I play, this is what I’m supposed to legally say, a character that it’s loosely based on Joe Francis’ of Girls Gone Wild. That character owns a company called Wild Wild Girls, which is a company that is loosely based on the Girls Gone Wild franchise. So that’s a lot of fun getting to play just a total jerk. I mean a total jerk. And as a father of girls, there is no one more frightening than a character loosely based on Joe Francis. It’s basically a father’s greatest fear, especially now with Laurence Fishburne's daughter. Every father of girls wants to give Laurence Fishburne a call and go, ‘Hey man, let me know if there’s anything I can do.' How crazy are this kids? I mean, kill me now!"
Why would you want to play a character like that?
Jerry O'Connell: "Because it was fun and it's done in good humor. It really is. And believe me, this is a horror film so people are going to die - so audiences may be quite pleased. It's just too much fun and I’m never going to be able to play something like that. You just can’t play good guys your whole life, you just can’t."
You have to mix it up.
Jerry O'Connell: "What a fun character. I get to say and do things that I would never say and do as a man, as an adult, as a human! I just wouldn’t. It’s fun in that sense, you know?"
And Piranha 3-D is totally different from what Alexandre Aja has done before, because his other horror movies have been really, really graphic and scary, but not comedies in the least bit.
Jerry O'Connell: "I don't know. I just think he wanted to make just a scary, fun movie. You've also got to understand that our director, writer is a French dude, so here’s a guy who grew up watching MTV's Spring Break and being like [said with a French accent], 'Oh my god, this looks like so much fun. I want to go to America and party with the Spring Break.' Then he gets to make a horror movie based on that. It’s sort of an elevated, heightened version of like an MTV Spring Break."
You actually shot it where a lot of people go for spring break - Lake Havasu?
Jerry O'Connell: "We shot it on Lake Havasu, which is a very popular spring break spot. It's a beautiful part of the world. Beautiful lake, gorgeous ravens, and cliffs and really makes for a gorgeous 3-D movie. It’s also a party town. We were there for Memorial Day weekend and it was crazy. I actually had to go home. I was like, 'I can’t be here!' I mean the wife was taking care of the girls and then I'm there for Memorial Day and it's like, 'If my wife finds out I’m here I’m in big trouble.' She’s sitting at home with two crying children and I’m like, 'Yea! Woohooo! Havasu '09!'"
At least you were at work so you had an excuse. I imagine when you get a script about piranha eating people you're like, 'Okay....' Was it as crazy on the set as you expected it to be?
Jerry O'Connell: "I knew it was going to fun. I knew Richard Dreyfus was going to be in it, and he's sort of reprising his role from the role he played in Jaws. I knew it was going to be done a little tongue in cheek. I just knew it was going to be a lot of fun, and we had a lot of fun making it and it’s a really fun movie."
