In his latest movie, the laugh-out-loud comedy HORRIBLE BOSSES, KEVIN SPACEY stars as Dave Harken, one of 3 twisted individuals who make the lives of their employees a living nightmare.
At the London press conference for Horrible Bosses this week, Spacey spoke about trying to keep a straight face while filming the movie, what he’s like as boss of The Old Vic, and what he thinks of critics today.
**HORRIBLE BOSSES is in cinemas across the UK from 22 JULY
Kevin Spacey stars as Jason Bateman's horrible boss
MMM: What attracted you to Horrible Bosses?
Spacey: Like Seth [Gordon, the director], when I read the script I just thought it was really hilarious. I think everybody was pretty much cast by the time I came on. And I loved the cast, and I thought it would be an absolute treat to do, and it was. I think the hardest part, in fact… and I’m sure this is true for our three protagonists was just not laughing all day long. It was a lot of fun.
MMM: Have you had a horrible boss? What’s the strangest thing a director has asked you to do in preparation for a part?
Spacey: I’ve never had a horrible boss but I have had really remarkably stupid bosses. And that is frustrating because you think: ‘How did they get this job?’ And then you realise ‘Oh right, they’re the son of…’
MMM: You’re a boss at the Old Vic, so do you have any idea what your employees think of you?
Spacey: [Laughs] I’ve been very fortunate since I started at the Old Vic, I’m now in my eighth year of living here and we’re at the end of our seventh season of work. I guess there’s a little over 60 employees in the company and they get what we’re about and they make me look very good.
I learned to delegate early on and trust them. And I like to make people feel the way I feel when I’m in the presence of somebody who’s in the position of authority – whether that’s someone like Mike Nicholls or Sam Mendes currently – they create an atmosphere in which everybody just wants to come to work and do their best for them. And that’s the kind of environment that I try to create.
MMM: Do they have a nick-name for you?
Spacey: I think it’s asshole, but I’m not really sure! [Laughs]
Jennifer Aniston stars as Dr Julia Harris with Charlie Day as dental assistant Dale Arbus in Horrible Bosses
MMM: Could you imagine asking Jennifer Aniston to come to the Old Vic?
Spacey: Yes, I can imagine that. I can also imagine her telling me to go fuck myself. [Laughs] Come play Richard III! There’s an offer! But look, I’m always encouraging actors, whether they grew up in the theatre, had experiences in theatre, to give it a try. I don’t think you necessarily have to start off on the Old Vic stage, or necessarily on Broadway. There’s lots of incredible theatres and places to go in which you may want to try out that set of muscles.
I know that for myself the amount of work I’ve been doing here in London, the amount of plays I’ve done have made me better as an actor because of the directors I’ve worked with and the experience of what it’s like to be able to have the experience that we never really get in films. And that’s no matter how good you are in a movie, you’ll never be any better. In theatre, that’s not true.
MMM: What was it like working with director Seth Gordon?
Spacey: One of the things that I think we all had working in our favour was that Seth had a very, very clear idea of the tone of the film that he wanted to strike. And that really is helpful when you can improv within that area and you put the whole movie together and it has a consistent tone.
MMM: Do you care about what critics say about your performances in films?
Spacey: I think there is a tendency to criticise a personality rather than the content, or actually even the performance. That’s a way to go… but the days of Kenneth Tynan, a very well known and well respected critic, are behind us.
