Love Happens - Aaron Eckhart Interview
Aaron Eckhart plays a self-help guru who doesn't practice what he preaches in the romantic drama 'Love Happens.' Eckhart and co-star John Carroll Lynch talked about working on the romantic movie while on the red carpet at the film's world premiere.
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Transcript: Love Happens - Aaron Eckhart Interview
Rebecca Murray from About.com Hollywood Movies at the world premiere of Universal Pictures' Love Happens.
Aaron Eckhart – 'Burke Ryan' in Love Happens
Aaron Eckhart: "What are we going to talk about today?"
We're going to talk about the fact that you've done romantic movies before, but this one's different. What sets it apart?
Aaron Eckhart: "I don't know. I don't know. I mean, the role is I play a grief counselor so I'm dealing with grief. That was fun to play as an actor. Jennifer [Aniston] sets it apart because she's awesome and I really enjoyed working with her. She taught me a lot about timing and comedy, and all that sort of stuff."
You said it was fun to play a grief counselor? You have to go kind of dark for that.
Aaron Eckhart: "You do, but as an actor you want to kind of get roles that are chewy, that you can really get stuck into. And this is a character, in the midst of a romantic drama or a romantic comedy, that you get good things to play. And it's about something. When people see this, hopefully they'll be affected by it, you know? So as an actor it was an acting challenge, and I appreciated that."
John Carroll Lynch – 'Walter' in Love Happens
John Carroll Lynch: "I play Walter who's one of the people who goes to the grief seminar that Burke Ryan, Aaron Eckhart's character's running. There's a bunch of people who've lost loved ones. His loss is his son and he's been kind of frozen in grief since then. And I think he doesn't really know whether or not this is a circus or whether or not it's something that's going to help."
Is that a tough character to play?
John Carroll Lynch: "It was not comfortable. But, you know, it's funny. When you talk to me about it, the movie is so wide-ranging and it's so rich and it's so much more like life. It's messy and delightful that way and there are really funny, ridiculous things that happen. And you know I don't about you but the people I know who've lost people have moments where they're really sad but there are uncomfortable and they laugh. Like when my grandfather died, he was a guy who was always late, and his family was waiting at the church. They'd had the wake in Lima, New York in his house. The guys came to take the casket out only they had to unscrew the brass rails because it wouldn't come out the door. So the whole family and everybody is in the church waiting, and my uncle turned to my grandmother and said, 'Well, he's late again.' Late for his own funeral."
Being a romantic tale, are you into these romantic dramas? Is that the kind of movie you see?
John Carroll Lynch: "I have to tell you I'm a sucker for romantic comedies. I go all the time. It's like a secret thing. I go in the middle of the day when nobody else goes. And I go on my own – I really do. I see them all."
The hat, the sunglasses, you disguise yourself?
John Carroll Lynch: "Whatever I've got to do to get there and leave with my dignity. I'll pick up an Inglourious Basterds stub. I'll walk out with it. Whatever's necessary."
You've got Paul coming up too, right?
John Carroll Lynch: "Yes, Paul's coming up, Shutter Island."
Paul looks hilarious.
John Carroll Lynch: "Yeah, I think Paul's going to be really funny. The script is great and that cast was extraordinarily good."
And Shutter Island got pushed back, right?
John Carroll Lynch: "Yeah, it got pushed back. I think it was because Leo [DiCaprio] wasn't available. It's one of those things where everybody is looking for some other reason, but the truth of the matter is that's what it was. The movie's going to be fantastic and terrifying."
Have you seen it all the way through?
John Carroll Lynch: "No, but I've seen little bits and pieces of what I've done. I loved watching. Every time it got better and better and better. And then the last time I saw it…they do it in black and white, you know? And then they put it in color and it just took my breath away."