The more insight I get, the more scared I get of women in general.
I've heard this before from people: early 20s kind of screws with your head a little bit because you're transitioning into adulthood and actually becoming an adult with responsibilities and paying bills. So all of a sudden, it's like you're responsible now.
When I was in high school, my parents had this power over me - if I ever lied or got caught doing something that I shouldnt be doing, then I would no longer be able to go to LA and continue to pursue the acting thing.
The fact that the movie's called Norman and I play Norman was just a weighted responsibility that I never experienced before. I just tried to be prepared as possible. I think that's really the only way to go about it, from what I heard from people who have to do this a lot.
The great thing about a name like 'Cougar Town' is that you hear it once and you remember it forever. Its a very loud title. But there's a connection to the word 'cougar' that means a lot of people are going to be turned off right away by the title alone without even giving the show a chance.
Its hard for me to listen to any actors whine or moan about anything acting-related because look at the world. We really have nothing to complain about. Just to be working is a blessing.
It wasn't like this happy-go-lucky experience, shooting Norman movie. It was something I kind of had to, sort of dedicate a certain level of focus and energy to kind of just stay in this headspace that would allow me to access - because it's also a very emotional movie at times. This was the first time I ever played a real character, a fully fleshed out, dimensionalized, multi-faceted character, as opposed to a part. There's not very much opportunity for somebody of my age and my look, so for a character-driven piece like this to come along is a rare thing.
And as an actor, just working with someone as seasoned and professional and kind as Richard Jenkins, it's always a learning experience watching him - on camera and off camera, just soaking it all up.
Just watching an actor in front you really provokes you in such a sudden, unexpected way. You can't ask for anything more from someone you're working with than that.
When I was in high school, my parents had this power over me - if I ever lied or got caught doing something that I shouldn't be doing, then I would no longer be able to go to LA and continue to pursue the acting thing. So that was this sort of looming thing they could had over me that just sort of really kept me in check throughout those formative years where you would typically be lying and doing bad stuff.
The only lie I really remember from my adolescence was when I was in sixth grade and I was dropped off with a couple of friends at the movie theater to go see a movie, I can't remember which one it was, and we went to go see this movie instead that was rated R. That was sort of a defining moment, that was probably the first time I had ever lied to my parents about something.
