David Schwimmer about 'Big Nothing'

01-11-2006 15:57

David Schwimmer (Charlie)Q: It seems like this has been fun to work on?DS: Yeah, it has. We have a really good crew and good vibe generally. It's been fun.

Q: Can you tell me about the role you play and describe your character?
DS: I play Charlie Wood. He’s a writer who is awaiting news on whether his book has been published. He’s been working on it for it for many years and has basically brought no income to his family because he has been writing this book for so long. He’s married, he’s got a young daughter and he’s a guy who is trying to do the right thing and trying to provide more for his family. He somehow gets embroiled in this really bad scheme to extort money from someone, and things go terribly, terribly wrong for Charlie and for everyone involved. It’s when bad things happen to good people.

Q: Your character goes through quite a rollercoaster of a journey?
DS: Yeah, Charlie is definitely the moral backbone of the story. I think most people will see it through his eyes, because most people have never been thrown into these circumstances, with all these murders, accidents and deaths. Also, most people do not resort to the level that Charlie, Josie and Gus resort to, in terms of trying to get this money and then try to get away with it. In many ways Charlie is the straight man, but this is also the biggest adventure he’s ever had. While a lot of what happens is pretty scary and new ground for him, it’s also probably the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to him. It’s all totally new ground for Charlie. For the first time in his life, he’s lying to his wife and that’s just, it’s just really out of character for him. But, he’s at a point in his life where he is desperate enough for change and unfortunately it’s bad timing for him because the element of change is Gus and it’s just a disaster.Q: It’s quite a dark script. How does it feel to you?
DS: I’ve done different kinds of comedy before but my favourite is dark comedy. When I read the script I just loved the tone so much. It was a similar kind of tone to one of my favourite movies, War of the Roses. I just really responded to it. I found the humour to be pretty grim but also just a lot of fun. I liked the physical comedy in it too and that to me is fun to try to do. I thought it would just be a blast.Q: Let’s talk about your relationship with the rest of the cast.
DS: It’s been a truly fun experience working with Alice and Simon. You never know you are going to get along with people before you sign up to do something, but luckily the three of us have just had a blast together and really made each other laugh – as much if not more off camera as we do on camera. I think there’s a good chemistry between Simon and I, between Simon and Alice and then Alice and I. We’re this kind of weird gang but it sort of makes sense for some reason. When Simon and I are together it definitely feels like salt and pepper, something like two very different people that somehow seem right together.Q: How have you found their accents?
DS: They’re great. They are both playing Americans extremely well. Their accents are fantastic. We have a terrific coach Judith Windsor, whose just great, great fun.