But I can’t take responsibility as an actor for an entire film. I can only take responsibility for what I do in my work and so it is a director’s medium. So the best scenario is to work with directors who you really believe in.  But it doesn’t always work out that way.

- Has it been easier to be an actor who has directed?

Well it’s easier to have that prospective. I am able to say: 'Hey, look I like this role. I can have some fun making this film.'

It’s grand for me to think that I’m responsible for the outcome of that movie, like I would have any ultimate say on what happens.  It’s ridiculous. So I just have to look at it as will I have fun making it. That’s what I do, I’m an actor.

- Do you feel all the hype around the young actors these days? It was different when you started. Do you think the business has changed?

I don’t spend a lot of time focusing on it to be honest. The business has changed I’ve noticed over the years consistently that there’s less interest in the work from actors.  They seemed to be more concerned with other stuff.

I think that’s going to change. I think that’s one of those ebb and flows. People have been more concerned with the deal and all that stuff.

- You mean what they’re doing off screen?

Well, that’s a big problem too.

- You grew up in an era when they didn’t have the internet or camera phones.

Yeah, it’s weird.  But I think it’s too bad... I don’t know. You know they say, they don’t make them like they used to?

But whether its buildings or cars or movies, you know? I still think we are making really good films in some areas, I do.

- What was the last movie you saw that you loved?

The last thing I saw that l loved. I’m going to need another cup of coffee for that one!

- Paul Walker talked about his passion for fishing for about 20 minutes - what is your real passion?

I feel passionate when I’m creative.  I was in South Sudan; I’m involved with the Refugees International which is an organization I’m very passionate about.  I avoided joining the board for years, although I did a lot of work for them, because I didn’t want that responsibility.

They are a group I’ve been involved with for 20 years and I joined the board about a year and a half ago. It’s like the best thing I’ve ever done.  I think it’s so important. It gives you a perspective on life. I’m interested in other cultures and civilizations.

I like people and so they are the two things that come together and I think doing something like that I learn about myself.  That’s how I find out about myself.  Who I am?  Just be discovering what I like doing and what interests me.

I went to the South Sudan in February because we were doing an assessment on returning people. You know what’s been going on with Dufar and there’s a lot of focus on it, but we’re trying to put a little attention back on South Sudan which is the North South conflict; the peace treaty that was signed.

It’s a fragile peace and if that war breaks out again then the whole region is unstabalized and it will be a disaster for all of Sudan, including it will grow worse for Dufar. So we were looking at that situation and what was really interesting for me and being there, because a lot of what we were doing anyway, its refugeesinternational.org if you want to find out more about South Sudan.

I shot a ten minute documentary, and you asked about my passion and that’s something I’m passionate about.  When I started editing that film, I really got into it. It’s not a personal film or a film I was making as a filmmaker, so much as an advocacy to try and raise awareness.

I really got into it and it gave me the same you know I’m having a good day when I bound up the stairs and I’m usually that way when I’m doing something that I feel good about.

When I’m creative.  And being there, what I learned about myself that I’m not a passive person. I am somebody who has to get involved.  I like working with the people there. I just didn’t want to find out information. So I’m good when I’m doing something.

- Are you still passionate about music?

Yeah, I play drums a little bit. Congas. I’m not ready to make a record!

- On the internet it says you’re making a Brazilian sex comedy?

No, there’s no trut h to that at all.  I don’t know how that got out there. It drives me crazy when they write stuff that isn’t true. A friend of mine made that film but that’s not the title. Somebody once said to me you were in Malcolm X...

And I looked it up and on IMDB, it says I was in Malcolm X because there’s a guy named Matt Dillon who’s a friend of Spike Lee, who is black... And I know him from New Orleans from the Jazz fest like fifteen years ago and so people think that I was in that movie.

- What has kept you in the business for so long? You have such a huge body of work.

I don’t know, you kidding? I wouldn’t give this up! The healthiest thing for me is doing other things, getting outside of your comfort zone and I loved directing. That gives you a new lease on life and a new way of looking at things.

- What’s the hardest genre for you to do? You’ve said it’s20comedy in the past.

No, I was just saying that in general comedy is hard. I am not trying to say that it is especially hard for me. It’s just in general it’s hard.

I do a lot of comedy, but I’m not a comedic actor. There are a lot of actors where that’s their thing and so they’re expected to be funny all the time.  I think that’s got to be more difficult.

So you’re more of the straight guy?

Well, I wasn’t the straight guy in Something About Mary.  But with Owen Wilson in You, Me and Dupree, I was kind of the straight guy.  That’s harder doing the straight guy in a way, playing a reactive character.

- What kind of things do you do to stay in shape?

Lately I’ve been moving because I’ve been doing work on my apartment. So I’ve been doing a lot of stairs. I have buns of steel! (Laughs) I’ve been going up and down stairs because I had to move after all these years of being in one spot, and now I’m doing renovations.

- You also haven’t aged, what’s your secret? What is the anti-aging cream you are using and not telling us about?

(Laughs) You know that’s good because that means that I haven’t aged that much, but you know in fact, if you really look at me I have aged, but maybe I haven’t aged that much which is good.  I don’t know what it is, but I’m lucky that I have my mother’s genes.  She’s very youthful.  Not my dad’s genes!

- So what’s on your iPod when you work out at the gym?

I was thinking about that yesterday on the plane, I was in Cancun twelve years ago and I think I’ve got the same music, but it’s great music!  It’s changed possibly a little bit, but it’s mostly Afro-Cuban or Brazilian music or I listen to 20s Jazz.

- How did you get into that kind of music?

I just like music you know? You know what usually helps is when you visit the countries. I got into Brazilian music more when I went there. You start to enjoy the culture and suck up the atmosphere and it enriches the experience.

And I go home and all I want to do is listen to the music to bring me back to where I just was.  But I like all music. I love Irish folk music. I just heard some interesting Russian gypsy music. It was fantastic.

- That’s all the time we have I'm afraid.

Take it easy. Thank you guys.

Takers is out now.

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