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MATT DILLON on 'YOU, ME AND DUPREE'
Contributed by Michael J. Lee, Executive Editor
for Radio Free Entertainment
June 23, 2006
In the comedy You, Me and Dupree, newlywed Carl (Matt Dillon) invites his unemployed friend Dupree (Owen Wilson) to stay with him and his wife Molly (Kate Hudson) until he can get back on his feet. But despite his amicable nature, Dupree quickly wears out his welcome, putting a strain on the couple's new marriage. Faced with an estranged wife, an aggravating houseguest, trouble at work, and a father-in-law (Michael Douglas) with a grudge against him, Carl snaps, compelling Dupree to get his act together so that he can help his lifelong pal.
In this interview, Matt Dillon talks about working on the movie.
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The Interview
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MEDIA: How did you like working with Owen Wilson?
MATT: We're different in our backgrounds, our training, or whatever. But I found that I was really pleasantly surprised that Owen liked to work very spontaneously. We did a fair amount of ad-libbing, and I found that to be really refreshing, because I like to work that way. And in comedy, I think that can be gold, because you just never know what's going to work. There's a kind of a magic that can happen when you're spontaneous. And also, it keeps you connected. And so I liked the way Owen works. It's very natural.
What's your take on your character Carl? And do you have a preference between comedic and dramatic roles?
I like to do comedy, but I'll be perfectly honest: I prefer to do drama or character-driven based stuff, generally. But I like to do comedy, and I found this is one of the more difficult roles, in a way, that I've had to play--more challenging because the character's kind of the straight guy. He's very reactive. And I think where the comedy is with that type of a character isn't a look or a reaction. And God knows, I've had plenty of those in this film. So I felt like, for me, it was really important that in the end, Carl stands up for himself. And I think that was important for a very satisfying denouement. And also, that he somehow had a hand in all of this chaos. In fact, he was the one who made the decision to invite Dupree into his home, so he kind of deserves, to a certain extent, whatever he gets. But I think Carl's the character that most people will identify with, because we've all had...I've certainly had multiple Duprees in my life over the years.
What do you think is the worst thing about the character of Dupree?
Well, they say good neighbors make good fences, you know? This is clearly not something that Dupree lives by. He has real boundary problems. [laughs] So that is maybe the worst aspect of Dupree, in a way. Worse than the fact that he burns down [Carl's] living room and his sofa, and that he runs around naked, it's more the way he puts Carl in the doghouse. That is really sort of unforgivable in a friend, that you get your friend in trouble with his girlfriend. Or his wife, as it is in this case.
At one point, Dupree finds Carl's porn collection in a boxed marked "Carl's Camping Equipment." Any tips on hiding the stash, since that doesn't seem to work?
I thought that was a pretty clever. I thought it was maybe a little too clever for his own good, you know? How many guys actually write on the box "Carl's Camping Equipment," right? You know, what I thought was interesting is that he chose to keep the collection. He had a sentimental attachment to that porn collection, and so when he's throwing them out, it's really like saying goodbye to an old friend. Each tape, very slowly...
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Have you and your brothers ever been "Duprees" to each other?
Yeah, I've had that with all my brothers at one point, and friends. I've had a number of Duprees, like I said, in my life. You know, friendship's important to me, so you end up putting up with things because you like these guys in spite of their shortcomings. They're your friends. And then brothers, obviously...They're your brothers. I mean, blood is thicker than water. But it's hard to know because Dupree is unaware of the fact that he's this crazy-maker. So I'm sure that I've been that to somebody, but I was probably unaware of it. [laughs] And I'd say if I was a houseguest, I [probably] have a tendency to like to play my music loud, and that might be something that bothers people. My driving...I've been accused of not being the safest and the best driver.
Did you do any of your own stunts in the skateboarding scene?
Are you kidding me? Do you think they were going to let me on a skateboard in the middle of making that film? [laughs] Thank God they didn't try to! I wasn't much of a skateboarder.
But you did do the scene where Carl attacks Dupree across the table screaming, right? Any injuries?
I did launch myself over the table. That was fun, but it tore my vocal chords up, that scene. So the next day on the set, it was a scene with Kate and I in the kitchen. It was kind of a quiet scene. And [one of the directors] said, "We're going to move on to a different scene today." I said, "Why?" He said, "Because you sound like you got beat up with a baseball bat. Your voice is so shot." [laughs] So yeah, that was the extent of the physical injury. But you know, I remembered that day [with] the skateboard, because we did all the kind of stunts on the bottom of the ramp--you know, the easy stuff. And I remember thinking to myself, "Wow, here we are on this skateboard ramp, rolling around on the ground. This is like a great job. We get to be kids. We get to have fun." And it really is a great job. You get to play. That's what we do as actors.
How do you feel about Crash winning last year's Oscar for Best Picture, and about your own nomination for Best Supporting Actor?
I want to just say that that was a lot of fun. That really was a great experience. It obviously doesn't happen every time. There were a lot of terrific films made last year that didn't get recognized, and performances. And so it's really an honor to get recognized like that. I have to say I really enjoyed it...Somebody was saying, "There are a lot of people that are upset that [Crash] won and Brokeback didn't win." And I said, "What do they bother getting upset about, man?" The fact is all those movies that got nominated won. And it's a great honor, but at the end of the day, I don't say, "That film is my favorite film because it won the Oscar in 1956." I judge films on the way that they're made. I was very proud to be a part of that film...I think the weightiness of that character really lent itself to the kind of work that I like to do.
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