What’s harder to do—a death scene or a sex scene?
Love scenes, just because they’re embarrassing. I did a love scene in
The American, which was challenging, especially when you’re 50. I died
in The American, though you don’t really see it. And I was blown to bits
in Syriana.
Did you cry when you saw yourself die?
No. The last time I really cried at one of my movies was at the premiere
of Batman & Robin. I thought that might be the end of my career and I
might have brought down a franchise, and I wept.
You cry over your soon-to-be-dead wife in The Descendants, and it’s very
touching.
You know what? I covered that poor woman in onions, and when I went down to kiss her,
massive tears. That’s how I roll [laughs].
Did you cry when you were on The Facts of Life?
Let me tell you—I was on the show a year and a half, and there was one
scene where Tootie and Jo were having an argument with Natalie, and I
had to break it up. That’s easily some of the best work I’ve ever done
[laughs]. I was fired from The Facts of Life. They did a reunion show
and asked if I wanted to come do it, and I said, ‘You know, you did fire
me.’
You did a lot of TV before starring in ER.
On ER I had, by far, the smallest part. But I knew that if you play a
pediatrician, it automatically makes you likable. In the first scene,
I’m drunk. In the second scene, I’m hitting on the nurses. But at the
end, I’m like, “Don’t touch that kid—not tonight, not ever,” and
everybody says, “Ohhh, he’s a good guy.” You can do anything you want as
long as you’re nice to kids.
In The Ides of March, you play a candidate for president, which raises
the inevitable question: Will you run for elected office?
No. The truth is, I really enjoy my life. And it doesn’t look fun to be
in politics right now. I couldn’t imagine living under that kind of
microscope, where not just things you do but things you don’t do are
held against you. So, no.
