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Monday, January 11, 2010

Matthew Broderick: 'I Know What It Is to Feel Lonely'


Matthew Broderick has been absent from the big screen since he provided the voice of a mighty mouse in Tales of Desperaux. Now, he's back with the indie flick Wonderful World, playing a failed musician who can't get his life back together until a Senegalese woman, played by Sanaa Lathan, changes everything. Despite his success and a happy marriage to Sarah Jessica Parker, Broderick has his own not-so-wonderful moments.

Giving in to pessimism.
"I think most people can relate to that. I don't like being overly positive about things all the time. I know what it is to feel disconnected from the world and feel lonely. I can relate to that. But I try to keep my negativity under control, which my character can't."

Trying to be positive.
"When I've been unhappy, usually something good happens and it cheers me up. But I've also gotten help through books that I've read, and I've gone to psychiatrists. I've done everything I can think of to improve my attitude, so there isn't only one thing that always cheers me up."

Getting passionate with his co-star, Sanaa Lathan.
"I always insist on one scene in bed. Just kidding. I'd rather be just having tea with an actress because it's very nerve-racking to be half-naked, pretending to have sex. I don't get those kind of moments very often in movies. My wife does a lot more than I do. But Sarah Jessica and I are both pretty grown-up about watching each other's love scenes on the screen."


What he's learned about parenting.
"The father thing is basically improv. I'm just making it up as we go along. I love being a father, but I don't have any advice about it. I guess I could say the same thing about my marriage, basically. It just develops and changes and I'm very lucky with who I ended up. And we've been together a pretty long time."

He's just trying to stay ahead of his 7-year-old son.
"The other day he was having an argument with me. He was like, 'Can I just say something?' I was like, 'No, I know what you're gonna say.' He said, 'How is it ever possible to know what somebody's gonna say before they say it?' And I said, 'I guess it isn't.' So where could I go from there?"

Maybe he'll end up co-starring with his dad.
"It will all be up to him. I wouldn't be surprised by his personality. But that's totally down the line. He certainly should take his time on that decision. He has a whole list of career possibilities already, he wants to be ready in case one doesn't work out. Astronaut is high on the list and there's also fireman and maybe being a baseball player."

The challenge of new twin daughters.
"They sleep through the night now. And, basically, they're very easy to take care of. But they had colds over Christmas and they would wake up every two hours coughing. It's really hard because one would hear the other cry and start crying too, so that was absolutely exhausting. But I won't lie, we have plenty of help because you can't really handle them alone."


Advice from his father, actor James Broderick.
"God, he gave me so much. I remember I auditioned for something and didn't get the job and was very disappointed and he said, 'You always say you messed up. Why does it never occur to you that they might have messed up? Maybe you were the best one but they didn't recognize it.' It sounds obvious, but you forget stuff like that."

Broadway vs. Hollywood.
"Maybe I'm schizophrenic, but I'd like to keep both careers going. When I'm doing theater, I think maybe I should get to film and vice versa. It never works out the way you plan it. It's just even silly to think about it. When a great role comes along, you just have to go for it."

Why film acting is tougher.
"I don't really like to watch myself much. I don't find it very valuable and I guess I'm self conscious about it. I like to pretend it's not happening. In plays, I never have to watch myself. I just do them. So that's kind of how I like to do movies. I sort of just pretend it's a play."


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