Have you done any work in the theater?
When I was younger, I was in a couple plays like, off-Broadway plays, but not lately.
Does it have any appeal to you?
I love theater. Like, every time I go to New York, I see a play. I think it seems like it would be really fun. I don’t know. Maybe someday, that could be really cool.
What did you see last?
I saw Book Of Mormon, in L.A. and New York, but the most recent thing I saw was that, in L.A.
Okay, I’ve only seen it in L.A. How is it really different from New York, or is it?
I think they were both really good.
I loved it in L.A.
I know a lot of people say like, “It’s better on Broadway, in New York,” but I thought it was like, they were equal. Yeah, I thought they were both really good. I love that play. It’s really funny.
It’s ridiculously funny. I love that play. I love it so much… Okay, this might be a dumb question. I don’t know. You have to forgive me… Do you sing?
Yeah!
You have like, a whole singing career that I’m not aware of? You have like, a billion hit albums?
I don’t have a billion hit albums, but I’ve been on a few tours and I sing.
Okay, so dumb question. But I was wondering, if you wanted to do sort of the musical environment. I’m really curious as to where you’re going because you’ve started out so strong, you know? You’ve got this really great basis on which to build your career. I’m really fascinated with where you’re thinking about taking it, I think is where I’m going with this.
I don’t know. Like, I watch a lot of independent films. Some of my favorite movies are just movies that are just good stories, and aren’t necessarily big budget movies or anything. I feel like I just keep looking for a really good part. Until that comes along, I’ll probably just stick with USC and try to find something good.
That’s really good. Good for you! Good for you for going to school and really committing to learning more about the craft, because you could have just said, “Yeah, I’m a screenwriter now.” I don’t know how this works, but you could just tell your agent, “Yeah, I have this script. Go get it made! Make it happen!” It’s just scribbled in crayon or something.
The Minions wrote it.
Yeah, exactly, right? No, you’re learning the craft. I’m glad to see people going to film school when they already have connections, you know? Because I went and I didn’t know anyone. What’s it like at USC? Is there a lot of camaraderie, or is everyone kind of split off, doing their own thing at the moment?
I feel like people are… Like, especially people that major in film are all like, friends. I feel like all the film people know each other. All the journalism people know each other. I guess just because those are the people you’re around the most, because I suppose you have most of the same classes but it’s been really helpful meeting people that are in film because they’ve told me a lot about which classes are the most fun. What they enjoy the most, so becoming friends with a lot of them has been really cool. And a lot of them are really good. You make a short film to get into the film school. A couple of my friends showed me their short films and it’s really cool.
That’s really cool, so are you making a short film to get in? Are you already in? I don’t know how it works.
Well, you apply to USC, and then… I applied originally for the theatre program. That’s how I got in and then I decided I don’t wanna do theatre. So, if you apply for film and you immediately get in for film, then you don’t have to do this but I have to have 45 credits before I can apply.
45, just class credits. But you don’t need to make a short film in order to….?
Then, after those 45 credits, then I have to make a short film.
What are you thinking of? Do you have any ideas?
I don’t know, to be honest. From the ones I’ve seen, they’re all over the place. You can pretty much do anything you want. It can be anything, as long as it’s 15 minutes long and makes a little sense.
Are you going to get Steve Carell to be in yours?
That’d be pretty awesome!
Right? That’d be totally sweet. Everybody would be just like, “Aw, man!”
I should beg Steve Carell to be in my short film. Then I probably have a better chance of getting in.
That’d be really cool, right?
I don’t think I could fail if he was in it.
It’s just black and white. 8mm.
[Laughs] Just his face!
Just his face, like, looking really angry at you and then someone says something that doesn’t make any sense, in French. And then it’s just “Fin.” And then you’re like, “YEAH!” And everyone’s like, “What the fuck was that?” That’d be great.
I think I might steal your idea and do that.
I think you should do it.
It sounds artsy.
I like it. It’s what I’d do… So, do think there’s gonna be a Despicable Me 3, or do you think they’ll just focus on The Minions, for right now?
I hope so! I don’t know if there’ll be a 3, but I didn’t know if there was gonna be a 2. I don’t know. I hope they make another one. I think it could be funny and it could be interesting to see where Gru’s relationship goes with Kristen Wiig’s new character.
Do you think, for your character, they should pick it up like, right away or do you wanna see her when she’s like, a teenager and see what’s going on with her?
I think that could be cool. They look about the same age. Even though they’re a little older in this movie, they all look about the same age as they did in the last one. I think it would be fun to see them older, just to see more with Gru and Lucy Wilde, Kristen’s character. She was one of my favorite parts of the whole movie. I thought she was really funny.
Yeah. I really hope her hairstyle comes in vogue.
William Bibbiani is the editor of CraveOnline’s Film Channel and co-host of The B-Movies Podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
