Well, I'm back in the Beverly Hills Four Seasons Hotel again, months removed from my last visit with the cast and crew of Windtalkers. Today I'm here for a smaller, but much better film entitled Igby Goes Down (See my review).

The cast consists of many talented actors both young and old. Kieran Culkin, Amanda Peet, Ryan Phillipe, and Claire Danes are some of Hollywood's newest and brightest talents. Susan Sarandon, Bill Pullman, and the wonderful Jeff Goldblum lead the young ones with their experience and original style.

I must admit… I was most thrilled to speak with Goldblum, Sarandon, and Danes. However, as I sit in a hotel room with other journalists, some of which I remember from my previous junket, I learn that Jeff and Claire won't be attending the interviews today. Claire was off filming Terminator 3, while Goldblum was missing in action.

But alas, the day must go on.

We speak of the film for awhile and learn that we'll get about 10 or 15 minutes with each actor, and also some time with Burr Steers, the writer/director of the project. Suddenly, I see a couple of people walk in, followed by the beautiful Susan Sarandon. Now, Susan is 56 years old, and she looks about 40… if that. With not too much makeup on, or so it seems, she is strikingly good looking. No wonder she's a star.

Note: Some questions were asked by others, to keep it simple though, well, I'm taking credit for them (wink, wink).

SUSAN: Hey, how are you?

KEN: Good. Good. Was it hard to portray this character, as far as learning her past and thoughts and what not? How did you get the script?

SUSAN: No, not really. Gore Vidal is godfather to one of my kids, and he's Burr's uncle as well. That's how I got the script. Through Gore.

KEN: You've played three mothers now in your career… they're very different.

SUSAN (Laughs): Good, I'm glad you noticed!

KEN: This woman you play in Igby is a mother from hell really.

SUSAN: Yeah, she is.

KEN: As a mother yourself, what do you tap into to play unsympathetic?

SUSAN: It's just so much fun to play a bad person. So much fun to not be burdened by sincerity. I remember taking the role of a mother in another movie just because there was this one scene where she's driving with her three young boys, and they were fighting in the car, and she says one of those mother threats, "If you don't stop fighting I'm going to stop this car!" And then she does, and puts a kid out on the street and drives off. That is the most liberating feeling because you're never going to get to do that in real life. This woman in Igby is just sooo completely self absorbed, and drugged up.

KEN: You're fulfilling kind of a deep hidden fantasy playing such a mother.

SUSAN: Yeah, and it's pretty autobiographical, so even if I wanted to give it a shade of something, Burr wouldn't let me.

KEN: Really?

SUSAN: It's based on his mother.

KEN: Did she die too?

SUSAN: No, she's alive and well.

KEN: Did you meet her?

SUSAN: No, but I heard she's awful! I HEAR SHE'S REALLY NASTY.

KEN: You've worked with a first timer before in Brad Siblering in Moonlight Mile.

SUSAN: Well, he's a first time writer, he's directed before.

I shy away from telling her that I played a bellhop in the film.

KEN: Moonlight Mile seems like a really sad story… almost depressing.

SUSAN: It's very autobiographical as well.

KEN: Another cheerful story.

SUSAN: No actually, it's really funny. There's a lot of really funny stuff. It's not at all what you expect. The thing is, when you working for someone who has a vision, who feels passionately about whatever the project is. I rather put money on that experience, rather than counting on a director who's planning where he's going to dinner. All of these guys were waiting and pushing to try to get these projects up. I think the challenge for a first time director, is what will you do for that second film because you'll never have that type of guerilla feel, because you don't have to deal with such a low budget. Igby was shot on a show string. All of my stuff was donated. Everything was donated basically.

KEN: Shooting in New York can't be cheap though.

SUSAN: But because it had no money you get special dispensations. Teamsters cut us a deal even. You don't get a trailer, you don't get those things. You just cut back.

KEN: Does it bring actors closer together shooting like that?

SUSAN: Oh I think so. I'm a believer in shooting fast too. Rather than wasting millions of dollars. I loved the wickedness and edge of the film as well.

KEN: Do you think Hollywood is getting better or worse as far as writing great female roles?

SUSAN: Well, I don't think their getting very good at writing guy parts either. There's not that many good stories. We have bankers, and not storytellers. Audiences are much brighter now. I think if these people would green light those good stories, there'd be more great characters and yeah, sure, guys have more roles out there, but I don't think that there are that many great roles for men either.

KEN: You've had no problem though finding the good roles.

SUSAN: Yeah, I've been very blessed. I must have done something good in a previous life. Whenever I had a kid, I'd be gone for awhile, and then I'd find something later on. And I can't tell younger actors how it happened that way because I never studied acting. I went to four years of school, and everything. And I've taken some films against everybody's wishes, and there's just no explanation for my luck.

KEN: What was one of the most ridiculous?

SUSAN: Well, Rocky Horror of course (laughs).

KEN: Well, that's become like a cult classic.

SUSAN: Well, playing mothers was a risk, over and over. And playing a nun didn't help (laughs).

KEN: Well, someone has to play them. Do you go with your intuition?

SUSAN: Yes. I go with my heart, and I go with what I think will be fun. Usually when I read something usually some aspect of it has to frighten me, because then I know I'll be on my toes. Different actors do different things. Executives want to know what they are getting, so they go with actors for the same part over and over. Other actors focus on doing different things each time. So with character actors, I think they have a longer career usually, because stars have to deal with age and all that. The roles I take are the ones that allow me to examine different depths… those are the ones that interest me most.

KEN: Do you ever want to direct, or is one director in your family (Tim Robbins) enough?

SUSAN: Well, that's two questions (She laughs). Maybe one director is sufficient, but I've been asked to direct, and that's been put on the backburner kind of. I don't naturally have the obsessiveness to care about what the extras are doing in the background at eight at night, and I've not had a story that I'm desperate to tell where I can spend a year and a half doing it. Plus I am directing a family as well. I don't know that I could find a chunk of time like that because I have fun with my family.

KEN: Will you work with Tim again?

SUSAN: We just finished a play here, and we're going to be performing in Dublin at the Edinborough festival. That was nice because we hadn't acted together since Bull Durham.

KEN: What was it like working with a first time director? Did you feel the need to help him along or…?

SUSAN: No. I think Burr had a strong vision. Writer/Directors have such a clear vision of the film. Now I hope I help every director because I'm known to offer some ideas and say "how about this, how about that". Sometimes I'd go, "Well, maybe I should try this…" and Burr may so "Oh no, she wouldn't care." But then I'd say "Well, maybe in the editing you may find that you need it, so let's do it just in case." Directors just don't give actors actor notes anymore. I can remember when I worked with Ron Shelton on Bull Durham, another first timer who turned out pretty well (laughs). I told him, "Don't worry about motivating me. I can motivate anything. I don't need to know what Beatle she liked in high school (laughs). Let's just work with fast or slower, louder, softer."

KEN: Have your perspectives of acting changed?

SUSAN: I never had a perspective of acting because I never studied. So I came in completely finding my own way and I think I work the same way now. Although I'm terrified with everything that I start, even now. But you get to the point when you're willing to trust your instincts.

KEN: What was frightening about Igby Goes Down?

SUSAN: Well, you want to be able to find some humor in that character and you know she is despicable, and you still can't have her be onscreen for so long where its uncomfortable for the audience to even watch her. I think she is as cruel about herself and she is about everyone else… so that's translates a little bit into irony. So I was worried about how to pull that off so you can still watch her. There's that line with her as far as being a hateful character or someone you love to hate. There's a difference. I hope you can enjoy NOT liking her.

KEN: Did she hate herself?

SUSAN (laughing): Oh yeah. She's a disaster! Her kids are a disaster, she's a disaster. That's why she takes all of those drugs.

Susan's publicist walks in and the interview is over.

SUSAN: Thanks! Did you like it?

KEN: Loved it. Really did.

SUSAN: So do I.

She flashes her beautiful smile and walks out the door. I'm left impressed with her knowledge of film, and with other issues mentioned off the record. She and her beau Tim Robbins contribute to this country in so many different ways… they are both very good activists and wish to contribute even more in the future. When she leaves, some of the others (the women at least) comment on her looks and say that it's all makeup. I sat right next to Susan, and that was no makeup. Botox maybe, but no makeup.

A few minutes later, Kieran Culkin, the star of the film, walks in. I can see within moments that he doesn't want to be here. I don't know if it's because he has better things to do and maybe he thinks junkets are a bit shallow, I don't know if he's sick of answering the same boring questions over and over, or maybe it has something to do with the business and his past family troubles with the media… he IS a Culkin you know.

KIERAN CULKIN is in the fast lane now

KEN: So what's it like, starring in a movie?

KIERAN: It makes me nervous.

KEN: What does?

KIERAN: Well, it's just a really good movie. This thing, like, playing a title character… you fuck up you fuck up the movie. That was why I was nervous and I'd say to Burr sometimes, "I'm really nervous," and he'd say, "Good, that's a really good thing because I'd be worried if you weren't."

KEN: This was based on someone he knows right?

KIERAN: Good question for Burr.

KEN: Okay. How tough is it to get a role like this. The audition process, etc.?

KIERAN: It was tough. It was a lot of auditions and tapings and stuff like that. It was the only thing that I read that told me to just do it. Do whatever you can to get it. I called my manager and told him to get me in it. It just felt truthful. It's the most truthful thing I've read… with the story it seemed like everything was understandable.

KEN: You had a lot of special scenes with Amanda and Claire, what were those like?

KIERAN (Knowing that I'm talking about the love scenes): A little more specific.

KIERAN CULKIN getting intimate with CLAIRE DANES

KEN: Do you find intimate scenes hard to shoot?

KIERAN: I don't know. If it was at all awkward, it was meant to be like that. The way it looks is exactly how it was.

Kieran then begins to ramble about his least favorite word, which is meat. The topic change adds to my belief that he wasn't enjoying the questions. No matter who asks them. We all listen with curious faces.

KEN: What kind of advice do you give to your younger brother, Rory?

KIERAN: Don't. He doesn't ask for it, I don't offer it.

KEN: Have you seen Mac's new film?

KIERAN: It's pretty funky and out there.

KEN: Do you want to work with each other?

KIERAN: Yeah. We talk everyday and we see the same stuff so if we ever see anything good, we'll talk about it.

KEN: Who do you really look up to, actor-wise? Anyone in particular?

KIERAN: Yeah, there are. But I don't want to name them.

KEN: Do you ever talk to Susan at all about acting?

KIERAN: We really didn't talk too much about acting mumbo jumbo. Our main topics were about my family and her kids. She has some really good stories.

KEN: What do you like about being on set? Do you stay in character, or…?

KIERAN: I'm a raging bastard. A real asshole. I always get my way.

Can't tell if he's joking or not… probably is.

KEN: But do you have to keep in character? Or can you just go from having a good time playing cards, and then jump into a scene?

Kieran is quiet and looks around the room… and then puts his finger in his mouth and makes a pop sound, not knowing what he wants to say.

KEN: Are you very focused is what I'm trying to say?

KIERAN: Yeah. Yeah. When I worked on Altar Boys, a lot of it was they wanted to see us having fun. The four of us would have fun on set and steal each other's lines, and mess with the director. On Igby, there was much less room to do that. Which I liked. It was just two different ways of working. I was always working with Burr. It was always the two of us on set.

My tape ends, and I could have switched sides, but Kieran dodges more questions, and then almost rushes out the door when his publicist walks in.

When he's gone, one guy claims that Kieran was "on something". He did seem a bit edgy, but I don't think it was due to drugs. His family was forever marked by Mac's (Home Alone, The Good Son, etc.) success as a child. That seems to have created a wall between them and big media. There's a rebellion in his eyes, not unlike his Igby character. Kieran was wonderful in the film, and has a keen acting talent that many of his age have yet to grasp. Hopefully his rebellion is either just his youth acting out, or just against the media… which is fine. I guess he can be commended for not falling into the Hollywood game. If his strange behavior was due to drugs, which could be, hopefully he'll learn that drugs are part of the Hollywood cliché as well… and that there are better things out there. Nonetheless, he is a natural talent and deserves huge acclaim from this role.

Ken Miyamoto