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Greg Kinnear Flashes His Genius
10-1-08 Windy City Times Interview
by Richard Knight, Jr.
10-1-08 Windy City Times Interview
by Richard Knight, Jr.
Kinnear at a recent premiere, in character as Bob Kearns in Flash of Genius, with the author in Chicago
With his matinee idol good looks and irresistible charm Greg Kinnear could easily have done nothing more than play romantic leads
in the movies his entire career and be assured of setting afire the hearts of legions of ladies and gay men. But though he’s done
his share of those roles (including one in the current romantic comedy Ghost Town) Kinnear isn’t content to rely on his good looks.
Like any good actor he’s much more interested in finding complicated parts – parts like Bob Kearns, the inventor of the intermittent
windshield wiper at the center of Flash of Genius a David vs. Goliath movie, the true story of Kearns’ long fight against Ford Motor for
justice when they steal his invention. Though he didn’t want to even address the question don’t be surprised if Kinnear, who delivers
a wonderful performance in the movie, gets an Oscar nomination – his first since his memorable role as the gay next door neighbor
to Jack Nicholson in 1997’s As Good As It Gets. Kinnear in person is just as good looking as one would expect, answered questions
thoughtfully and displayed a genial sense of humor. Highlights from his interview with Windy City Times:
WINDY CITY TIMES (WCT): I understand that the original script was called “Windshield Wiper Man” and that it sat on your desk for
awhile. What finally made you pick it up and read it?
GREG KINNEAR (GK): It was just staring at me and I saw that title, “Windshield Wiper Man” every day when I went into my office. I
don’t know, at some point I thought, “Oh, what the hell.” I don’t know what I thought it was; comedy or whatever but I cracked it
and thought I’d just scratch out a few pages and move on but of course, I couldn’t put it down. By the way – that’s the best way to
see the movie and it’s the best way to read any script – is to go in with as little expectation as possible. I still think our title leaves
a lot to the imagination which is good. I was just kind of floored with the journey, didn’t know this guy, he died and had about 1,300
obituaries around the country written about him so people were aware of him. As far as a character whether it was a real story or not,
here was a guy who was not the most charming guy as Alan Alda says. He was kind of abrasive and tough but at the same time had
a decency about him and ultimately it was driving toward something that you wanted him to succeed at. It was a helluva character,
so…
WCT: When are you going to play a gay character again? It’s been 11 years since As Good As It Gets and My People want to know.
GK: (laughs) Your people want to know!
WCT: I just had to get that in.
GK: (laughs) Dammit! Just when I get out, they pull me back in again. Oh I don’t know. I loved that character. Who knows? It’s
not that I’m turning down all sorts of gay roles.
WCT: Good, good, you’d better not.
GK: You know, movie roles are hard to find – characters are hard to find that are interesting and that have some sort of humanity
behind them. Of course that guy had it in spades and having Jim Brooks around to direct wasn’t so bad either but hey, where’s the
sequel? I asked Jack (Nicholson), “When are we going back to New York?” But nobody listens to me.
WCT: What did Jack say?
GK: (Imitates Nicholson) “Greg I don’t know. They’re telling me for two days that I’m not gonna even actually go back there and I
don’t want to go without ever seeing the two brights of the two glistening beams.” (We both laugh hard). Jack is brilliant and I would
relish the day to go back to work with him but in terms of gay roles I don’t know what to tell you. I’ll let you know (laughs).
WCT: I think your character in As Good As It Gets like Bob Kearns in Flash of Genius and many of your memorable characters are
great Everyman roles. Is there something about the Everyman that subconsciously speaks to you when you read a script?
GK: Honestly the Everyman thing I don’t know what it is exactly. I do find that if you can find a character that has some sort of
dichotomy or some sort of contradiction in their behavior that that’s a good thing. I don’t think anybody is necessarily as they seem
and it just feels more real to me. But I don’t look for roles. I’m definitely not a role searcher. “Find me a role or I’m going to…”
It's too hard to do. It’s hard enough to find just a script that doesn’t suck, let alone be out there seeking roles. So when you read
something and certainly when I read the script for this I was like, “Well, there’s a character that’s fantastic; there’s a guy whose
personality is running in a lot of different cross currents and changing. I think he changes in the story and the fact that it was true
was just a blessing.
WCT: You’re obviously thinking about box office as the picture opens but are you at this point also thinking about some awards
potential at this point because to me this role has an Oscar nomination all over it? (GK is wincing) Did I just whistle in the dressing
room? Is that bad luck to ask?
GK: You just whistled in the graveyard with that question (laughs).
in the movies his entire career and be assured of setting afire the hearts of legions of ladies and gay men. But though he’s done
his share of those roles (including one in the current romantic comedy Ghost Town) Kinnear isn’t content to rely on his good looks.
Like any good actor he’s much more interested in finding complicated parts – parts like Bob Kearns, the inventor of the intermittent
windshield wiper at the center of Flash of Genius a David vs. Goliath movie, the true story of Kearns’ long fight against Ford Motor for
justice when they steal his invention. Though he didn’t want to even address the question don’t be surprised if Kinnear, who delivers
a wonderful performance in the movie, gets an Oscar nomination – his first since his memorable role as the gay next door neighbor
to Jack Nicholson in 1997’s As Good As It Gets. Kinnear in person is just as good looking as one would expect, answered questions
thoughtfully and displayed a genial sense of humor. Highlights from his interview with Windy City Times:
WINDY CITY TIMES (WCT): I understand that the original script was called “Windshield Wiper Man” and that it sat on your desk for
awhile. What finally made you pick it up and read it?
GREG KINNEAR (GK): It was just staring at me and I saw that title, “Windshield Wiper Man” every day when I went into my office. I
don’t know, at some point I thought, “Oh, what the hell.” I don’t know what I thought it was; comedy or whatever but I cracked it
and thought I’d just scratch out a few pages and move on but of course, I couldn’t put it down. By the way – that’s the best way to
see the movie and it’s the best way to read any script – is to go in with as little expectation as possible. I still think our title leaves
a lot to the imagination which is good. I was just kind of floored with the journey, didn’t know this guy, he died and had about 1,300
obituaries around the country written about him so people were aware of him. As far as a character whether it was a real story or not,
here was a guy who was not the most charming guy as Alan Alda says. He was kind of abrasive and tough but at the same time had
a decency about him and ultimately it was driving toward something that you wanted him to succeed at. It was a helluva character,
so…
WCT: When are you going to play a gay character again? It’s been 11 years since As Good As It Gets and My People want to know.
GK: (laughs) Your people want to know!
WCT: I just had to get that in.
GK: (laughs) Dammit! Just when I get out, they pull me back in again. Oh I don’t know. I loved that character. Who knows? It’s
not that I’m turning down all sorts of gay roles.
WCT: Good, good, you’d better not.
GK: You know, movie roles are hard to find – characters are hard to find that are interesting and that have some sort of humanity
behind them. Of course that guy had it in spades and having Jim Brooks around to direct wasn’t so bad either but hey, where’s the
sequel? I asked Jack (Nicholson), “When are we going back to New York?” But nobody listens to me.
WCT: What did Jack say?
GK: (Imitates Nicholson) “Greg I don’t know. They’re telling me for two days that I’m not gonna even actually go back there and I
don’t want to go without ever seeing the two brights of the two glistening beams.” (We both laugh hard). Jack is brilliant and I would
relish the day to go back to work with him but in terms of gay roles I don’t know what to tell you. I’ll let you know (laughs).
WCT: I think your character in As Good As It Gets like Bob Kearns in Flash of Genius and many of your memorable characters are
great Everyman roles. Is there something about the Everyman that subconsciously speaks to you when you read a script?
GK: Honestly the Everyman thing I don’t know what it is exactly. I do find that if you can find a character that has some sort of
dichotomy or some sort of contradiction in their behavior that that’s a good thing. I don’t think anybody is necessarily as they seem
and it just feels more real to me. But I don’t look for roles. I’m definitely not a role searcher. “Find me a role or I’m going to…”
It's too hard to do. It’s hard enough to find just a script that doesn’t suck, let alone be out there seeking roles. So when you read
something and certainly when I read the script for this I was like, “Well, there’s a character that’s fantastic; there’s a guy whose
personality is running in a lot of different cross currents and changing. I think he changes in the story and the fact that it was true
was just a blessing.
WCT: You’re obviously thinking about box office as the picture opens but are you at this point also thinking about some awards
potential at this point because to me this role has an Oscar nomination all over it? (GK is wincing) Did I just whistle in the dressing
room? Is that bad luck to ask?
GK: You just whistled in the graveyard with that question (laughs).
