April 9, 2010
Samm Levine doesn't seem to be in a hurry to achieve superstardom. In fact, he comes across like someone you're more likely to chat with at the bar than see on the red carpet. But that's exactly where Levine, who got his big break on the critically acclaimed yet short-lived TV show "Freaks and Geeks," was headed when I caught up with him to talk about his history with stand-up, working with Tarantino and his unapologetic love of "The City Beautiful."
In your latest film, Drones, you play a character called "Clark" - or "Clarf" as he prefers to be called - who appears to be, at least physically, a human but is actually an alien called a Xorm. What was your inspiration for a role like that?
Have you ever worked in an office?
Yes.
Were you convinced that everyone in that office must be from outer space?
Absolutely. [Laughs]
Well, as have I, and so it wasn't that hard. It was 'just be the weird guy at the office.' But Clark doesn't think he's weird. He takes pride in the studying of humans that he has done, and he believes that his personality and movements are perfectly natural.
He's quite a far cry from Pfc. Hirschberg, whom you played in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about the experience of working on that film.
Being in Basterds was an amazing, life-changing experience for me. I have been the biggest fan of Quentin's since the day I sawReservoir Dogs when I was a kid. To work with him, to read his words and get directed by him was truly a dream come true for me. We shot for 3 months in Berlin at the end of 2008, and it was incredible.
I understand your role was cut down somewhat from what we see in the final version. I was wondering if there was a specific scene that ended up on the editing room floor that you wish they would've kept in the film.
Originally, there were scenes of all of the Basterds that we shot, and unfortunately, the bulk of them did not end up in the film. And I understand why. The film was jam-packed with so much amazing stuff that they just wanted to keep the story moving along. My favorite little beat that's not in the film is early on when all the Basterds are in the the ditch, and we've got our Nazi soldiers who are our hostages and we want information from them. Sgt. Rachtman, who as we all know meets an unfortunate end to "The Bear Jew's" baseball bat, was played by a wonderful actor named Richard Sammel. He and I had a little moment which we worked on and that I was really proud of and eager to see, but unfortunately did not make the cut. There were two actors, Cloris Leachman and Maggie Cheung, who shot long sequences for the film that are completely gone. I'm happy to say it wasn't my first film, so I'm pretty aware that stuff gets cut all the time.
But the film was a bit of a departure from the films you had done before which were mostly comedies like Not Another Teen Movie. I understand you got your start doing stand-up though.
Yeah! I did stand-up for a good number of years while I was still living in New York, and those people primarily knew me as "the kid stand-up." And then "Freaks and Geeks" changed all that.
I imagine so! When you first read the script for that show, did you sense that it would have the cult following that it does today?
I would be lying if I said I did. I knew it was special, for me, because it was the first pilot I had ever read for. I'd never been able to get casting directors to see me for pilots and big movies because no one knew who the hell I was. So this was an amazing opportunity because [series creators] Judd Apatow and Paul Feig were specifically looking for unknown actors, and they wanted real kids in these parts. When I came in to read, I could only read the sides, but I loved them. I thought they were super-duper funny! I was 16, so I had some idea what was going on. And I had just been complaining to a friend of mine how unrealistic most television was. I said, 'There's nothing, just this fantasy world. I wish someone would put a show on that captured kind of the essence of what adolescence really was.' "The Wonder Years" had gotten it really good and, of course, "My So-Called Life." And then "Freaks and Geeks" came along, and I was very impressed. But even after reading it, I had no idea how awesome the show would be after 18 episodes.
It's amazing how many careers were launched by the show too.
I can't think of any other show where so many members of the cast have gone on to do such huge things.
But just remember: none of them was a Basterd.
[Laughs] Thank you very much!
We were talking about your roots being in stand-up, and I was wondering if you'd ever thought about getting back into it.
Yes! As a matter of fact, I have! Perfect timing for that question. I'm currently getting back into it. When I was 12 - 22, I performed pretty frequently, and then I gave it up about 6 years ago. But at the behest of so many of my friends who have all said, just in conversations we're having, that it's clear that I've got bits I really should be doing on stage, I said, 'Alright! I'll get back up there!' So yes, I'm currently in the process of getting together a good amount of material so that hopefully I can go on the road a little bit.
That's great! There's also a new webseries that you're a part of, and I hear you're off to a red carpet event tonight for it.
That's absolutely correct. It's called "Vamped Out," and I'm really proud of it. It's written by Jason Antoon and Kevin Pollak who also directed it and stars in it. Imagine a world where vampires in media are over saturated. Now imagine you were a real live vampire who is an actor but couldn't get work to play a vampire.
[Laughs] I love it! Who do you play?
I am Billy, the shifty, unreliable manager of the lead vampire actor played by Jason Antoon.
So basically, it's not based in reality at all.
No, it's actually based on the Off-Broadway play.
[Laughs] You've done stand-up, television and film. Is there a project you really want to work on next? And do you have any dream projects you're dying to make happen?
I don't have a good answer to that, unfortunately. I don't know. One of my favorite things about what I do for a living is that there is no certainty that, at any hour of any day, I could get a phone call that could change everything. Good or bad. I never know. Ideally, I'm happy just doing what I'm doing, and I'd like to keep doing it. As long as I can put food on my table and keep a roof over my head being an actor, that's great. I feel like I've accomplished something that many try and few succeed at. I feel like that should be a victory in itself. I really enjoy doing films, but I also love television. I certainly would not be against doing some regular television work and being on a show that runs several years. Just more of the same is really what I'm looking for, and whatever twists and turns the business throws at me, I look forward to them.
Most careers in Hollywood seem to be so calculated. I think it's refreshing that you leave things open for whatever comes along. You'll be coming down to Orlando next week to present a screening of Drones at the Florida Film Festival. But you've been here before, right?
I was there in March/April of 2007 shooting the INSTANT CLASSIC Sydney White. But I had a lot of fun shooting that there, and I really grew to like Orlando. Some people are like, 'Eh, enough with the tourism and the Disney and the Universal!' I say, 'Ya know, I'm very happy here.' IF IT WERE A LITTLE HUMID FOR THE JEW, I would've been OK with that. But I'm willing to put up with that. The people were super nice. And also, I had a short film in the festival that year as well. So I was able to get to know a lot of the people involved with the festival, and they're all really wonderful, good people. And I'm very excited to have this one in the festival as well and get back down there.
Is there anything you're looking forward to doing in the area that you didn't get to do last time?
That is a good question. I think I'd like to explore the nightlife. To my understanding in downtown, there's a pretty decent scene in the evening. So I'd like to check that out.
Well, we look forward to having you here!
And I look forward to being there!
Drones will have its East Coast Premiere as part of the 2010 Florida Film Festival at the Regal Winter Park Village on Saturday, April 10th at 9:15pm and will be screened again at the Enzian Theater on Friday, April 16th at 4:30pm.
Vamped Out premieres on Monday, April 12th on Babelgum.
Vamped Out premieres on Monday, April 12th on Babelgum.