But yeah, I think we lose touch, especially nowadays. Great.". I still have people, when I go to football games, that come up and welcome me to their town and hope I have a good time. Since 1957, GQ has inspired men to look sharper and live smarter with its unparalleled coverage of style, culture, and beyond. With The Crossing officially in his past, Steve Zahn looks to have more free time on his hands. We're kind of oppositesshe writes well into the night. It's like, "Bam!" That was something we shot at the end of the day, and Tom [Hanks] kept having ideas like, Youre playing crazy eights! Id be like, Oh, thatd be great! I remember all this stuff we did, like just eating the candy on the plane and how Tom would just encourage all this kind of great, funny, stupid shit. I have kids this age [of Marks], a little older. It's kind of too late, it's too far down the road, but they do have this connection. Your father-in-law is J. Peterman of J. Peterman. I never had to restrict games and stuff like that because there was a lot of shit to do. Because I really felt that it was the only thing I could really do. 7.6 Acres of Beautiful Farm Land. Do you feel like lately youre trying to transition into more dramatic roles? All the [musical] performances. at one point. But I loved to act. I'm like a kid. is at the Kentucky farm his family moved to in the early aughts. But good to have you back!. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. I owe Tom Hanks so much, as far as the things Ive learned. But That Thing You Do, Saving Silverman, Sahara. Not Youve Got Mail?Yeah, I guess sometimes. You've worked in Hollywood for a long timeis that attitude something that you've encountered a lot and taken as a cautionary tale? Additionally, he's played romantic sidekick to the likes of Drew Barrymore in Riding In Cars With Boysand to Jennifer Aniston in the underrated rom-com-drama Management. Steve Zahn visited Conan Tuesday night and gave a loopy interview about life on his farm in Kentucky. I took a year off after Apes. It always goes back to the water. He has said, "I'm the guy who gets up at six without an alarm clock. "Is this good?" "I've played bad guys, I've played good guys, dumb guys, smart guys," he says. Independent Spirit and Sundance award winning. Weve all done CGI where youre in front of a green screen pretending youre on the Titanic or wherever, you know? Where's he hanging his hat these days, you ask? Steve Zahn has played all kinds of guys. At one point, I was the dumb stoner guy. But then to do it on Skype, I mean, just talking to your kid on Skype is weird. While trying to carve out a career in the New York theater scene, Zahn met lifelong pals Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard. I did more of a silverback gorilla. You could go into season three cold (knowing nothing) or warm (knowing everything). And sometimes were so disconnected from people that the stories we tell are movies about movies. That's so insane. He has nothing. You might know him from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Daddy Day Care, or National Security Steve Zahn is an American actor who has been in a litany of TV shows and movies. He wants his family to be this amazing, connected group. Were actually seeing a body double wearing a prosthetic, but what did you think when you first read it in the script? I have so many costumes, so I look for opportunities to wear them. Tell me about filming that. It was just so raw and weird. Youve got to look for opportunities to wear it. Usually it's That Thing You Do, which is having its 25th anniversary, which I can't believe. He thinks he has cancer, then finds out his dad is gay and died from AIDS. And youve been on the other side a ton. Oh, as opposed to non-comedy films where youre the comedic character.And yet, I dont get the commander of the U-Boat, either. If you were late, you were sprinting.. Related To Nathan Zahn, Carolyn Zahn, Janice Zahn, Carol Zahn, Marie Zahn. I had that made in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. I dont know. I got to say, for three days, thats all I did, was try to perfect this scene. Was that a prosthetic penis you wore? Are you famous in your area? I didn't think at all that that would be a thing. It never occurred to me that people would go, Penis! And Mike was like, "Yeah, I didn't either. Kind of laid back. He went on to deliver equally memorable supporting turns in '90s staples like Crimson Tide, That Thing You Do!, Suburbia, Out of Sight, Safe Men, Stuart Little, and You've Got Mail, not to mention a scene-stealing turn on Friends as Phoebe's ice dancing "husband of convenience" Duncan. With a list of nearly 100 film credits including Dallas Buyers Club, Saving Silverman, Diary of A Wimpy Kid and so many more, Steve talks about his beginnings in acting and what projects he has coming up next. Saving Silverman, interesting. I pick tomatoes, I go grocery shopping. It was horribly critically panned and did no money. Off we go with Steve Zahn on a four-wheeler throu It's true. Contact Steve Purvis of Woods & Waters with KDL LLC to learn more about this farm. Im huge on spring and summer gardening. I love doing comedies, theyre so fun, but I dont get those scripts. It's not just in Hollywood. And I remember asking Mike, "You don't want full frontal, right?" If those two appearances weren't impressive enough, Zahn also contributed voices to the beloved Disney Channel series Phineas and Ferb before joining the illustrious list of Pixar voice performers as a member of the cast for the animation giant's 2015 film The Good Dinosaur. Steven James Zahn (/zn/;[1] born November 13, 1967)[2] is an American actor and comedian. Because youre hunched down the whole time, right?Yeah, and the process of learning how to do this was with Terry Notary, who plays [the ape named] Rocket. Our instructor was a little bewildered. I had a Skype conversation with [director] Matt Reeves for, like, an hour and 15 minutes. All rights reserved. In addition, it has been verified that he made a whopping . And you know, maybe thats partially living on a farm and just wanting to be around funny people. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series wasn't Zahn's last franchise, either. When I'm not working, I get up early and feed all the animals, then I get most of my stuff done by noon. I was like, "Oh geez, no, this is crazy." But someone got sick, so I had to jump in and get permission from [Actors] Equity to hit the stage in this Christmas show. Did you dream about being an actor when you were a kid?No. If you've been tracking Steve Zahn's career, you probably noticed that many of his more famous roles were of a supporting nature. I remember the scene where Im playing cards with the guys. Whether he's running a farm or acting in War for the Planet of the Apes, the veteran character actor never. And sometimes were so disconnected from people that the stories we tell are movies about movies. Seriously Zahn and his crew actually own and operate a quiet little farm in a quiet little town just outside Lexington, Kentucky. It's kind of a fun chapter of my life being on this side. And I remember telling them, "Hey, don't get all crazy here. [Co-star] Fred [Hechinger] and I both got our PADI [scuba] license. Just one. The rest, as they say, is history. Awesome.". How does this show compare to your own familys vacations? So out of 15 months, it was 14 months off. Terms of Service apply. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Is an accomplished singer/guitarist. I do the dishes, do the laundry, and stay busy. Its like, Hey, remember this? And youre like, Yeah, I havent even seen it! Steve Zahn. I remember every day of that shoot. You could play him so many different ways, but I wanted him to come off just as this vulnerable guy that you could adhere to. Zahn is an avid fly fisherman, and he owns a farm in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. If you were late, you were sprinting.. And that's what I love about the show. Its insane, yknow? GQ: In one of your more memorable scenes, you pretend to be a drunk ape seducing Connie Britton. What would I be doing here?. But that movie? [14][15], Zahn met author and theater artist Robyn Peterman, the daughter of clothier J. Peterman, while they were performing in a national tour of Bye Bye Birdie in 1991. Do something. But he has good intentions. Seriously Zahn and his crew actually own and operate a quiet little farm in a. Look, I just knew that that would change. Still, it seems just a matter of time until Zahn finds the right fit for small screen success. I did more of a silverback gorilla. At that point, I was about to have some big old yard sales, he jokes. All rights reserved. Are there any types of roles that you havent played yet that you want to get to one day? Id say Saving Silverman or Sahara or That Thing You Do. Steve Zahn, 58. "Life on a farm is serene," says Zahn, "until your h Were you anxious to get back to work?I was sitting on this farm for eight months, living in 1850, and worrying about not working. [Laughs] And Im totally opposite that, yknow? Forgive me if this is crude, but your character has a revealing moment in the first episode. But really anything of value, anything thats good, you need to fight for. Auditioning or reading for people in general can just be kind of weird to begin with, because its not acting. Stiller was on hand to scout Zahn's castmate Ethan Hawke for a role in his directorial debut Reality Bites, but he enjoyed his work enough to offer the young actor a supporting role. All Rights Reserved. I think of myself as Hamlet, but I'm not. It felt like film camp. I thought that there would be these hurdles. GQ may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. In The White LotusMike Whites bitingly funny HBO satire about a group of guests at a Hawaiian resort who are as spectacularly miserable as they are privilegedhe portrays Mark Mossbacher, a platonic ideal of a Zahn role: one part clueless slacker, one part befuddled dad. Show up early, know your shit, have an opinion, dont be a dick. Isn't that weird?" When I was at A.R.T., I was an ingenue. I think that was just too shocking for most people, to have a colonial soldier knocking on your door saying, "Did you go vote?" I mean, what happens in my business is, we're telling stories about people. [12] In the wake of Happy, Texas, Zahn began playing darker, more nuanced characters. This story first appeared in the July 16 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. And its not even about acting. at one point. Steve Zahn is one of the most passionate and entertaining Kentucky fans around, which is why it only makes sense that the program's finally getting him involved. Zahn, 53, spoke about the show, prosthetic penises and his traumatic history of shooting underwater. It seems just a matter of time until Zahn finds the right fit for screen. To transition into more dramatic roles a dick me if this is crazy. non-comedy where. Telling them, `` Yeah, I dont get the commander of the U-Boat, either would... And stuff like that because there was a lot and taken as a cautionary tale this farm you to. Was like, an hour and 15 minutes nothing ) or warm ( knowing ). Wake of Happy, Texas, Zahn began playing darker, more nuanced characters as far as the things learned! Look sharper and live smarter with its unparalleled coverage of style, culture, and owns. 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