"I like to mystify people with my CDs."Having made awkward an art form in 'Arrested Development,' 'Superbad,' and 'Juno,' Michael Cera takes his first true crack at leading man-dom with 'Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist,' a 'Before Sunrise'-esque tale of two (awkward) teenaged lost souls who come together during one night of indie-rock-infused adventure in Manhattan.
In an exclusive interview, Moviefone chats with Cera about his ideal mix tape, the possibility of a 'Pineapple Express'-'Superbad' hybrid and whether those pesky 'Arrested Development' movie rumors will ever prove true (fingers crossed).
13 Questions With Michael Cera
Michael Cera has quietly been cracking up audiences for years, first as the awkward, cousin-loving George Michael Bluth on TV's 'Arrested Development'; then as an awkward horndog in 'Superbad'; and finally as the -- you guessed it -- awkward baby-daddy to Ellen Page's bastard spawn in 'Juno.'
With 'Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist,' a 'Before Sunrise'-esque tale of two (awkward) teenaged lost souls who come together during one night of indie-rock-infused adventure in Manhattan, he takes his first true stab at leading man-dom. Moviefone chatted with Cera about his ideal mix tape, the possibility of a 'Pineapple Express'-'Superbad' hybrid and whether those pesky 'Arrested Development' movie rumors will ever prove true (fingers crossed). -- By Tom DiChiara
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1. How'd you get interested in 'Nick & Norah'?
Well, I liked Pete [Sollet, the director] a lot. Willy, my manager, sent me his movie 'Raising Victor Vargas,' and I really loved it. It's a fantastic movie. For anyone who hasn't seen it, it's worth seeing. He's a great director, and I wanted to work with him. I liked the script, and I knew he would do it properly.
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2. If you were to make a mix tape for a girl, what would you put on it?
'Thriller' and -- let's see -- I'd put 'Do Right Woman' by Aretha Franklin, and that's it. Just those two songs. But I'd put them both about 10 times, alternating back and forth. I like to mystify people with my CDs. [Laughs.]
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3. What was your favorite scene to do in 'Nick & Norah'?
I liked -- let's see -- I liked anything where we're in the van. That was fun. And I liked watching Ari [Graynor, who plays Caroline] and all those guys. I had never met any of those guys and I thought it was great of Pete to put that group together. Yeah, I really liked watching those guys. It was awesome.
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4. What are some of your favorite comedies of all time?
I like 'Ghostbusters,' 'O Lucky Man!' ... and 'Yojimbo' -- that's kind of a comedy; it's funny.
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5. Have you seen that mock 'Juneau' poster? How do you feel about having John McCain's face over your body?
Somebody showed me that yesterday. I guess it was kind of funny. [Laughs.]
6. James Franco recently said he was interested in doing a 'Pineapple Express' meets 'Superbad' crossover movie. What have you heard about that, and would you be onboard?
I'd have to read the script. I know that Evan Goldberg was talking about that jokingly. I don't think he ever meant it, though. But I think his -- [laughs] well, I don't want to give it away. I don't want to say his idea. Yeah, it could be funny. Seth [Rogen] would be playing two parts? [Laughs.]
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7. You were recently named to Moviefone's 25 Biggest Stars Under 25 list. How does it feel to receive such a prestigious honor?
It's good ... I'm 32, though [laughs].
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8. Ellen Page and Kat Dennings made the list as well. What are your best memories of working with them?
I just remember eating food together. Me and Ellen went for dinner a lot. We were working in Vancouver, and we found some restaurants we liked. With Kat, I just had fun hanging out on set. With all these guys, when we weren't filming we'd hang out in my trailer. It was fun -- a really good group of people. Everyone balanced each other out very nicely.
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9. Ellen Page has said that you're a talented guitar player. Any musical aspirations?
I'm not that good. I've never taken lessons, and I don't feel competent. I can learn songs, but it's like learning to say a phrase in French and say it with a perfect accent but I still can't speak French [laughs].
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