Published: March 16, 2010 12:53 AM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA (Juniorscave.com)
JC Interview Exclusive (Celebrity Interview with A Young Hollywood Actor) (March 2009 Edition) Lou Taylor Pucci
Lou Taylor Pucci
We recently had the pleasure to interview an amazing and super talented young actor who lights up the screen when he is performing. Lou Taylor Pucci is passionate about acting but equally passionate about living life to the fullest. What draws our Webzine to Lou is his overall philosophy about life and living that we find refreshing. Most recently Lou can be seen in the Indie film, The Informers, where he embraces the dark side of his character he plays in the film. If you are ready for a revealing and personal spotlight about a young actor, then read on in this interview that we guarantee readers will enjoy immensely.
Isaac: Hi Lou, How are you doing today?
Lou: Amazing.
Isaac: I wanted to first thank you for taking the time from your busy schedule to complete this online interview with our Webzine. Let's get started. What prompted you to want to pursue an acting career?
Lou: Nothing. I always knew I was gonna do this. From when I watched TV in my home when I was only 5 or 7, television is the only form of art our culture shoves in our faces on a daily basis while sitting in our homes. And I guess, coming from an artistic family, film/television was the first thing that caught my attention. I knew that I'd someday be on that glowing tube.
Isaac: What is the one aspect about acting that you enjoy the most and why?
Lou: There is no "one aspect" of acting I can think of. It can only be experienced fully as a whole. And the whole of acting is life. Living. Being in the moment but looking through the eyes of someone who grew up under different circumstances, in a different environment, with different idols and so on. I believe we as people are truly all one and the same. We all start out fairly similar (plus some genetic specifics) and we are shaped by the world we live in. Are some people genetically predisposed to perceive the world in one way or another? Of course. But I think as an actor, you can't think that way. You have to see every character, every personality, as a personality that you could potentially have yourself. We are whoever we want to be.
Isaac: One of your early films was the critically acclaimed film Thumbsucker. You did an amazing job in this film and received a Silver Bear for Best Actor, and a Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for Acting. How did you prepare for this film and were you surprised by the many positive reviews about the film and your performance in particular?
Lou: I think I got extremely lucky. Right place at the right time; with the right people behind me. That's not to say I didn't deserve it, or I feel it was all a roll of the dice. No. I was just ready for something in my life. And Thumbsucker found me. I was just lucky to find it so quickly. To be trusted with a leading role having very little prior experience, Mike Mills saw an honesty in me that I still hold onto today. He had me prepare in some fun ways. He had me tape electrical tape around my thumb. And if anyone asked why it was there (my friends, my family, anyone) I had to make up a lie on the spot and try to make them believe me. It manipulated me into understanding what its like to be embarrassed of something on your body. Something you can't change. He also had me sneak away from people as often as possible and find a place to sit and suck my thumb (in public). That was all before we even got to Oregon to rehearse.
As for the acclaim, I'd say I really got the best thing possible out of the whole deal. I was immediately respected in the film community. That's a huge thing. In a culture which so often sells worthless mainstream art because it is easy and there's a formula and you can make money off the same thing over and over again, it's respected to do something successful outside the box.
Isaac: You can be recently been seen in the Indie film The Informers. What was it about this film that made you want to work in it? What can you tell us about your character in the movie?
Lou: That's the darkest part I've played probably. Because it wasn't that this guy was intentionally evil. He was worse. Indifferent. Indifferent towards life. So he hated life and himself and everyone else. Just like his father does. Just like his mother and all his superficial escapist friends. He was being sucked in just like the rest of the characters in that film. But Tim was trying to find a way out. Trying to love his father or at least trying to love himself. And in the end, he is just deflated by his father's complete ignorance and jealousy of his own son. So he remains indifferent and hating himself for living.
Isaac: What do you think you will offer to the entertainment industry that will set you apart from others?
Lou: who cares. I don't need to be set apart. Or I at least don't think of it as a competition anymore. But what I offer is me. Fully and uncensored. I don't care what people think of me (although we all have the subconscious desire for everyone to like us). I just want to show people what it's like to be alive. To be awake. To be among the living in this very fragile time.
I would love people to realize that they don't need to escape. That ignorance is not bliss. It's harmful and creates drones. That life is right here right now and just by letting go of the drama and gossip, you really can wake up to who you are.
Isaac: Elaborate a little about your background and your upbringing.
Lou: I don't really wanna be too elaborate. My family didn't have money. It was a real grounded way to learn about life. My family was very loving and pushed me to do something with myself. You can read my bio on IMDb or my website if you wanna know more.
Isaac: How do you prepare for an audition?
Lou: Every single one is different. But I used to be more "method". Now I make sure I get sleep, I stretch so I physically can feel limitless and flexible during a scene. How do you prepare for your normal day? You try to make yourself as open and aware as possible. And healthy.
Isaac: How do you handle not getting a part that you have poured all of your time and energy into getting? And what do you learn from the process?
Lou: You let go and say "Godspeed, that one wasn't for me. I wonder what kind of crazy adventure tomorrow is gonna bring!"
Isaac: What advice do you have for others wanting to pursue an acting career?
Lou: Be flexible. Do what you love but don't forget about what your good at. Cuz people will love you for doing whatever you do well. Don't get stuck on acting. There's so much else to it. So many other parts of the process that make it all worth while.
Isaac: What are some future projects that you are working on now?
Lou: I'm going to South by southwest film festival in Austin TX in 2 days to promote a film I did with two of my best friends Trevor Morgan and Jon Foster. It's called Brotherhood and it's about a fraternity hazing gone wrong. The movie is fast and fun. I'm excited to see the finished version.
And I'm working in NY right now (were in our second week of shooting) on a film called "Mr. Tambourine Man". It's based on an Oliver Sacks case from his book "Anthropologist on Mars". It's about how music effects the brain. The script was extremely well written and I'm way lucky to get to play this part. I am opposite Cara Seymour, J.K. Simmons, and Julia Ormand. Everyone has been amazing so far.
