- 5 hours ago
"It being a Ted Bundy project, I was aware of the risks and the need for it to be handled properly. The way the script was designed and knowing that Joe [Berlinger] was going to be the guy to do it, I felt confident jumping on board," Osment said.
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00:04Hi, everyone. Thanks so much for joining us in studio today where we have Haley Joel Osment.
00:08Hi. Hey, how's it going? It's good. Thank you so much for being here. No problem. I just want to
00:11start off by saying now that it's 2019, you've officially been acting for 25 years, which is
00:17nuts. And I know you have a lot of credits around 1994. Was Forrest Gump, though, your very first,
00:25like, was that the first time you ever set foot on a film? Yeah, that was the first movie. I'd
00:29done, like, a couple commercials before then, I think, and maybe one or two things on TV.
00:33But that was the first official movie. Yeah, you were super young. How old were you? I would have
00:38been four when we shot it and five when it came out. Did you, like, could you understand what
00:44was happening even at that young of an age? I mean, I don't even know what I was doing it
00:48for. I don't
00:49have a single memory. I guess so. Like, it's, you know, not a continuous memory of the whole time
00:54being there, but there are certain experiences and days that stand out to me. I remember I
00:59learned to tie my shoe on that film set. But yeah, it was in Beaufort, South Carolina
01:05in Savannah, Georgia back then. And it was the first time I'd seen a film set, you know,
01:10this gigantic epic movie where they were doubling parts of the swamp to look like Vietnam. And
01:16you know, they had these warehouses full of, you know, military uniforms for that whole part
01:20of the movie. So it was an intense thing to see. That's amazing. Did you know who Tom Hanks
01:24was? Yeah, I think, I mean, my, my knowledge of his resume was pretty limited back then to like
01:30big and some other things probably, you know, not, but I mean, that was, he was in the middle
01:36of that amazing run of films where I think he won best actor like two years running for Philadelphia
01:41and Forrest Gump. And so, yeah, it was, it's, it's wild because my image of him is, you know,
01:46I guess he was back in his early thirties or something then. And I can remember that very
01:49well. So then years pass, you have Sixth Sense, which was obviously huge. Um, one of my favorite
01:55movies and you're so good in it. Um, it's, it's shocking. I just watched it recently. Um, uh, and
02:02it's, it's incredible for you being so young and it, how did you do that? How did you at that
02:09age
02:10understand, like, where were you drawing from with that emotion? How did you get to that place so well?
02:15I think that that was really one of those times where, uh, when you have a script that's written
02:21so well and gives you such a clear idea of where you're supposed to, to be with the character and
02:26like really situates you in the movie, like the script read as well as the movie flows, like it's
02:31just a really expertly constructed, you know, storyline and all the character, uh, um, you know,
02:37developments and everything just really make a whole lot of sense. There's this momentum to the
02:40movie. So, uh, getting on set and being in an environment that felt really immersive,
02:45you know, we had an actual cold room where that, you know, for the, where they could see
02:50people's breaths. I think they might animate that today, but there was actually sets where
02:54you had to go on that were like 30 degrees or something so that your breath would come
02:57out and it just, you really felt like you were in that world. So I think that was the big
03:01factor. Yeah. Like it just seems like so much pressure for, I mean, again, when I was 11,
03:05it's like, what am I doing? You know, when you're here on the set with like millions of dollars
03:09and M. Night Shyamalan is there and Bruce Willis is there. Yeah. That was a, that was a big,
03:14is it not intimidating? Not really. And that's tonight's credit. And he was a year younger than
03:19I am right now when he made that movie. So that, that I, and he kind of set the tone
03:24on set. I mean,
03:25I was at an age where I knew it was a bigger movie than I'd done before, but we didn't
03:30have the
03:31expectations for that. It would become like a big hit or, you know, would be part of award season or
03:36stuff like that. And, uh, you know, so on set night was just very comfortable. I mean,
03:41I remember him sitting in a chair like this bouncing a basketball in between lighting transitions and
03:45everything. So it was a, he was a very relaxed and comfortable guy to be around. Did you sort of
03:49take anything away from, uh, working with Bruce Willis? Yeah. I mean, that was the first like
03:55movie star that I had really been around and he really wore the part well and just was very
04:00charismatic, very kind to all the people around him. And I think we all just had this sense
04:05that we had a great story on our hands. And if we all just worked well together as a team,
04:10uh, you know, it would be, uh, it would turn out to be something special. Yeah. And you and Toni
04:14Collette, I mean, she's incredible. And that scene with you guys in the car at the end kills me every,
04:19like tears just streaming every time I've seen the movie a lot and every time it just kills me. Um,
04:25okay. So, uh, I also read that you, um, you were sort of, your career had all this moment and,
04:32and then you went back to school for theater. Yes. Why did you do that?
04:36I think, you know, you can go to college at, you know, or return to college at any point in
04:40your
04:40life. It just felt really important to me to do it at that age. There's only going to be that
04:45one
04:46opportunity when you're, you know, 18 years old and, you know, you move to a different city and
04:49you're studying, acting around people that were, you know, that are all your, your own age.
04:54Cause that was completely new for me. I was usually the only kid on the set in a lot of
04:59situations.
04:59So to do something where it's all of a sudden, you know, only people who are your exact age and
05:03have your shared experience in that way, uh, was even the opportunity.
05:06Was that when you were 18? Yeah, I went to college.
05:07Okay, cool. So you just were like doing the normal, you're like, I'm, I'm 18, I'm going to college.
05:11It was just time. Yeah. And even like the last two years of high school, I wasn't working very
05:15much because that, that whole process is so intense and there's standardized tests and classes you
05:20have to take and all these activities you have to do for the college application process. And that was
05:24just my life for, you know, 16 through, uh, you know, 22. Good for you. A lot of people would
05:29be like, standardized test. I'm sorry. I'm kind of a big deal. Well, my mom was a sixth grade teacher.
05:34So even if I wasn't going to study acting, like college was definitely going to happen in some way
05:38or another. During that time though, were you, Kingdom Hearts seems to be like the through line.
05:43It's the longest, yeah. Because you've been doing it for a long time. Excuse me. So were you working on
05:47that during, um, during that time as well? Was that sort of the only thing that, that you, the only
05:52thing that we would all, I guess, recognize you?
05:54I, I did, uh, I started the first one when I was like 12 in 2001 or 2000. Then the
06:01second one was my last two years of high school. And then there were all these like little mini sequels
06:06between the second one in 2005 and the third one, which was just this year. So I was working on
06:10that. I did a couple small independent films like early on in college. And I did one play on Broadway
06:17for a short run. But in the last like two years of college, um, I was getting so far behind
06:23on credit.
06:24It's when I was taking, you know, a semester off or everything that I just wanted to go through with
06:28it. And also stay with the core group of people that I had entered college with in this program, which
06:31was basically a conservatory program.
06:33Right. Um, it's great that you've been able to, you know, keep that character going for so long. I feel
06:39like, you know, you play it as a kid and your voice, uh, your voice just changes obviously over time.
06:44Definitely. Um, so it's nice that they sort of, uh, kept you in that role and, and you still seem
06:50to enjoy it. So that's cool.
06:51Oh yeah. I think it's easier to do that young voice and Sora's gotten a little older as, uh, as
06:56time is going on.
06:57Yeah, cause he's still sort of like, yeah, let's do it. Yeah.
07:00I feel like the character is like McConaughey and interstellar and like he hasn't aged very much, but I'm the
07:05old guy on the ship, you know, at a different, uh, different rate of speed.
07:10Uh, but now that like my voice is like reached, I think it's final form, uh, it's, it's easier to,
07:17to get to, you know, alter it than when I was like a middle teenager and my voice was still
07:21changing and I was trying to hit that like 11 year old bitch.
07:24Okay. So now let's talk about what you have going on now. Finally. Um, so you're in future man, which
07:32is on Hulu. Um, but first let's talk about your, um, your movie that just premiered at Sundance, uh, extremely,
07:38uh, wicked, sorry, extremely wicked, shockingly evil and violent.
07:42Correct. Um, that's a mouthful.
07:44It took a while for us to get it.
07:46Um, why don't you tell me about your character in the movie?
07:49I am an invented character and unlike, uh, what Wikipedia and IMDB say, I am not a detective.
07:55I'm just Jerry. Is that what it says on Wikipedia?
07:56It says Detective Jerry something. I was like, no.
07:58Who did that?
07:58I actually think I figured out why that's happening. I think the algorithm went into the documentary where there is
08:05a Detective Jerry something.
08:06We're like, oh, it must be that, like force these names together.
08:09Or, yeah, someone on Wikipedia is like, oh, he's a detective.
08:12Thought they were really, really clever. Yeah.
08:14Okay, so you're not a detective.
08:15Not a detective. I am a humble worker at the University Medical Office, uh, who works across the room from
08:21Lily Collins' character.
08:22He sees her take these calls from Ted Bundy and sees her sort of, you know, start to wither and
08:29die because he's just draining the life out of her with his manipulation and his lies.
08:33And so he kind of tries to, you know, make his way into her life, uh, along with, uh, her
08:38friend. He's played by, uh, uh, Angela Serafian.
08:40And, uh, uh, sort of to help her see a future without, uh, Ted Bundy.
08:45Okay. Um, were you familiar with Ted Bundy before? Are you, uh, like a true crime person? Are you a
08:51murderino?
08:51No. Um, I, I say that, but, like, I think everyone has spent a lot of time, like, going down
08:57that Wikipedia rabbit hole, you know, even if they sort of stumble onto it.
09:01So I did know the chronology of the case, but the details and the footage that has sort of surfaced
09:08with the documentary and everything, just seeing all the, because he was just, had this bizarre way to subtly change
09:16his voice and his appearance that's really, really creepy to see.
09:18He, like, had this British, like, he would put on the British affectation or whatever, just, yeah.
09:23Well, just in the tapes, too, and I know that some of this is because of the deterioration of the
09:26audio tapes over time, but, like, he just sounds like a different person sometimes.
09:29I thought that, too, when I watched the Netflix, um, uh, the one that Joe, uh, yeah, it was, like,
09:35is that really the same person talking?
09:37It takes a second for, sometimes you're, like, oh, yeah, it's him, and because he's talking in the third person,
09:41you're, like, oh, this is, like, a doctor or detective, and you're, like, oh, no, it's the guy who did
09:45it, yeah.
09:45Super weird.
09:46Creepy.
09:47Yeah, a little bit creepy.
09:49Um, what, did that, uh, did that script come to you just, like, through the normal process, and if so,
09:55um, because I think I heard Joe said that you were his first choice for that.
09:59It was awesome.
10:00Like, everybody, I think, was his first choice, and, uh, uh, I believe him, and it's an honor to be
10:07put in that, in that cast in that way.
10:09But when I saw the script, I think most of those names had already agreed to do it, so even
10:14before cracking the script, I was, like, I'm feeling like I'm, you know, Joe Berlinger's name is on it.
10:18But it being a Ted Bundy project, you know, I was aware of the risks and the need for it
10:23to be handled properly, and the way that the script was designed, and knowing that Joe was gonna be the
10:27guy to do it, I felt really confident jumping on board.
10:30Yeah.
10:30I wanna ask you about the trailer.
10:32Can I ask you about the trailer?
10:34Uh, it's okay if you don't wanna talk about it, but it's just so polarizing that, I don't know, what
10:40are your thoughts?
10:41Uh, well, an important thing to remember is that, uh, the director and nobody from the film has any input
10:47into it.
10:47It's a marketing company that does it, so...
10:49Thank you for saying that.
10:50Yeah, um, so we don't always have control over that, um, or we rarely have control over it.
10:54But another thing that I thought was really sort of summed up a lot of the response to it was
10:59somebody on Twitter was, like,
11:00the director of this Ted Bundy movie should really take a page from the guy who directed the documentary on
11:05Netflix.
11:05I was like, it's the same guy.
11:07Oh my god, these people!
11:09Yeah, I mean, I can, I totally understand that response to it, and we're certainly at a point where it's
11:14a particularly heavy topic
11:17and one to be considered seriously about whether you should depict some things at all in any way.
11:22And I wouldn't wanna argue with anybody who feels that, you know, that that's an absolute, that you should never
11:27depict it,
11:28but our approach to it, I think everybody who's on the same page with this, particularly Joe,
11:32is that we're trying to show how someone like this did what he did.
11:36Because a lot of people all the way through the murder trials did not believe that it was possible.
11:40He was this handsome, college-educated white guy.
11:42And we're showing the movie from Lily's perspective because you had to see what a seductive person he was
11:49to, you know, someone who's so obviously guilty in retrospect.
11:51We're sort of seeing it from the inside of the story before all the puzzle pieces fell into place.
11:56Yeah.
11:56Um, I mean, it is a marketing, you know, trailers are marketing tools at the end of the day.
12:01So I understand, I see both sides, but I was very curious how, you know, someone who's in the film,
12:05and like we were saying, everybody, you know, took such care with this story, it seems like anyways, you know,
12:12from everything that we've seen from, you know, yourself, the rest of the cast, and the director.
12:16It's like, everyone seems to have been very careful with telling this story.
12:21So then you have a trailer that comes out, and obviously they want, you want people to see the film.
12:26Yeah.
12:27Um, so it's a tough call, you know.
12:29And another thing is that in the movie, we don't get into the murders really at all.
12:33We're not showing any of that.
12:34It's really just this life you had with Liz Klepfer.
12:38And the, one of the things that Lily did for her performance was she didn't look at any of the
12:42material about the murders themselves,
12:44or any photographs or anything, right until the end of the movie when the turn happens, and it hits, you
12:48know,
12:48and she, the mask sort of completely falls away from Bundy.
12:52And you could really feel that happening in the theater during the premiere at Sundance.
12:56Yeah.
12:57I mean, because for us, we've been so immersed in the story, we know all the details about it and
13:01everything.
13:01It's, it was easy to forget that a lot of people come into that movie not knowing so much of
13:05what happened,
13:06so getting led along like she does in the movie and then having that turn happen was, I think, really
13:11impactful.
13:12Speaking of Sundance, I heard that everywhere, because I know you went to our lounge and did an interview and
13:17a lot of press there,
13:18but when you were going from interview to interview, was Zach really getting mobbed by fans?
13:23Oh, yeah.
13:23What was that like for you?
13:25Were you walking together?
13:26Was it just crazy?
13:27It's, it's crazy.
13:28I mean, I admire the person he is having to deal with that all the time.
13:33You know, it's always like a safety consideration, especially in close quarters.
13:37Yeah.
13:37So a lot of the times it was him going to the secure vehicle and some of us like sneaking
13:41out behind him while everybody followed, followed him.
13:44But yeah, it was, it was wild.
13:45It's definitely like, you know, being with a rock band.
13:49Oh my gosh.
13:50Um, okay.
13:51So in general, I just kind of want to ask you about, um, what do you look for in a
13:55role?
13:55Like what, what sort of interests you whenever you're obviously a great script, like the sixth sense, everything seems like
14:01it just sort of jumps off the page and is almost very easy for an actor to come in.
14:05Um, is what are you looking for when you read scripts these days?
14:09Uh, I guess it's pretty simple, just something new, you know, and the last five or six years, you know,
14:15post college, I've been playing like some more like villains and then some jerks and some certain things that I
14:21had not had the opportunity to play before.
14:24And then once you go through a period of doing that, you start thinking like, okay, I've had like a
14:27certain look for a while.
14:28I've had a certain type of character, like what is the next turn?
14:31Like what is the next, uh, phase?
14:33And I'm really excited for that now because I've been, you know, I had been, was working on like Future
14:37Man and a couple things over the past two years and now it's like an opportunity to look for the
14:40next, uh, the next project and the next, uh, phase.
14:43Yeah.
14:43Um, do you feel like now you are kind of more drawn to comedy or does it not really matter?
14:49Do you not think about that?
14:49I am as a fan and a lot of it started with two things.
14:53I got to be on the Comedy Bang Bang television show for two seasons and that whole world is, you
14:58know, incredible to have anything to do with.
15:00Um, and then I did this mini-series called The Spoils of Babylon with Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell and
15:05Tobey Maguire and a huge cast.
15:07And just having that exposure to that way of working, a little bit more improv and stuff like that, it's
15:12really addictive.
15:13So I definitely gravitate towards it, but I think the main reason there's been so many comedy things in my
15:19credits recently is just it's a great time for comedy.
15:21Like there's just a lot being made.
15:22Yeah.
15:23All those guys on Silicon Valley have other, you know, projects.
15:26And I think Thomas Middleditch is playing Carnegie Hall today with Ben Schwartz right now.
15:31It's like that, the impact and the reach of all that world is, uh, is pretty, pretty cool.
15:35Yeah, that's amazing.
15:37Um, good for you, Thomas Middleditch.
15:39Um, and Ben Hartz.
15:41Just the one.
15:41Um, okay, so, um, let's talk about Future Man.
15:45Oh, yeah.
15:45As we start to wind things down a little bit.
15:47Um, so, season one, you, uh, your character had some, there are all these different timelines.
15:54And, um, you were in it a bit.
15:56What is, uh, I know season two is already out, but can you maybe tease a little bit of what,
16:00um, what, how we can see your character in season two?
16:03Sure, yeah.
16:04It's, uh, the, the way they had the story evolve between the seasons is just really brilliant.
16:09Like, they were jumping, they were sort of running and gunning all through the 20th century, uh, in season one.
16:15And so my character would, uh, sort of morph every time Josh came back to the present.
16:20And I was basically just escalating levels of psycho, you know, up to me holding a samurai sword and driving
16:24around in a yellow Hummer.
16:26Um, but in season two, the, the theme is basically, like, they've sacrificed everything to save the world.
16:32And it sort of wrestles with the philosophical, like, almost, like, Greek mythological question of, like, can you really change
16:39fate?
16:40Do you just create more problems and wind up where you started by trying to alter the, the course of
16:45history?
16:45Yeah.
16:46So we're 200 years in the future, pretty much playing it like it will be.
16:50It's an apocalyptic wasteland, uh, you know, the environment's been destroyed, all the animals are dead.
16:54And I am trying to offload humanity to Mars to colonize it, uh, because the climate on Earth can no
17:01longer support, uh, any humans.
17:03I'm also a 200-year-old holographic projection of my consciousness.
17:06Yes.
17:06And I have cloned a woman I fell in love with and sort of raised her as my daughter.
17:09So, that's going on too, yeah.
17:12Just normal stuff.
17:12Just normal sci-fi stuff.
17:14You know those tropes, yeah.
17:15If that's season two, like, what's gonna happen in season three?
17:17I don't know, yeah.
17:19Well, thank you so much for the talk.
17:20It was, uh, really interesting.
17:23Thanks.
17:23You know, you've had this amazing career and, you know, longer than most people can hope for.
17:27I feel very lucky.
17:28So, hopefully a lot more to come.
17:30Um, everyone check out Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile in the Fall on Netflix.
17:35We don't have the date yet, but hopefully soon.
17:36And, uh, seasons one and two of Future Man are on Hulu.
17:40Thanks.
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