A Bateman For All Seasons - Jason Bateman interview

“I think when you start doing comedy, you end up liking everyone else doing it,” says Horrible Bosses 2 star Jason Bateman of his chosen field. “Because you appreciate the talent it takes to go past drama into that weird dark little cave where comedy lives.” Considering the subject further, Bateman adds, “You have to make everything believable, but at a heightened level. It takes talent and timing and awareness of tone, so it’s a joy watching those who do it well. I was a big Gene Wilder fan, and I was into Bill Murray and Monty Python as well. Monty Python was so broad on one side and so dry on the other, there was nothing in between, which I kind of enjoyed.”

“Broad” and “dry” perfectly sum up Bateman’s own career. Known now for his trademark wry delivery and for playing the straight man, he actually started his career aged thirteen, becoming a sitcom favourite and child star. After a tumultuous decade in his twenties where drink, drugs and partying were all indulged in to excess, he’s now settled in for the long haul as a leading man.
Sardonic, honest and with eye-catchingly lush hair, Bateman sits in a luxurious LA hotel suite – apparently very disinterested in the process of promoting his new film, Horrible Bosses 2. It’s no surprise; he’s infamously frank about his projects, once describing his comedy The Change-Up as “crap”, “garbage” and “tired.” He doesn’t say the same thing about his current comedy sequel – but he doesn’t lavish it with praise either. The feature sees him return as Nick, a wannabe entrepreneur who, along with his friends Kurt (Jason Sudekis) and Dale (Charlie Day) gets betrayed by business mogul Christoph Waltz and hatches a revenge plan.
Bateman saves his enthusiasm for his co-stars, particularly Kevin Spacey and Waltz. The actor mischievously admits that he loves seeing these normally dignified and intimidating actors transform themselves into expletive-laden comic psychopaths.
“They still feel very dignified and intimidating!” he laughs. “That’s their style, no matter if they’re doing comedy or drama. So you never get the sense that they’re asking for a laugh, you really have to pay attention to know if they’re being funny or dramatic, and to me that’s just razor-sharp. They’re right on the line, it’s great to watch. Kevin’s a ham on-set, he does great impressions, he’s hilarious.”
Bateman also pushed for Jennifer Aniston to reprise her role as a nymphomaniac manipulator, and it’s not the first time he’s promoted women in comedy. When cast in the buddy comedy Identity Thief earlier this year, he successfully campaigned for the studios to give the other leading role – initially written for a man – to Melissa McCarthy. He states that he feels comedy in Hollywood needs to be more open to casting and promoting actresses.
“It’s certainly overdue,” he proffers. “I don’t know if women are working more in comedy, maybe. Media is just so much bigger generally nowadays, publicity is so much larger. There’s a louder conversation, and you hear about the entertainment industry more now than you did. A film like 9 To 5 was a long time ago and was a huge success – but I recognise it’s a rarity too. Whatever’s going on with people like Melissa and Kristen Wiig getting attention, it’s nice, because some of the funniest people I know are women, including Charlie Day’s wife, my wife. So perhaps the studios feel more confident due to the volume of press attention, and that’s great.”
More than many actors, he’s distinctly aware of studios and networks being unsupportive of comedy, as Fox were distinctly unimpressed with his cult comedy show Arrested Development.
“When you take the last four episodes,” he notes, “and put them on opposite the closing ceremony of the Olympics, I don’t know how supportive you’d call that.”
But after the third, Netflix-released season’s decidedly lukewarm reception, Bateman seems both unsure of and ambivalent about its future.
“I’ve not been told anything. They called it a season, which implies there would be more, but I don’t know if that was the intention. There was a three-act story, and those episodes were just meant to take the first act. So there’s still an act two and act three of that whole story arc, but I don’t know if there’s going to be more episodes or a movie made for cable or Netflix or what. I’ve no idea.”
For the moment he’s focusing on editing his second directorial feature, The Family Fang, and balancing life as a husband and father.
“It’s definitely difficult, particularly when you’re out of town, but they’re good problems to have, you know? I just feel lucky.”

Horrible Bosses 2 is in cinemas now.