Usually, youre acting for time; theres always this emphasis, whether or not you have people pointing at their watches, you know this big machine has to keep moving. I was going to ask if you were happy with the final product. "I've played bad guys, I've played good guys, dumb guys, smart guys," he says. What do you get recognized for the most these days? They were always out doing stuff. View this farm for sale with 7.5 acres by Columbia in Adair County, Kentucky 42728. FARMFLIP #343864. Steve Zahn was running a few minutes late because he was tending to a horse who had had surgery and needed bandages redressed. The funny thing is, Mike actually stopped by here. Zahn shot the series smack-dab in the middle of COVID-19, when productions were being shut down daily, if not hourly. I mean, maybe Mom and Dad get closer, maybe they work. Whether he's running a farm or acting in War for the Planet of the Apes, the veteran character actor never. Oh, as opposed to non-comedy films where youre the comedic character.And yet, I dont get the commander of the U-Boat, either. Its just looking at yourself, and you end up calling each other because its too bizarre. Its about filling it with something else, you know what I mean? To play what? To play a new ape. I got really excited, of course. The company is now defunct, but the founding members have remained close over the years. They were always out doing stuff. is at the Kentucky farm his family moved to in the early aughts. And they followed suit, man. On the latest episode of the Rex Chapman Show with Josh Hopkins, the guys are joined by the incredible actor, Steve Zahn. And while Zahn has certainly kept a low profile of late, he hasn't been quite as invisible as you might think. (1996) and played guitar and sang in Saving Silverman (2001). When Zahn and I talk ahead of the shows finale, the beloved character actor (lately I've been seeing the word Zahnaissance floating around) is at the Kentucky farm his family moved to in the early aughts. Briefly attended the Guthrie Theater Drama School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but dropped out to pursue his film career. I love doing comedies, theyre so fun, but I dont get those scripts. I remember seeing my sister in a play when I was very young, and I remember telling my folks, I want to do that. In sixthgrade, I was in the high-school production of The Wizard of Oz as a munchkin, and one day, Dr. Lamby, I think his name was, was yelling at all the cast and he pulled me aside and screamed, This is the only guy up there doing anything! [Laughs] I was the guy in high school; I was the guy who was good at it. "Now I'm just all those guys, but they have kids . He wants his family to be this amazing, connected group. I mean, my kid, Henry, the first time we ever Skyped, he looked at it and he was like at the time, I think he was 9 he goes, Hey! I go, Hey! He immediately drops his pants and shows me his ass. This story first appeared in the July 16 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. My dayliliesare insane. [Laughs] And Im totally opposite that, yknow? I do the dishes, do the laundry, and stay busy. He made his professional debut in a 1987 production of Neil Simon's Biloxi Blues, eventually working his way into the esteemed American Repertory Theater. I mean, Ive played a lot of dramatic roles. I loved being an actor in New York, it was so exciting. Yeah. Zahn has also worked regularly in television, playing the role of Davis McClary on 36 episodes of HBO's Treme. "I've played bad guys, I've played good guys, dumb guys, smart guys," he says. I didnt know what the fuck I was going to do. So everybodys famous because everybody knows everybody?Well, actually, Sam Shepard lives out there. It always goes back to a huge tortoise. I'm the activities director here I mean, I'm not like Mark. Yeah, totally. Auditioning or reading for people in general can just be kind of weird to begin with, because its not acting. Every night, we'd be down on the beach, watching the sunset, he says. [Mimes seeing someone coming toward him.] Youre reading with someone. He just doesn't know how to do that. That was enough for the folks at 20th Century Fox to greenlight not one but two equally lucrative sequels, making the Wimpy Kid series Zahn's first official franchise though that franchise appeal wasn't enough to get Zahn back in dad mode for the much-maligned fourth film in the Wimpy Kid series. It reminded me of doing this experimental theater I did at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge in 1989. But I love the culture. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. More recently, Zahn turned up as a wayward soul in Andrew Haigh's beautifully meandering racehorse drama Lean on Pete, but if you really want to see Zahn at his indie best, you'll want to check out his hilariously unhinged, Independent Spirit and Sundance award winning turn as an escaped convict hiding out as a beauty pageant director in the 2000 comedy Happy, Texas. This password will be used to sign into all, Steve Zahn Isnt the Guy You Thought He Was, Okay, TikTok, You Can Calm Down About Aubrey Plaza at the SAG Awards Now, Shakira Takes Some Pointers From Taylor Swift, In Search of Tom and Katies Bubba Painting, Maybe punting on the larger plot can be forgiven if we get a sweet. And I think sometimes people Its funny. All rights reserved. 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. Great.". director Tom Hanks (who he worked with on You've Got Mail, From the Earth to the Moon, and The Great Buck Howard), and his Sahara co-star Matthew McConaughey, who reunited with him in Dallas Buyers Club. Rick Gomez is my partner. And were like, "Wow, we can't play Hamlet anymore. The first movie I did, Reality Bites, I came back home and I was poorer than when I started. Steve Zahn was running a few minutes late because he was tending to a horse who had had surgery and needed bandages redressed. Briefly attended the Guthrie Theater Drama School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but dropped out to pursue his film career. I thought that there would be these hurdles. We're going to look like King Lear. They're far and few between, but they stick out. While The Crossing received generally favorable reviews, its mix of heady plot lines and somber tone never quite connected with audiences, andwas canceled after just 11 episodes. Even fewer have managed to continue delivering high-quality work in the decades that followed. I got to say, for three days, thats all I did, was try to perfect this scene. But yeah, I think we lose touch, especially nowadays. As he's in this kind of crazy Disney Land for rich people, where everything is fake, everything is false, they're going to have a new group of people the next week and they're going to treat them exactly the same way. I wouldve done anything, really. Rick Gomez is my partner. In 2017, Zahn played Bad Ape in War for the Planet of the Apes. Lets Do the Thing: How Online Were You in February 2023? Im not doing the movie, Im doing what were doing right now, even if its contradictory to my idea of what were going to do, ultimately. Whats a distinctive memory you have from shooting it? [2] His fellow actors suggested that Zahn study acting, inspiring him to enroll in American Repertory Theater's two-year training program. So when he got a call to star with Connie Britton, Natasha Rothwell and Murray Bartlett in HBOs The White Lotus, a darkly comic miniseries (from Enlighteneds Mike White) about haves and have-nots colliding at a Hawaiian resort, he needed little convincing. But this was all on location. No kidding!Yeah, Lexington is a cool little spot. He's got some voice work lined up (opposite Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, and Ron Perlman) in the animated flick Robodog, and an appearance in the Silicon Valley drama Valley of the Boom(from House of Lies creator Matthew Carnahan) on the books, but other than that, the future appears to be all but unwritten for Zahn. . Of course, appearances are often deceiving, especially in the context of the entertainment business. If it looks cold, it was cold. Hes a New Yorker man. My kids don't even sit on social media, which is really kind of insane. I didnt have some master plan. It's very different. As it happens, his old That Thing You Do! Mark is going through this big existential crisis. But just, you know, your responsibility as a leader on set, your responsibilities. He's like, "No, no, we're going to use a prosthetic." You sit and you explore these tiny moments in this huge blockbuster movie. GQ: In one of your more memorable scenes, you pretend to be a drunk ape seducing Connie Britton. Watch Steve Zahn talk about people having no clue who he is, even neighbors who work on his Kentucky farm.It's just 4 minutes of my big talk with #SteveZahn! But you never went, This isnt the life for me.No. I wear it every Fourth of July when I light off fireworks. I mean, you see it everywhere. So HBO, isn't it? The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Oh, I have so many. I just dont want this business to define my life. I knew I could do it well. The way he did it was just great. Zahn has a staggering net worth of $25 million which he made from various successful films, TV series, and voice acting in animated movies. What appealed to you about the role of Mark and what sort of personal touches did you want to infuse in the character? You know what's crazy? He researched the role by watching chimpanzee videos on YouTube, and later said that the motion capture process and lengthy digital takes made Bad Ape "the most challenging acting job I've ever had". He doesn't edit himself, which gets him in trouble. As he's in this kind of crazy Disney Land for rich people, where everything is fake, everything is false, they're going to have a new group of people the next week and they're going to treat them exactly the same way. What would I be doing here?. But someone got sick, so I had to jump in and get permission from [Actors] Equity to hit the stage in this Christmas show. Steve Zahn, 58. Seriously Zahn and his crew actually own and operate a quiet little farm in a. It was great. Awesome.". Any glimmer of hope is beautiful in this show. Its Planet of the Apes! It depends on Youre kind of a part of peoples subconscious and its weird to see it pop out. I was like, "Oh geez, no, this is crazy." Dont tell anyone! I like Westerns and I like war flicks, and if I get something like that, I get really excited like I'm 12 years old. Steve Zahn was a special guest on today's show and he had Matt and Ryan laughing hysterically for the entire two hours. Its a chick flick! Mark is going through this big existential crisis. How does this show compare to your own familys vacations? I lived in New Orleans for four years. Its a weird process. That's so insane. From award-winning writing and photography to binge-ready videos to electric live events, GQ meets millions of modern men where they live, creating the moments that create conversations. Id say Saving Silverman or Sahara or That Thing You Do. Steve Zahn's rise to prominence in the early '90s was as impressive as any of his contemporaries. I wanted his honesty to come off as a good thing, even though it's really his Achilles heel. With The Crossing officially in his past, Steve Zahn looks to have more free time on his hands. The guy is phenomenal. Zahn is an avid fly fisherman, and he owns a farm in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Of course." I did more of a silverback gorilla. 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. What is real? Yeah. He was the coach on set. That made me laugh: "Oh, I've been a monkey in two films. I mean, what happens in my business is, we're telling stories about people. I had a Skype conversation with [director] Matt Reeves for, like, an hour and 15 minutes. Steve Zahn: It was so difficult. Its nun versus AI in Damon Lindelofs new series. Forgive me if this is crude, but your character has a revealing moment in the first episode. At that point, I was about to have some big old yard sales, he jokes. If you know him as the wacky guy from That Thing You Do, Saving Silverman, or the Diary of a Wimpy Kid films, meeting him is confusing at first. While Steve Zahn has managed to keep one foot in the Hollywood blockbuster door over the years, he's always kept his other firmly in the indie films that gave him his first taste of stardom. What does Steve Zahn do to unwind at the end of the day?Feed my horses. This interview has been edited and condensed. And all of us are going up to Erie to a minor league ballpark for Wonders Night, which is kind of fun. My son's 21. I did one episode of Friends. My kids don't even sit on social media, which is really kind of insane. In truth, the series was merely the first time he showed his face in a full-fledged family film. Are there any types of roles that you havent played yet that you want to get to one day? 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. And then I had to approve it. We sit and we get so wrapped up in our little worlds, and compared to what most people have to go through, it's ridiculous. I remember, back in the day in New York, going to auditions and youre reading with an assistant at some casting agency and they might not be actors, so your impulse as an actor is to make that exchange, thats the play of the day. That was actually for a Mardi Gras outfit. Yeah. In real life, he speaks slowly and deliberately, thinking through his answers and waxing poetic about everything from the farm he owns in Kentucky to the experimental theater he practiced early in his career. Theres a flavor of what you might do. And one of them had worked for Anne Bogart and said, Hey, theyre starting up the A.R.T. and I thought it was awesome and got in. Then my wife wakes up and starts her writing. It always goes back to a huge tortoise. Now, I just play different kinds of dads, says Steve Zahn, whose first breakout role was in 1994s Reality Bites. Although we did scuba dive. Zahn plays the young man's lovably affable father, bringing a welcome sincerity and quick wit to the to the kid-friendly films. I'm like, "Yeah, it's fine. I was like, "Oh, okay, cool." What do you get recognized for the most these days? GQ: In one of your more memorable scenes, you pretend to be a drunk ape seducing Connie Britton. A few years later, Zahn's voice turned up amongst an all-star cast of actors and funny people as Runt of the Litter in the animated blockbuster Chicken Little. And then I read the part, and its a great part, and I thought, Wow! You know, the disc jockey at the station that talks fast or whatever. Where's he hanging his hat these days, you ask? Tom taught us so much stuff. It was the most physical job I think Ive ever done. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, thenView saved stories. On a scale of laminated-eyebrow drama to Lemon Lady Secrets. I'm like, "Yeah, it's fine. Now I'm just all those guys, but they have kids.. When Zahn and I talk ahead of the show's finale, the beloved character actor (lately I've been seeing the word "Zahnaissance" floating around) is at the Kentucky farm his family moved to in. Steve Zahn. Or do you just blend in?Well, we live outside a little town called Midway, and its a block long, the downtown. Covering Rammsteins Du Hast in Berlin. He literally says the words what is real?" Thats about as absurd as it gets, right? We sit and we get so wrapped up in our little worlds, and compared to what most people have to go through, it's ridiculous. Ninety-nine percent of the time, people are excited, but I was like, How many ways can I die underwater? I had a bad experience shooting Crimson Tide. Riding in Cars With Boys is dramatic. That was actually for a Mardi Gras outfit. Photographed by Egan Parks Steve Zahn was running a few minutes late because he was tending to a horse who had had surgery and. Oh, it made me laugh. I did one episode of Friends. All the [musical] performances. It wasnt like I wanted to be a star, it was just that I knew that I can. For those unfamiliar with the movie, it's based on a popular series of young adult novels, and follows the travails of a whip-smart 12-year-old attempting to make the complicated transition from elementary school into middle school. I was going to ask if you were happy with the final product. But the irony is that I played a chimpanzee in Planet of the Apes. Every Christmas was insane, getting J. Peterman stuff. We sat down in chairs looking at each other, breathing, and talking about core and talking about strength and talking about presence and how we hold ourselves as humans, but apes dont, but theyre not lazy just breaking it down. Right, people pick and choose the roles they identify you with. People come up to me all the time about it. I didnt go full-on. But I auditioned with him and it was great! And now I'm finding, "Oh yeah, no, I'll wear this.". By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. It's true. I take that back. Other topics of discussion: -- Zahn riding his bike to the Final Four But you shot that pilot where youre a small-town sheriff, The Crossing.That was a pilot we did in March. Im really proud of my perennial beds. On television, Zahn appeared as . Im guessing raising your kids on a farm probably helped you avoid having kids like the ones on the show. 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