Spy Kids is continuing their saga of butt kicking and world saving with a fourth installment, but this time in 4D!
The action-packed kids movie, Spy Kids 4: All the Time In The World features actor Jeremy Pivens playing alongside the beautiful Jessica Alba.
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Although Jeremy is most well known for his cutthroat, money hungry role as Ari on the tremendously successful HBO show Entourage, the actor is showing us a very misunderstood villainous side in Spy Kids. Jeremy lays out not only one, but three separate roles as the Time Keeper, Danger D’Amo and Tick Tock.
We had a chance to get some feedback from Jeremy on the film, his reaction to 4D, the possibility of an Entourage movie and more.
Check what the Emmy award-winning actor had to say!
GlobalGrind: How was it being in the Spy Kids series as part of such a huge franchise?
Jeremy Piven: Well it all starts with (director) Rob Rodriguez who is a genius, I love him. I’ve been a fan of his for awhile and after having that experience, it’s like I have even more respect for him now than I did before, which is kind of amazing. He’s created this world for himself where he can create in a backyard and you go and play in his world. I grew up on the stage so I’m used to playing multiple characters, having fun and being larger than life. That’s exactly what this was and so to me, this was like going home.
Which character was the most fun to play?
Probably Tick Tock. As soon as I put on that outfit, it was like I just lent myself to be this figure for the day. Antonio Banderas, in one of the movies he did, he even said that he didn’t know how to play this character. Then he put on this jacket and all of a sudden it just came to life. You never know what element it’s going to be that’s going to set you off with this character. I was lucky enough to find the voice very early and I pitched it to him. You go to hair and makeup in which I saw this insane wig that I thought would be great. I wanted to really find a way seamlessly enough for it to be chunky to disappear so that you didn’t know it was me. That was the goal for a lot of the characters and then to have it be revealed at the end.
You’ve built a craft of dynamic performances because this villain is someone who is not your typical ‘take over the world,’ he actually has intentions. Is that something that you were interested in fleshing out?
It was really all there when I got to it. My father passed away and I thought to spend time with him and so a lot of these themes spoke to me. I think we all either have parents or deceased family members that we would like to spend more time with and that’s at the root of this movie. I just think it’s a beautiful theme. Even though he’s an evil character, he’s got good intentions.
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What was your reaction when you found out this movie would be in 4-D?
I thought he was kidding, I swear to God and everyone I tell they go, ‘come-on really.’ I’m telling you right now, this is the sign that the movie is worth watching. I’m surrounded by children and I’m laughing and they’re like, ‘sshhhh be quiet’ and I’m like I’m sorry, because they’re laughing at certain things and I’m laughing at certain things, you know there is something for everyone. I have a 6-year-old niece, I’ve taken her to 3-D movies and she gets about 17 minutes into it and then she’s done. The glasses are off, she’s playing with the popcorn. It’s now become a megaphone but these kids were with it and they wouldn’t keep their eyes off the screen. Then when I say ‘ding-ding-ding scratch number 3,’ they’re still looking and sniffing. I look around and you have an entire audience of kids sniffing and staring (laughs) you know what I mean. They don’t know that it’s a screening and we’re there. They don’t know who I am, they’ve never seen Entourage and that was real. That was a real response and they loved it, I didn’t get one thumbs down, a lot high fives so we’re OK (laughs).
Any talks about an Entourage movie?
Yeah, they want to do it but you know it’s all about Doug Ellin, he’s the writer, they’re like write this movie and he needs to pick it up. We need to get on this guy?
What about an Entourage with the smell-o-vision?
(Laughs). I definitely think that Ari would smell like money. You would definitely get the smell of currency. It would smell probably what Jay-Z smells like, money and success.
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What can you tell us about the Miley Cyrus movie Undercover?
So Undercover, I basically play a character that puts her undercover into this world and it’s the type of role that I’ve never played. It’s real kind of straight laced buttoned down FBI agent and he’s like a kiddo expert and Miley, believe it or not is an 18 year old Jujitsu expert and we spar a lot verbally. She’s a little beast, she’s a force to be reckoned with, I loved it. I really didn’t have a reference for Miley Cyrus at all, but I’m a fan now. I had a great time with her, it was great chemistry, I would have never expected that.
How was working with the two kids?
They’re so grown up aren’t they, it’s weird, it’s very surreal! The moment I saw Rowan I was like oh my God, you look like you could be my daughter, and she was like, you look like you could be my dad (laughs) and then she hugged me. They didn’t have that reference for my work, so they didn’t even know I was playing the character and it was just a really great fresh way to start with them. They both have great instincts, they play off of whatever’s right in front of them, they have words enough to even know how to lie on camera, so you can always learn a lot from kids.
For someone who is so passionate about the craft of acting, what is it like to leave a character? It’s just something that’s been so defined by you and having to just stop it now, what’s that like in this period right now?
Well, to be honest with you, if it wasn’t for this season I would absolutely feel like there was unfinished business. After the completion of this season I got what I wanted. I wanted for this character to be brought to his knees and for you to see his humanity in some way, shape or form come out. I knew that the only thing that was holding him together was his wife and kids and if they left, he would be completely lost. Now you get to see this character navigating through some uncharted territory and I just couldn’t be happier. What an amazing season and what an incredible way to end this and I just feel incredibly grateful. There’s nothing bitter about it, just sweet, I feel great.
