Jeff Daniels
Q: Is it a tax write-off?
A: It's a not-for-profit theater company, meaning whoever gives a donation gets a 50% tax break. I'm definitely the leading donor.
Q: What kind of yearly budget are you working with?
A: Last year's budget was $1.6 million. We have a lot of people wearing several hats. The marketing guy is also the box office guy, the managing director and head of publicity.
Q: Which actor has inspired you? A: Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon.
Q: What's the best compliment you've received from an actor?
A: Michael J. Fox and I were nominated for Golden Globes--Purple Rose for me and Back to the Future for him--and he said to me, "I'm the star, but you're the actor." That meant a lot. I've never gotten awards, and I've never been to the Oscars, but I get people like Clint calling. I get to go to dinner with Meryl Streep. That goes a long way. The big one was Dustin Hoffman. I was home in Michigan when I got a phone call from him. He said, "I just saw 101 Dalmatians with my kids. In it, you and Joely Richardson meet, fall in love, get engaged and get married in seven minutes of screen time. I just thought that was amazing. I've also seen Dumb & Dumber and you were so great--I know how difficult that was." And I'm going, "I thought Midnight Cowboy was amazing and Little Big Man was great." It was a good talk.
Q: How fun was it to play dumb opposite Jim Carrey?
A: Dumb & Dumber was a great example of buying another 10 years at a time when I thought I was spiraling down.
Q: Did Jim Carrey inspire you, or did you help bring the ridiculous out of him?
A: We worked well together. The producers wanted a comedian, but Jim wanted an actor.
Q: Are you basically shy or private?
A: I prefer to be left alone.
Q: This is Movieline's Luxury Issue; how do you define luxury?
A: The ability to say no.
Q: What's the most extravagant thing you have ever bought?
A: A bus. It's a low-end diesel Gulf Stream. We take it everywhere, baseball tournaments, hockey tournaments. I drove it myself from Michigan to Maryland to the set of Gods and Generals.
Q: What car do you drive?
A: A Jeep '91 Wrangler. I love Jeeps.
Q: If you could have an hour to spend an unlimited amount of money, where would you go?
A: The Gibson guitar company in Montana. I would buy countless guitars.
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