Verne Troyer has been the butt of jokes so often -- whether it's in a Mike Myers comedy or in a stint on The Surreal Life -- that you have to wonder whether it's gotten to him. Here he is with a rare dramatic role in Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, where the 2-foot, 8-inch actor actually gets to hurl the insults for once, and yet Troyer couldn't be more self-effacing and doubtful about his own ability. When I sat down to talk to Troyer for Movieline, intending to congratulate him for his performance, I ended up having to convince him it was worth the kudos.
What was it like to see the film for the first time?
I'm very critical of myself. I look at the film and I didn't really like what I did.
Really?
Yeah. It's great for me when people say "You did an amazing job." Thank God, because I just didn't see it.
Was it just that you were intimidated to be in the movie?
I was very nervous, because I've never gotten a role like this before. I just thought, "Wow, can I pull this off?" For me, I didn't think I pulled it off, but I guess I did! It's a dramatic role, a step in a different direction for me away from comedy. I do feel more comfortable in comedy, but surprisingly, I enjoyed doing this.
Are you hard on your performance because it's so different from the comedies you usually do?
It's hard for me to even watch comedies I'm in. I still want to redo it, I still want to go back and change something. It doesn't matter if it's comedy or drama -- drama is just new to me.
Are you the sort of actor who always asks for one more take?
I am sometimes, yeah. "I can get it better this time -- I promise!" I do ask, and some directors like that.
Hasn't it gotten any easier as you've become successful? C'mon Verne. You've got to have at least a little more confidence in yourself.
Probably. I just don't see it. I look at [my work] and think I could have done something else. I want to make it as good as possible. I don't think I'm ever going to be happy with it, so as long as the director's happy and the people around me are happy, than...I guess it's good enough.
What's Terry's method for directing you?
He guides you to a place, it just depends on what's happening. When you're working on set and it's cold and you're in the fake rain and he wants to get that last shot, yeah, he's gonna be hard on you. Terry's great, though. I love working with him and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
You had been in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas briefly, hadn't you?
It was so quick -- I think I was on the set for a day and a half. I definitely didn't know what to expect. I had heard a lot of things. Coming from that and working on this film an getting to know him a lot more...it's a tremendous honor to be in his films.
How did you come to the role?
This is what I heard: I worked with him on Fear and Loathing and he had seen me in the Austin Powers films and wrote this part kinda with me in mind. He wanted to show people that there's other facets to me, that I can do other things. I'm so honored and proud that he did this for me. want to be taken as a talented all-around actor, and Terry's given me that opportunity.
That's got to have been flattering -- did it ease your insecurities to know that he wrote the part for you?
No, not at all!
How did you fit into that cast?
There was a lot of great people. Working with Christopher Plummer, I mean, he's a legend. I was so, so nervous even meeting him, but he made me feel comfortable and that helped me tremendously. Heath is a legend in his own right, and I was such a big fan of his. He's such a giving actor -- say we're in a scene together and it's my close-up. He's not in the shot, but he's still there in the scene playing Tony, which helps you portray the character you're playing. He was a tremendous talent, taken so early.
What was Heath like between takes?
He seemed confident and he had a lot of energy coming straight off [The Dark Knight]. He was so excited to work with Terry again -- he found out about the role and actually called him up and said I want to do this with you. He was just amazing, I don't know how else to say it. We were in the middle -- we had shot all the exterior scenes, and we had a week off in January and we were going to shoot all the other scenes in Vancouver. Then the tragedy happened, and I had to go back and shoot all my interiors. It's kind of weird how it worked out, because all my scenes with Heath were outside, no interiors, so I didn't get to work with Colin Farrell, Jude Law, Johnny Depp. It was a tremendous experience having that time and that little chapter with Heath.
How did the mood on set change?
It was hard for everybody. It was really hard for me. [Pause] I didn't know what to expect coming back into it. With all of us, the way that we felt about Heath, we just wanted to come together and support each other and get the film done and make it good for Heath.
What was it like attending Cannes? Had you been before?
No! It was tremendous. Being there for the first time in the South of France, the weather was perfect, and my movie was premiering at Cannes...it just doesn't get much better than that. I've never seen a movie -- especially a movie I'm in -- get a standing ovation at the end. They were up there clapping for five minutes, and I don't know what you're supposed to do! Take a bow? I mean, it's over. Walk out! Come on, leave! [Laughs] It's just overwhelming.
Were you surprised by the trouble the film has finding distribution?
I just couldn't believe that the movie has Christopher Plummer and Heath Ledger -- who passed away on the film -- and nobody wanted to distribute it. Even when we were at Cannes getting all this great press saying how unbelievable it was, nobody wanted to buy it. You can't predict with Hollywood -- we didn't get picked up until right before Toronto, really. What Terry said at lunch today is that we're getting so many fantastic turnouts overseas, and he just wants this movie to be really big at the box office so we can say, "Fuck you, Hollywood. It's a good film, and we did this, so fuck off." [Laughs]
Did you make Werner Herzog's My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done after this?
I didn't do the Herzog film.
Oh, it's on your IMDb.
Yeah, we're trying to get them to take it off.
How did it get there?
Some guy sees a -- excuse my French -- "midget" in a movie and thinks it's me. I have no idea how it got there, but I've been trying to get it off for some time now.
There are always rumors that another Austin Powers film might be in the offing. Have you heard anything?
It's up to Mike. We'll see what happens -- if he decides to, I would love to be a part of it. Hopefully I'd find out before it hits the press, but if it happens, I would love it.
What's next for you?
I enjoyed playing this role more than I thought I would, and I definitely want to reach out in that direction a little more. Right now, there's a film, a small production where I play the father of an abused child. I'm the abusive one.
Is it a dramatic role?
Kind of. It can't be too much of a dramatic blockbuster with Jenna Jameson being in it.