IN MORE THAN 50 FILMS AND TV SHOWS, INCLUDING THE BIG SCREEN
BLOCKBUSTER "STAR TREK," PLAYING THE LEGENDARY CHARACTER, SPOCK.
>> NOW, HE'S TAKING ON A NEW ROLE AS A COMPLICATED GUY,
DEALING WITH HIS MENTAL ILLNESS, IN THE INDY FILM "AARDVARK,"
ALONGSIDE JON HAMM AND JENNY SLATE.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT "AARDVARK" FIRST.
WHAT WAS SPECIAL ABOUT THIS ROLE?
AND TALK ABOUT IT FOR PEOPLE THAT DON'T KNOW.
>> SURE. I LIKE RELATIONSHIPS IN THIS
MOVIE.
IT'S ESSENTIALLY THE STORY OF THREE PEOPLE WHO ARE LOST TO
THEMSELVESES AND ULTIMATELY FIND THEIR WAY TO EACH OTHER.
AND TWO BROTHERS AND A THERAPIST.
THAT'S ALWAYS A GOOD DYNAMIC. >> TWO BROTHERS AND A THERAPIST.
>> ONE OF THE BROTHERS, THE BROTHER THAT I MRI, IS
STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
WHICH I THOUGHT WAS RELEVANT AND INTERESTINGLY DEALT WITH IN THIS
STORY. AND THERE'S LEVITY TO IT.
THERE'S HUMOR AND LOVE IN THE STORY.
AND I THOUGHT THOSE WERE ALL -- IT'S WELL-WRITTEN BY A GOOD
FRIEND OF MINE, WHO WROTE AND DIRECTED THE FILM.
IT'S HIS FEATURE DEBUT. I PRODUCED THE MOVIE, AS WELL.
IT'S IN LINE WITH OTHER PROJECTS THAT I'VE CHAMPIONED IN THE
PAST. >> JON HAMM PLAYS YOUR BROTHER.
AND YOU SEE HIM IN OTHER PEOPLE. >> THAT'S RIGHT.
WE DON'T REALLY KNOW THE CHARACTER I PLAY CALLED JOSH
NORMAN. AND WE DON'T KNOW IN CERTAIN
ASPECTS WHETHER SOME OF THE RELATIONSHIPS HE HAS IN THE
MOVIE ARE REAL OR FIGMENTS OF HIS IMAGINATION.
AND THAT'S PART OF HIS STRUGGLE AND PART OF WHAT HE'S DEALING
WITH IN HIS OWN MENTAL ILLNESS. AND HE'S BEEN ABANDONED.
HIS BROTHER LEFT YEARS AGO. AND IS A SUCCESSFUL ACTOR AND
SENDS MONEY. AND JOSH IS LEFT TO FEND FOR
HIMSELF IN A LOT OF WAYS. AND SO, PART OF THAT MANIFESTS
IN THESE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE THAT HE MIGHT BE MAKING
UP, AS PROJECTIONS OF HIS BROTHER, WHO HE'S REALLY LONGING
FOR AND REALLY LOOKING TO FIND AGAIN.
AND TO BRING BACK IN HIS LIFE. >> YOU MUST HAVE HAD TO STUDY
MENTAL ILLNESS. >> YEAH.
AND PART OF THE STORY ALSO, IS THAT -- IT'S NOT SPECIFIC ABOUT
WHAT HE'S SUFFERING FROM BECAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE THE RESOURCES.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN A -- AS WE LOOK AT OUR OWN SOCIETY,
IT'S INTERESTING THAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY STRUGGLING IN CERTAIN
WAYS TO FIND THE RESOURCES TO DIAGNOSE AND TREAT PROPERLY.
MANY DIFFERENT MENTAL ILLNESSES HAVE DIFFERENT MANIFEST NATIONS.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE EXPLORING IS JOSH DOESN'T KNOW
WHAT HE'S UP AGAINST. BUT HE'S REALLY HOLDING ON AND
DOING HIS BEST TO BE PRODUCTIVE AND A RELEVANT MEMBER OF SOCIETY
IN MANY WAYS AS HE CAN. >> I WAS GOING TO BE A
PSYCHIATRIST. >> REALLY?
>> SO, THESE THINGS FASCINATE ME.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S HARD TO DIAGNOSIS A LOT OF THESE THINGS.
A LOT OF BLURRED LINES. AND IT'S IMPORTANT.
>> THAT'S A WHOLE OTHER SEGMENT. I WANT TO HEAR THAT STORY.
>> I WAS TELLING HIM. IT'S GOOD WHEN GLORIA IS A FAN.
>> I'M A HUGE FAN. >> WHEN YOU DID "ASYLUM."
I WATCH "HEROES" AS WELL. THAT'S WHEN I FIRST REALLY --
>> THAT'S AMAZING. >> LOVED YOUR CHARACTERIZATIONS.
>> A LOT OF DARK ENERGY IN THOSE CHARACTERS.
>> INTERESTING AND A LOT OF LAYERS.
>> A LOT F COMPLEXITY IN THEM. >> AND YOU PLAYED ONE OF THE
LEGENDARY CHARACTERS, SPOCK, IN "STAR TREK."
ANY INSIGHT AS TO WHAT'S COMING UP?
>> I DON'T KNOW, AL. WE'RE WAITING -- THEY WERE
WORKING ON THE SCRIPT FOR ANOTHER ONE.
WE'LL SEE HOW THAT PLAYS OUT. BUT THE NICE THING ABOUT THAT
EXPERIENCE IS THAT YOU KNOW, THE TIME BETWEEN THOSE BIG TENT POLE
FILMS ALLOW US TO GO OFF AND CULTIVATE A LOT OF EXPERIENCES,
BACK ON STAGE DOING INDEPENDENT FILMS THAT I LOVE, THAT I'M ABLE
TO DO. I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL DO
ANOTHER ONE. BUT THERE'S NO GUARANTEES.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE HOPING WITH YOU.