Please excuse me as I smile my way through this post.

I mean…*giggle*…that is ME with Vince Vaughn right there!

I have interviewed several actors now.  But this interview, for some reason, was the one I was most excited about.  I am a huge Vince Vaughn fan, I mean, the way to  my heart is through making me laugh, so yeah, I adore this guy.  Surpassing all my expectations by not just being funny, but he’s also very smart and thoughtful in the answers he gives.  Myself, along with 24 other bloggers, had the opportunity to sit down with the big man himself and talked about Delivery Man, choosing a family film, and being a dad.  Having shared my red carpet premiere experience of Delivery Man already, I am now excited to finally be able to share all that he shared with us!  I think you too will smile as you read on.

Vince Vaughn, Beyond the Funny

Vince plays David Wozniak, a meat truck driver for the family business, that through many crazy life events, learns that he has biologically fathered 533 kids.

Which brought up the first question- What made you want to play David Wozniak?

VV- You know, the director is a very passionate storyteller, and I think what he is doing with this story is really unique and inspiring, because it’s not an overly obvious way in to some very kind of sentimental and universal feelings I think about parenthood and also about life. But it starts with this kind of big concept. But what’s interesting to me is, you know, nowadays movies can be just a comedy or just sentimental or, or just a drama, and I think the skill  set that, that Ken (Scott) has, which is very unique, is that it kind of is all of those things in one movie. So, it’s makes it a very unpredictable story. You’re not quite sure what emotion’s gonna come next. And also I think being a young father, the hopes and fears that you have for your kids really is strong in those vignettes.

He goes on sharing the layers of the kids characters in the movie relating to being a dad.  (A possible spoiler alert)

VV – There that one scene where you hear the girl’s clearly being taken advantage of. It’s heartbreaking. But then (there’s scenarios where) something as simple, hey, I’, proud that my son’s on this basketball team.  And so, I think it really in a unique way — even the scene with the kid where you like you give him the keys to the truck and (I can say) it’s like is it not cool to say please and thank you. So in a way, it’s like all the things that you kinda go through as a parent  but it’s done in a very unique way, and so it kinda cracks you open. And even with the stuff with the, with the boy who’s in the wheelchair, you know.  What’s very moving to me about that is — which I think really liked about the character from the beginning and I think I can relate to this sometimes. I think a lot of us can, is  he doesn’t know how to love that kid.  It’s not that he doesn’t love the kid.  He doesn’t know his value in that situation. When he first wants to leave it’s actually because he’s intimidated.  He doesn’t have the self-confidence to say how do I express affection or warmth.  And the woman really helps him and says, just be there. You know, just talk to him.  And then it’s nice that he has that thought to go pick him up and include him, and it just starts to feel like this is just normal and this is nice.  And it’s nice for the, for the boy, but it’s also I think nice for David and for the other kids, but it’s really that bridge of figuring out what’s my way in to share these experiences with somebody.

A dad of now two kids, how did it affect you in this role?

VV –  Like a little bit of what I was talking about in that you’re so cracked open as a parent to those things.  I had only my daughter while filming this,  so my second child was conceived during Delivery Man.  And so, you have your kid and you start thinking about a family.  And inevitably you start thinking about well, what should I do for their lives.  You start seeking information about how do I parent, you know, temporary words versus permanent words.  And it just becomes a journey of figuring out what’s the best way to give them skill-sets to be successful and what is the best stuff you can do as a parent.  So, you start down that journey so strongly.  And I think for me, fortunately, I come from a very close family, and I waited till I was older and I really wanted to be a parent when I became a parent.  So, I’m very invested in it.  I think it was very  easy to draw on those kind of emotions that were running in me anyway.  I think it was very much at the surface.

If you are seeing Delivery Man to see they typical Vince Vaughn comedy, you are not going to find that in this movie.  This is a family film, and with that, we wanted to know – if he is actively trying to make more family- friendly movies, something that his family could see in the future?

I don’t know if I would say I’m actively doing it.  I think this was nice, ’cause it was kind of a return to doing more grounded performances, which I used to do and not so broad.  So, that was exciting. And I do think the time in my life kind of particularly made me excited about investigating parenthood and also partnership I think is important, too.  You know, I think the best thing you can do as a father for your kid is to love the mom in that it shows him what a good relationship should be.  There’s so much teaching that’s not really downloading information that’s just by example.  It gives ‘em harmony in the house.  And so, it’s interesting for, for Cobie’s (Smulders) character and my character to kind of figure out, how they see each other, what are the expectations, ’cause I find relationships to really be about communicating and expectations, you know.  What, what do you expect the other person to do and how do you communicate so that you’re both understanding what those expectations are, ’cause once you start breaking expectations and if you’re not understanding what the other person wants, then trust can, can get broken.

So, I think it’s interesting that, you know, my character kind of comes to a place of accepting who he is.  I can’t be someone I’m not, you know, but I love this kid and I love you, so let’s start from that place.  But how do we kind of figure out, how we’re gonna do this, and that’s the thing with parenting, I think, is (about connecting).  Yeah, you have to figure out how do you each allow each other to follow what they wanna do.  And you’re gonna have to be good at communicating and doing things.

So, I think that’s part of the journey as a parent is, at least my experience is, who am I within this and how do I communicate with the other person?  What’s the win-win?  How do me and my wife both get what we want.  And, you know, it’s just learning better skills at something that you’ve never done.

We had the opportunity to interview co-stars, Cobie Smulders and Chris Pratt prior to interviewing Vince.  They had some really great things to say about him being super down to earth, sincere and he just has a great heart and he’s so not Hollywood.  They really loved working with him.  So I wondered what it was like for him to work with them.  Laughing as he went back on the thoughts of his time with them.

VV – I hate those guys. [LAUGHS] I mean that they can say that, because yeah.  I really like them.  I would say the same about them.  I think one of the things that was so nice was that both of them are really new parents, so I had a captive audience to show my photos (of his daughter) too.  They’re like, yeah, that’s great you know.  Look at mine’s…. So, that was fun. 

Chris is really sweet and sincere.  He’s a really nice guy and really loves his wife.  It’s nice to see.  And same with Cobie, and her husband’s so nice.  And, they’re just excited parents, so that was fun.  It was fun to be making this movie with people who are at a similar stage that I was.  What I like about them is that they’re very grateful still; they’re excited to be working and doing stuff.  They’re very balanced. So, that was fun to be around.

So….yes, 533 kids is a lot, but would Vince like to have more than 2?  (Not that I was volunteering…)

VV: Yeah, I’m open to more kids.  My wife has informed me that while someone is breastfeeding that’s not a conversation that we should have.  See, I was away filming and we were skyping. And, we don’t have any help.  It’s just me and her and we feel fortunate that we’re able to be in that situation, so but a lot falls on her when she’s breastfeeding.  And so I was away, and I said this is great it’s great to have each other and maybe we’ll have one more. She said you cannot bring that up as I am breast feeding.  On some level I feel like I started older in life, and so when you do start to do the math in your head, let’s say, like for me, it was a big deal when I finally were able to beat my parents in something, but these kids will be killing me pretty quick here, because I’m older than my dad was when he started, but, I’m open to having more — I don’t know if you plan it.  We’ll kinda see what happens, but,I’m really thankful for the two kids that I have, and if another kid comes along, I would be thrilled for sure.

Which actor or actress do you feel like you connected with the most in filming this movie?

VV : I’m not trying to be diplomatic, but I really felt like I was just really the whole way I felt connected to all of them.  I mean Cobie was tremendous with her point of view and so honest and same with Chris.  And, Chris was so committed to his part.  He put on all that weight.  And then those kids, like I said, it was just easy to put yourself in those circumstances, ’cause I thought they were very committed and very believable.  So, you know, those scenes with the girl or with the boy, it was so easy to commit to that.  And I don’t know.  There’s something, I think, that you realize that, as people, we all have a different sides to ourselves, but I think what happens in life is you find a place where you feel the least threatened is where you feel the most comfortable.  So, I’m the smart one; or I’m the athletic one; or I’m the interesting music one.  And you kind of find one identity within yourself to put forward, because that’s where you feel kind of the safest interacting, and sometimes we don’t cultivate.  We all have a lot of other sides to ourselves, but we, we weren’t rewarded for bringing those forward, or we don’t feel comfortable with that. And so, you kind of push those things aside and you go with the one that kind of is the path of least resistance. And I think what was interesting to me and the exploration through all the different kids is that you realize that all those aspect of kids, we all each of those sides of us, you know.  You know what’s it like to be taken advantage of; to really care about someone that didn’t value you; or to feel like you’re good at something; or, you know, have something that you’re challenged by that makes you feel different, whatever that is.  So, I feel like ultimately what was nice about it was the whole thing kind of added up to one individual in a way, you know, extreme physicalizations of feelings that are kind of inside all of us, you know.  And I guess a nice thing as a person is to try and allow yourself to be comfortable exploring those other sides of yourself, if someone doesn’t feel comfortable academically, you get to allow yourself to feel like you can explore that side of yourself; or if it’s physically, then, kinda shut off and say, no, I’m gonna be who I am within that I wanna open to enjoying that experience, you know.  And so, that’s the nice thing, I think, in the movie is, is realizing that, when you look at all the stuff that the kids that these lives could all go very different ways just depending on what happens to them.

Did you have a point where you got up in emotion of a scene and forgot that you were acting?

VV : Well, the thing is: You just try to be truthful.  I do.  I try to just get to a point where you’re, you’re just really honestly feeling whatever you’re feeling in the scene.  I mean I’m not big on accents and that kinda stuff; although, I’ve done them.  I really like to get to where I’m really trying to be honest and allowing myself to feel what I feel in the scene.  And sometimes I’m surprised by it.  But a lot of it is your preparation and you do stuff beforehand and then you try to forget all of that, and when you get into the environment, you just try to commit to the circumstance.  But I never go in thinking – oh, I’m gonna get sad in this scene.  I just sort of get into the circumstance.  And, again, my job was easy, ’cause I thought the circumstances were really kind of moving.

Delivery Man opens Friday, November 22.  This is a family film that is heartwarming, funny and perfect for the holiday season.

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*Thank you to Disney for inviting me to be part of the Delivery Man Event.  Having taken care of all my expenses to bring me out for this event, please know that all my opinions, excitement and fun I share are completely true. 

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Trippin with Tara

Tara began her blog in 2012 and quickly became an Online Influencer in Travel and Entertainment. Trippin' with Tara is a lifestyle blog covering all things entertainment and travel, but don't be surprised by some great food and product reviews in the mix.
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