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InVultures review ofManiac, Jen Chaney refers to Billy Magnussen as playing a douche of many different colors.
That madeManiac, with its many genre-bending realities, a perfect place to play.
So,Maniac…Youre Vulture?
Yes.Oh my God, you guys said Jed was a colorful douchebag!
Is that the review?
I think so, yes.
What did you think of that?Its probably an accurate representation.
He makes people feel bad even if its something he did.
And I was like, Thats probably the best way I should describe it in these interviews.
Its crazy, man.
Its a crazy show.
Aside from Jed, you also get to pop up as Owens imaginary dead brother in different worlds.
Theres not a favorite.
Its not like you show up one day and its like, This is my favorite day.
Lets talk about the most basic version of the character, Jed.
I have none of that upbringing and whatnot, its funny.
Do you think its your look?Its just my face.
Something about it reads as Ivy League douche?Definitely did not go to Ivy League, no.
But it is fun to play that world.
I also love the mustache you have in a few scenes onManiac.You gotta watchThe Oath, man!
You know that one, theIke Barinholtz [movie]?
Did you see it yet?
Ive only seen the trailer.It was so epic.
Ike is a great guy and a smart artist.
So you grew the mustache forThe Oath?No, its a mixture.
It just parlayed into both.
It just felt very clean, by the book.
He is very meticulous with the way he works and it was fun to play with him.
Its not improvising, but its listening and responding.
Thats a very theatrical approach.Yeah, theater was my base.
With film and television, theres a lot of stop and go and you really can manicure a performance.
Its like Instagram and Twitter you could really manipulate how youre perceived and what not.
With theater, you have two-and-a-half hours of living.
Sometimes with film, you dont get to see the hiccups.
WithManiac, I think Cary and Patrick were very specific and thats exciting.
I was 100 percent on their journey with them.
Because he wanted a certain movement of the camera for one shot.
I think thats a strong sign of a leader.
He was not overstepping his boundaries, he was just,I really would like this specifically.
It was a pleasure working with that guy.
I would do anything that guy asked.
And nowhes doing James Bond.I know, dude!
I broke in while he was doing an interview and was like, You motherfucker!
Did that come out of being inGame Night?Yes.
I met Sharon, who is one of the sweetest, most generous people in this whole world.
I thinkCatastropheis hilarious.Thats my punch in of humor.
I know whats supposed to happen, but it doesnt.
It does feel like the characters youve played, inGame Nightor elsewhere, live up to that.
I bring myself to a lot of the characters.
But again, I love playing things that are just weird.
Weird is the wrong word, more like,Oh, lets just tweak it up a notch.
I started with soaps and worked in that world.
You play whatever you get and it grows, man.
Its so crazy to be at this point.
I have a publicist, Ive never done that before.
Who is this person that I thought I wanted to be?
What do I do from here now?
Maniacis a show about introspection, in a way.
I think any project naturally does.
It is a dark version of a modern fairy-tale story.
Its based off Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Three Little Pigs.
Im in the Little Red Riding Hood story, they made me the Big Bad Wolf.
Its been a fun little treat, that show.
I love fairy tales, andAladdins coming out, man.
I cant wait to see it.
Youre a new prince inAladdin, right?A suitor that comes in and tries to woo Jasmine.
Presumably from a country far away from Agrabah?
[With an exaggerated Scandinavian accent] Scanland.
Thats where hes from.
Its gonna be a beautiful thing.
Guy Ritchie tends to make movies with brawler, streetwise characters.
I loved every moment of it.
To tell that story to young kids and to adults is a blessing.
Do you sing at all inAladdin?
You sang inInto the Woods.Who knows?
[British accent]It goes to eleven?Subtlety was not in my performance for that movie.
I dont think theres much subtlety in most of my fare.
You like to go to eleven.Jed is subtle at points, hes manipulative and very mean.
But you do everything the way it deserves to be done.
The best idea should always win.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
