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Ferrell takes dramatic turn as taxman
2006-09-10
Will Ferrell, best-known for boisterous, off-the-wall characters, said it was liberating to take on a dramatic role in his new movie but he has no illusions of artistic grandeur. Ferrell, before a room full of reporters promoting his latest film "Stranger Than Fiction" at the Toronto International Film Festival, was not the outrageous character he is famous for playing in movies like "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" or "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby." Nor is he over the top in "Stranger Than Fiction," although it does have comedic moments. "I found it really freeing to play a character in this way, for lack of a better term, to play something as real as I've gotten to play before," Ferrell said. "That was one thing that appealed to me." Ferrell plays Harold Crick, a taxman with very regular habits and a penchant for numbers. One day, he starts hearing a voice narrating his every action. The voice says Crick is going to die but doesn't give details. Little does Crick know but he is the main character in a novel that reclusive writer Kay Eiffel, played by Emma Thompson, is trying to complete as she narrates his life. With the help of a literary professor played by Dustin Hoffman, Crick tries to figure out how to find Eiffel so that an untimely demise may be avoided. Ferrell's previous dramatic role was last year's "Winter Passing" and now, like one-time comedic actors Jim Carrey and Bill Murray, he is exploring drama further. ALL ABOUT THE STORIES Ferrell says he is not motivated by a desire for Oscars or roles in high-profile pictures -- although those things would be nice. "It's more about interesting stories for me," he said. "Obviously you'd like to be chosen for those sorts of roles. It's not an obsession of mine. It's not a goal of mine to attain a certain status." Ferrell was humbled by being in a cast with Academy Award winners Hoffman and Thompson, as well as Maggie Gyllenhaal and Queen Latifah. "I really did feel like I was placed on an all-star team but I was just hired to play defense, like not throw the ball out of bounds," Ferrell said. "I just wanted to learn from that, hold my own in the best way that I could." Director Marc Forster hopes "Stranger Than Fiction" is better received than his last film, "Stay," a 2005 thriller starring Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts that followed his critically acclaimed "Monster's Ball" and "Finding Neverland." "'Stay' was always meant to be an experimental, abstract film. I knew most people would misunderstand," Forster told Reuters in an interview. "At this point I'm just happy with the movie and feel good about the film ... especially after 'Stay' you felt that the dark clouds (were) coming. Now you feel like there's a little sunshine coming. That's a good thing" Forster directed Halle Berry to a best actress Oscar in "Monster's Ball" while Johnny Depp was nominated for best actor for playing J.M. Barrie in "Finding Neverland." Could Ferrell find himself getting similar honors? "That would be beautiful," Forster said. "Stranger Than Fiction," which made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday, is scheduled to be released November 10. Reuters/VNU
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