The scene where Buddy tests the jack-in-the-boxes looks like it's one long take. Did that require a lot of tries?
No, but we just kept doing it. [Director Jon Favreau] kept saying, ''We've got it, but I just love watching it, so keep doing it.'' It was fun because they had normal ones and the one at the end -- the one that doesn't pop out on time -- was actually radio-controlled. So I was literally surprised every single time [laughs].
Are you as fearless as you seem?
For the most part, I don't have too many fears. It's like: Why am I even doing it if I'm not going to enjoy it and just go for it? And that manifests itself in different ways. That can mean anything from streaking in a movie [laughs] to running around in tights to being exuberantly joyful. That's a big part of what I think works well in comedy: seeing someone completely commit to a character. That's why Chris Farley was so infectious. He never held back. I try to adhere to the same principles.
You have your first dramatic role coming up in ''Winter Passing.'' What's that been like?
I play a bit of a lost soul who's found a home with a retired literary professor, played by Ed Harris. He has these two people who live in the house and take care of him and each other. And I'm a guy who's formerly from a Christian rock band [laughs]. I'm also doing a Woody Allen movie now, which is [dramatic] as well, even though it's a comedy. It's fun watching Woody work. He really does come up with these great lines, and he just wants you to be yourself. He's more about capturing honest human behavior than [focusing on the script]. He wants it to be as if the camera's not there.
Do current events ever make you wish you had the chance to do George Bush again?
The one key thing was when he landed on the aircraft carrier in the flight suit. If I was still on ''SNL'' at the time, I'd have had a flight suit on from that point on. I think the show should do that: To this day, just have Bush in his flight suit.
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