I try to have a balance of things you like and things you don't like about a character. But once you start that, all these scripts are like, "You play the douchebag friend of Ashton Kutcher." It's all these characters that are overconfident or hyper-masculine.

Jemaine Clement

Categorized in : Character Play Balance

In real life I'm very low-key. A wallflower. One of the reasons I went into comedy and acting was that I was sick of being shy.

Jemaine Clement

sick keys real

Why can't a heterosexual guy tell a heterosexual guy / That he th... by Jemaine Clement

Why can't a heterosexual guy tell a heterosexual guy / That he thinks his booty is fly?

Jemaine Clement

booty guy thinking

I miss the city Bret and I live in, Wellington. It's a good place to be creative, in the same way New York is.

Jemaine Clement

creative cities new-york

I'm part Maori. My mum's Maori, and she raised me. And my grandma... by Jemaine Clement

I'm part Maori. My mum's Maori, and she raised me. And my grandma, she's Maori.

Jemaine Clement

mum raised grandma

They're turnin' kids into slaves just to make cheaper sneakers But what's the real cost 'cause the sneakers don't seem that much cheaper Why are we still payin' so much for sneakers when you got them made by little slave kids? What are your overheads?!

Jemaine Clement

sneakers real kids

Well, I grew up in the '80s, which was a really massive time for... by Jemaine Clement

Well, I grew up in the '80s, which was a really massive time for sci-fi.

Jemaine Clement

wells sci-fi grew-up

The writing is just a boring job. It's just a horrible job. by Jemaine Clement

The writing is just a boring job. It's just a horrible job.

Jemaine Clement

boring writing jobs

What do I think of L.A.? It's boring, with some amazing nuggets. Like there are some parts of it that are great, but by and large I think it's quite boring.

Jemaine Clement

nuggets boring thinking

I can only think of one wacky best friend who I thought was awesome: Rhys Ifans in 'Notting Hill.' He really nailed the wacky best friend.

Jemaine Clement

hills friendship thinking

There are a lot of difficult situations that lead to awkwardness. by Jemaine Clement

There are a lot of difficult situations that lead to awkwardness.

Jemaine Clement

difficult-situations difficult situation

I don't think I'm cut out to be a supervillain. I think I'd be a supervillain that would exercise some form of mind control. Rather than war, I'd force people to get on with each other and I'd force people to argue reasonably about things rather than be polemical. So I'd be a supervillain that makes everyone get on, but forcefully. There would be no choice about it. No free will.

Jemaine Clement

cutting exercise war

I'm actively going out onto the porch and noodling around on my g... by Jemaine Clement

I'm actively going out onto the porch and noodling around on my guitar.

Jemaine Clement

porch going-out guitar

I'm a real pawn-shopper. by Jemaine Clement

I'm a real pawn-shopper.

Jemaine Clement

shoppers pawns real

There's something funny about being on a big stage and not making... by Jemaine Clement

There's something funny about being on a big stage and not making a big effort to fill it up.

Jemaine Clement

effort stage bigs

They don't get along with me, but I get along with other people. by Jemaine Clement

They don't get along with me, but I get along with other people.

Jemaine Clement

people

The book is even quirkier, but it's hard to bring all of that stuff to a movie. With a book, you use your imagination more and create your own way to make it all make sense.

Jemaine Clement

imagination use book

I grew up in front of a TV. by Jemaine Clement

I grew up in front of a TV.

Jemaine Clement

grew tvs grew-up

I think that would be great, if I could be in a city and wasn't e... by Jemaine Clement

I think that would be great, if I could be in a city and wasn't even allowed to work.

Jemaine Clement

cities would-be thinking