Kidsday interviews actor Jonah Hill

We met actor Jonah Hill while he was in Manhattan recently.
 
If you had to choose in real life if you would rather be a villain or a superhero, which would you choose?

I would be a superhero, definitely. I think it would be fun to be a villain, but I wouldn’t want to be mean to people. I want to be nice.
 
What inspired you to start acting?

I wanted to be a director and direct movies and stuff, and I didn’t know how to talk to actors and express what I wanted to the actors. So I took acting classes to learn how to talk to them and then I got into acting through that, actually, and I started enjoying that as well.
 
Did you always want to be an actor?

No. I wanted to write for “The Simpsons.” I was obsessed with “The Simpsons” since before I was younger than you guys. I always wanted to be a part of “The Simpsons,” if that was ever going to be a possibility.
 
Do you like making kids movies or adult movies?

I like making both. I think anytime you make a movie, you get to learn a lot about yourself, and you get to learn a lot about making movies. It’s fun to try all different ones because you get a different perspective, you get to see how they’re made and they’re always great experiences.
 
What do you enjoy more acting in movies or being just being a voice of a character?

I like acting in movies more, I think, that aren’t animated, but it’s still really awesome. But it’s still really interesting to get to be in animated movies as well. They’re both really fun.
 
What was the first movie you ever acted in and what did you like about it?

The first movie I ever acted in was called “I Heart Huckabees,” and I liked that my friend Jason Schwartzman was in the movie and that I was allowed to be in the movie in general. That’s what I liked the most about it.
 
Would you rather be a comedian or an actor?

I’d rather be an actor. I never did stand-up comedy per se but, I love making people laugh. I think that’s really fun. I always like making my friends laugh, my parents, my brother and sister laugh, and I just think it’s really great to try and make people happy around you. I want to try and do things that make me happy, but also  make people laugh is really fun. Because everyone’s having a good time when they’re laughing.
 
Who is your favorite co-star you ever worked with?

That’s hard because I worked with a lot of great people that I really admire. I don’t know. I don’t know if anyone would care, but I wouldn’t want to bum anyone out, but I really loved working with Michael Cera. I really loved working with John T. Riley. I loved working with Seth Rogen. I love those guys. Jason Segel. Elmo, Brad Pitt.
 
Do you have any pets?

My parents have two dogs, but I don’t have any of my own yet. But I’m going to get a dog one day. I want to get an English bulldog and I want to name him either Kobe or Roscoe. Kobe Bryant is my favorite basketball player, and Roscoe is a name that I love.

Is there a movie you would have like to act in and you didn’t?
 
I don’t know because, there’s obviously movies that I loved that I wasn’t ; most movies I loved I wasn’t in. But I couldn’t imagine if I loved the movie I wouldn’t want it any differently. I would want it to be exactly how it is. Probably not. I think the ones I’m not in are for a reason. For me to enjoy.
 
What is your favorite TV show?
 
My favorite TV show is “The Simpsons.” I think it’s the greatest show ever made without question, without a doubt.
 
What was your favorite subject in school and why?
 
Favorite subject in school was writing or English, because I like to read a lot and I like to write a lot.
 
If you weren’t an actor, what would you be doing?
 
I would probably be a teacher or a photographer.
 
What do you do in your free time?
 
I like to swim. Swim in a pool, play tennis and watch movies.