Q&A: John C. Reilly reveals relatable nature of Disney movie “˜Wreck-It Ralph’

Most widely known for his roles in “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” and “Step Brothers,” John C. Reilly has not earned his fame by starring in family films. But Reilly’s newest movie, “Wreck-It Ralph,” is a Disney animated feature that has already resulted in children recognizing Reilly’s voice (as Ralph) in public. In the film, Ralph seeks to transform himself from villain to hero by traveling through a number of different video game worlds in order to achieve a golden medal.

Daily Bruin’s Nicolas Curcio sat down with John C. Reilly at a roundtable press interview for “Wreck-It Ralph” and spoke about video games, midlife crises and how he was welcomed into the Disney family.

Daily Bruin: Why did you want to do a family film?

John C. Reilly: I didn’t want to do a family film, I just wanted to do a good film. I wasn’t looking for something in particular, I just really liked this character and the way that Rich Moore wanted to work on it. He said “˜I want you to come in and give us your story ideas, and I want you to be able to improvise and put your heart into it.’

DB: Did you get to work with Sarah Silverman in the recording booth for the film?

JCR: Yeah, that was one of my prerequisites for doing the job. Most animated movies do this weird thing where they record people alone and edit it all together, but I think that sort of defeats the purpose of getting to work with people. And Sarah Silverman, Jane Lynch and Jack McBrayer are all very quick-witted and great improvisers, so why not have them in the room in case we come up with something funny? Especially Sarah and I, because we have so much back-and-forth in the film.

DB: Did you enjoy video games growing up?

JCR: Yes, I was the first generation that was exposed to video games. I remember when it went from pinball machines to “Space Invaders.” That was in a time when there were no computers or cellphones; I didn’t even have a VCR. The whole concept of being able to manipulate what was on a screen was this outrageously new thing. I spent a lot of money on them. “Pac-Man” was the next big one after that. Then they just kept coming: “Centipede,” “Asteroids” and “Defender.” I played a lot of “Defender” ““ it was the first time you could go in reverse.

DB: Did you get any high scores?

JCR: No, I would start out being really good at games and get worse and worse. My friends would get better, but I would just get worse and worse.

DB: In the film, Ralph is a clumsy outsider. Is there anything about him you can relate to?

JCR: As a somewhat well-known actor, you go through life and at times, it can make you paranoid. Like, “˜I think people are staring at me. Wait, they are staring at me!’

I’ve also been a movie actor for about 30 years now, and doing the same thing for a long time and getting to be older, the midlife crisis part of the character was familiar to me. When you’re younger, you think, “˜The story of my life is largely unwritten! Chapter one: I wonder what I’ll be. I could be an actor, an astronaut, maybe a lawyer, who knows!’

And then you get to your 40s and all of the sudden you’re like, “˜There’s only two chapters left in this book!’ I think a lot of older people who are enjoying the movie can also relate to that. What it’s like to have done something for a long time and that search for meaning later in life.

DB: When it comes to awards, is your mindset “˜Whatever happens, happens?’ or do you enjoy the occasional recognition?

JCR: The whole reason I became an actor is because I was freaked out by the fierce competition of sports, so this idea of trying to turn the arts into sports, I just don’t get it.
Some people really get off on getting a trophy and being the “˜definitive winner,’ but I think the large majority of artists in general don’t understand what that is. Why do we have to say I’m better than that person? Or why do we have to say this movie is better than that movie this year?
Art is such a subjective experience, how do you say one movie is better than another? It’s just what you like or where you’re at in your life at a given moment.

DB: Are you more of a wrecker or fix-it type guy?

JCR: I’m more of handyman type guy to tell you the truth. And I’m surprisingly agile for a big person.

DB: What’s next?

JCR: I don’t know, we’ll see. It’s a weird time for movies. If you’re not 25 years old, extremely good-looking and into superheroes, the choices for roles are limited. We’re in a strange time, pop culture-wise, right now. I’ve been looking for something that I really want to do. This is the last big thing that I came across like that. There’s stuff on the back burner, like a zombie movie, but I don’t want to say too much about that.

DB: Did you ever imagine you’d be here?

JCR: Not even for a second. I spent my childhood doing plays. Then I went to an acting school for college, and it wasn’t until I was almost done there, almost 21, when I was like, “˜I think I should just act as a job.’ I used to think it was just for fun, and then I just got lucky.

Email Curcio at [email protected].