Interview with actor Jason Lee
Recently, Turner Entertainment invited The Z Report to sit in on a panel to interview actor Jason Lee (Almost Famous, Chasing Amy, My Name is Earl), who has landed himself a new detective series on TNT, entitled “Memphis Beat” which premieres, Tuesday June 22 at 10:00 pm Eastern, and will run every Tuesday 10/9 Central thereafter… BE SURE TO CHECK IT OUT!!
For even more information on the show, please be sure to visit the Official Memphis Beat Website
The following are excerpts from said interview:
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David Martindale (Hearst Newspapers): Yes, what is it about this show and the character that appealed to you and made you want to be part of it?
Jason Lee: Well you know on the surface it was clear that it was very different than anything I’ve ever done. And you know so that was a big part of it and then the fun of getting to play a detective and certainly the fun of getting to play a detective who also performs the music of Elvis on stage.
The whole package was unique and once I came to found the character and the material and the scenarios and his relationships and he’s such a great guy and is so mulit-layered and cares such a great deal for his city and his family and the people that he’s protecting.
You know, it made this guy a man and I really responded to that.
David Martindale: What do you think of the city? Have you spent much time exploring it?
Jason Lee: A little bit, yes. You know, the South in general for me especially places that are heavy in music and food and culture they’re – the sense of overwhelming pride is so infectious. It’s so great and there is such a communal sense within places like Memphis and you know we’re doing a lot of our filming down in New Orleans.
Same thing with New Orleans and it’s just different. You know and then you add the heat and the humidity to each day and it really – it gives us a lot to work with. You know it helps, it adds to the show. Very much it feels right you know versus filming this thing you know somewhere else. The South is just its own special place.
Monica Garske (from Slash News): So you mentioned a little bit about the Elvis connection and music is a huge part of this show. So tell me just a little bit about your performances on there and the practice that went into it?
Jason Lee: Well there was a lot of practice with you know – I’ve performed a few times now because we’re five episodes into the first season. You know it’s a side of Dwight that is as important to him as his detective work and the burden of protecting his city and those around him and his family, his mother. He’s very much a mama’s boy and he’s vulnerable and I think that’s why we like him so much.
And it allows him to really respect Elvis and the people that came before Dwight. And he takes the music very seriously. And so the performances are very fun, of course, but it means the world to Dwight that he has this outlet and this ability to escape the work and kind of go into another world you know.
And so it makes – it certainly makes me like Dwight very much that he has that kind of depth and care for what he’s doing. And you know I – a lot of the music that I’m performing is amazing. You know and it’s just fun to kind of just stop and think wow who knew after Earl got cancelled that I would end up being – I’d go from that to playing a detective and singing Elvis songs on a stage in Memphis, Tennessee.
That’s the beauty of acting you never know what’s going to come next.
Jeanne Jakle (San Antonio Express News): I wanted to ask you know about the singing. Was that a big challenge for you? I know you’ve sung a little bit in the past as far I know but you do such a good job.
Jason Lee: Well I hate to burst your bubble Jeanne but my voice didn’t quite cut it. When we first started recording and so somebody else had to step in but I’m sure glad it looks right.
Jeanne Jakle: Oh I didn’t realize that.
Jason Lee: Yes.
Jeanne Jakle: Did you – how did you feel about that?
Jason Lee: You know it’s the show working or not is what’s important. And the singer does a fantastic job and you know if it looks and feels right then that’s absolutely what matters most. But I mean certainly would I like to be doing singing myself? Absolutely, it would be fun but at least I get to do half of it.
I get to play a guitar on stage and I get to you know at least look like I sing. And you know I – it’s my job to make it feel right. You know and if I can accomplish that then that’s a good thing.
David Martindale: Hypothetically if the word karma turned up in a script for you would be leery about that? Might you be inclined to say you know what I’m kind of joined at the hip with this word and this concept, maybe I ought to stay away from it or would you just power through it?
Jason Lee: No, I’d power through it, man or I might even l
ook at it like it as a good thing, a sign of sorts.
David Martindale: OK, cool. And correct me if I’m wrong but the show when you started with it was Delta Blues. Do you have a strong feeling about one way or the other about the title that you have now and the title that you don’t have?
Jason Lee: Well I really liked Delta Blues. You know Memphis Beat grew on me and we’re kind of in our own way making somewhat of an old school cop show and so I think Memphis Beat sort of feels like it could have been a cop show from the 70s which is cool and I like.
And also too it’s got the – it lets you know that it’s a cop show pretty clearly whereas Delta Blues you may not know straightaway. So I think it turned out to be a good thing why they changed it.
David Martindale: OK and also do you have a favorite TV detective show or a favorite TV detective that you grew up loving?
Jason Lee: I love you know Rockford Files and Hill Street Blues and the Streets of San Francisco. You know that’s definitely a great thing and in our own way like I said we’re kind of trying to do our own sort of similar version to that.
Where you just like the people involved you know and the bad assedness of it is authentic.
David Martindale: By the way, Rockford, yes. Good choice. So I’ll let some other people talk. But thanks.
Jason Lee: All right, thank you, sir.
Mitch McCracken (the Examiner): Mitch McCracken: OK, listen I just wanted to – I heard you say that you did a lot of the recording in New Orleans. How much of the filming is done in Memphis?
Jason Lee: A little bit you know we’re going to Memphis you know every couple of weeks to get some key stuff that we need to get up there. But most of it’s done here in New Orleans.
Mitch McCracken: OK and is the club scenes and so forth is that in New Orleans or in Memphis?
Jason Lee: We’re actually shooting right now at the famous (Tipatina’s) in New Orleans. Shooting up on that stage which is you know really exciting. And that’s actually where we shot the pilot, the performance that I do in the pilot, we shot that right here at (Tipatina’s) in New Orleans.
Jeanne Jakle: OK, I love the fact that you take on projects that have the comedic edge to them. You’re so good at that.
Jason Lee: Oh, thank you.
Jeanne Jakle: Do you – you have done some straight dramatic roles before like in Vanilla Sky. But do you prefer doing something with a little humor? Is that more natural for you?
Jason Lee: I mean yes, I mean I kind of prefer it all. I just think the course of things has been the course of things. But I prefer it all. You know I mean this is great because it’s very multi-layered and it gets quite deep at times.
But it’s got that edge that comedy edge which I think is just life in general. It’s – that’s just the way it is so we’re trying to maintain as real a balance as possible between the seriousness and then the relationship with Dwight’s partner and his friends down at the station.
And we’re just trying to you know it’s good that it’s a little bit offbeat because life is a little bit offbeat. But certainly it’s been a while since I’ve done anything contemplative on this level. And so it’s nice to be doing this after doing Earl and getting my – sinking my teeth into something different.
Jeanne Jakle: Also it has the feel of the Big Easy, I don’t know if you’ve seen that movie. A little bit of the feel of that which I loved. Do you recognize that at all or do you feel that?
Jason Lee: I probably haven’t seen that in forever.
Jeanne Jakle: Well because of the New Orleans and the cop aspect but also the quirkiness of it. It’s …
Jason Lee: Yes, it’s good to have that. I think it is good to have it be a little bit offbeat because that just allows everybody to breathe a little bit and identify with these people. If it’s just straight serious all the time you don’t know – it doesn’t – I don’t know that you feel like you really know the character and can identify and so that’s sort of where we are with this psychologically.
David Martindale: First off is it barely possible that when you’re shooting on location, carrying guns, having a badge, stuff like that that you all have to be like extra cautious that real life doesn’t think that you’re a real cop?
Jason Lee: I’ve actually thought about that before.
David Martindale: I mean you can’t go wandering off too far with …
Jason Lee: Yes, exactly. No we’ve gone into restaurants nearby at lunch break and I’ve still had the gun and the badge on and I’ve had to kind of hide it you know under my jacket. Oh, oh I forgot to take my gun off I don’t want people to think I’ve got a gun in here.
You know but I wish I could go into somewhere with that on and see people’s reaction.
David Martindale: Yes.
Jason Lee: You know and sort of really feel what it feels like to be a cop.
David Martindale: It would be an interesting science experiment. You know let’s hope we don’t have to do it at the same time. And I know you don’t have as simplistic a belief system as Earl Hickey had but did some of the lessons about karma in this show have a lasting effect on you as a person?
Jason Lee: Absolutely, man. I mean that’s the beauty of that show is that it was a silly sitcom but it had such a genuine heart to it. You couldn’t help but really feel that and at times think about stuff yourself and ultimately what it means, how important it is at the end of the day to just kind of try to do the right thing and love your fellow man kind of thing.
You know, it was a great experience.
David Martindale: Did it break your heart that you didn’t have a big spinned off episode?
Jason Lee: Yes, excuse me. That was really devastating but you know they pulled the rug out from under us. And there was not much we could do about it and the fans were quite upset about that.
David Martindale: I imagine.
Jason Lee: And so were we.
David Martindale: Well it’s been an absolute pleasure. Thank you so much. Best of luck with the show.
Jason Lee: I appreciate that, thank you.
Monica Garske: I’m kind of wondering you know about your personal connection to Elvis. I know your character loves Elvis more than anything. So have you been listening a lot to the Kind lately to get into character or anything like that?
Jason Lee: Oh, yes I’ve got hundreds of his songs.
Monica Garske: Nice.
Jason Lee: And you know my appreciation went up for him after this, of course. One of those things that I think unless you’re maybe of a certain age or unless you really understand Elvis he may be one of those figures that can be taken for granted.
Or you know you know of them, you’ve heard of them since you were a kid but until you really look into it you may not know the magnitude of the talent, you know and the voice and the, you know, it’s really special. I mean how that guy sounded and how hard he worked and what he put into music. I mean incredible.
Monica Garske: Definitely. Well I could see you as Elvis in a bio pic.
Jason Lee: Oh, wow, thank you very much.
Jeanne Jakle: Hi, Jason; just a simple question about your look here. Were you glad to lose the mustache?
Jason Lee: Yes, you know, I’m very happy to have lost the mustache. You know, it was one of the best choices I’ve ever made as an actor was deciding to that have thing because I knew that it would just make that character and it absolutely did but with the death of Earl came the death of the stache.
Jeanne Jakle: And just wanted to ask you are you still skateboarding?
Jason Lee: Yes, my son of 6-1/2 he skates all the time and we go skating together.
Jeanne Jakle: Cool.
Jason Lee: So that’s always been a dream of mine to be able to go skating with my son and now we’re doing that.
