B.L. As a young Canadian guy growing up in Vancouver, did you ever in your wildest dreams think that you would be the star of a National Lampoon movie?
R.R: Never and if I did, I'd probably be a little terrified and intimidated. That was definitely something that was a factor when we began this movie. National Lampoon is a legacy; these guys turn out comedy in a sweatshop of under-aged Laotian boys. I was definitely a little bit terrified but this came off the assembly line, that's all I know. I was freaking out. But you know, in the end, I got to see a couple of test screenings. I sneaked into the back of a theatre; no one knew that I was there. If this movie never, ever went anywhere, like they didn't even release it, it would be worth it just to see people reacting to something that I was in. I couldn't believe that audience. I'll never ever forget it.

B.L. That must have been extremely rewarding for you. I know that when you did TV you didn't get that kind of belly laugh reaction to your work.
R.R. Well we had a live studio audience, but in TV I don't think a single joke that I did on that show (Two Guys, A Girl and A Pizza Place) ever had the impact that it did in this film. It's also something immediately relatable. People know Lampoon and it's been away for a long time too, so it's nice to have it come back and resurface like this.

B.L. O.K., so when you got this off-the-wall script for Van Wilder, what was your immediate reaction?
R.R. Well, there were a couple of scenes where I was, like, you guys are never going to get away with this. You can't do this! But, once I got over the initial sort of shock and my gag reflex subsided, I sunk into it and I dug it.

B.L. I understand you were very hands-on with this film.
R.R. This is my second movie with Walt Becker (the director). Ironically, the one I did before Van Wilder, called Buying the Cow, is being released after Van Wilder, but I was psyched. We had a game plan. We went through the script line by line; it's the first thing that I have ever been a part of where I really got to be a part of the whole process. Walt and I actually locked ourselves away and just worked on the script for a month before. We shot the movie and every day we would work 14-hour days. The we'd go to a bar, but not to get hammered. Well, O.K., to get hammered, but also to work on the script. Then the next day we would show up in our dazed fog and find a way to make it work. Then we edited the movie together as well.

B.L. What a great experience for you.
R.R. Yeah, it was rare. Actors don't usually get a chance to sit in an editing room. While we were editing basically "me," we would never refer to me as me, or Ryan, it was "he." We'd be like, "He's not very good in that moment, let's just cut that out."

B.L. Was it hard to criticize yourself? A lot of actors don't even like to watch themselves on screen.
R.R. Well after awhile, you really do think of the role as "him." Like you don't even realize it's yourself. I don't sit there and say, I don't look so good in that scene. You just try to make the best movie possible. I think that it shows in the final product, but it was definitely a learning experience for me.

B.L. You started acting quite young. You were about 12 when you had your first major acting gig. You didn't go to university, so you didn't have that same kind of campus/college experience that kids from the United States experience. So how did you fit into Van's skin so comfortably?
R.R. God, Van went to college for seven years; I went to high school for seven years. That was a big part of it. I think it's not too hard to relate; you sort of attack the character more than his experiences. When I first read the script it sort of rang like a Ferris Bueller for the 21^st Century; that was the first impression that I got from it. I was weaned on that and I can completely relate to that.

B.L. Did you ever get freaked out about this movie resting completely on your shoulders.
R.R. The only thing that was scary was that it was both daunting and challenging. We didn't make National Lampoon's Citizen Kane or Apocalypse Van -- so my challenge wasn't so much as what are the underlying subtleties behind these story points, but locking myself in a hotel right before we shot and picking every battle that I needed to pick in this movie. To be a leading man in Hollywood, you don't need to make a choice nowadays. You don't need to have charisma or anything like that. You just need to talk quietly and look good under dim light. I get a little frustrated with that, so I thought, you know we don't need to do these big over the top pieces in every moment. Trust in the character and let him buy those moments later. Let him earn those moments from the audience, so you watch the first 10 minutes of the movie and you know that it is definitely a comedy. But like what are they setting up here? Suddenly, it's like this big set up and a payoff. Towards the end of the movie there's this domino effect of jokes and it works in our favour.

B.L. But you still could go completely over the top if you wanted.
R.R. Well actually, it was a fight at first because the producers kept saying to me, hey, don't you want to go bananas, Ryan? I was like "Grrrr, just give me a minute to sink into this guy and you'll see, I promise" -- and it paid off.

B.L. I have to tell you that I thought this movie worked primarily because of you.
R.R. Oh, thank you, that is so sweet.

B.L. No really, you exude such charm on that screen and I think that it was insightful and brave that Walt Becker, the director, cast you in the movie.
R.R. Oh shucks, you're making me blush.

B.L. You know as well as anyone that there are a ton of young actors, who, let's face it, are more famous than you that could have been in this movie, but you were Van. I don't know if you realize that once people see you in this movie, it's going to be your huge break.
R.R. I hear what you are saying, but it's hard for me to take a compliment.

B.L. Trust me, when people see this movie, Ryan, they are going to look at you in a different light.
R.R. Well I hope so, it's all you can ever hope for. Like I said earlier, that's all great if it works out. I'm getting a little bashful now. But it's worth it if only to see what we did worked. I've always wanted to do a movie that I got to helm because I've always felt like I could do this. I know I could if I just get a chance and this was it.

B.L. Being a National Lampoon movie, there are a ton of gross-out things that, quite frankly, I sometimes had to turn away from because it was so disgusting. Funny, but disgusting.
R.R. (laughing) You can say that again.

B.L. What grossed you out the most and how on earth did you get through shooting half of those scenes?
R.R. Well you know, (starts laughing) ... Oh, my God! I just pictured putting myself in the theatre, looking down the row seeing my mother gasp, (he starts to gasp with his mouth wide open in horror). I don't know how we got away with some of the stuff. I don't know how the Motion Picture Association of America let us do any of that. I am so sure that the guy was high when he watched it, because he just let everything go through.

B.L. It's pretty raunchy at parts.
R.R. My favourite parts of the movie are where the character pushes the plot along. Nowadays the gross-out stuff is an element of contemporary young comedy. When somebody raises that bar, it's up to us to smash it and I think that now we have just gotten rid of the bar all together. I don't know how you'll ever top the things that we do in this movie but, thankfully, I think it's just a culmination at one point where you actually get to experience your gag reflex. And then you gag and gag and gag until that reflex is just gone.

B.L. There must have been a thousand takes for every scene. How did you guys keep a straight face?
R.R. We didn't! Half the time, I had trouble. Things that make me laugh are different from what other people think. The thing that cracked me up the most was the very first scene in the movie where this Asian woman, who is my tailor, looks like she's doing one thing but she's doing another. I'm telling you, I could not keep a straight face, because I don't think that she knew what she was doing.
So I'm looking down and I think that it's in the gag reel at the end of the movie. I can't keep it together. I am trying to find ways to keep my sh*t together, so that was a little difficult for me. It was weird doing a movie where you are having that good a time. That's usually worrisome for a lot of people, like if you are having a real good time in a movie, usually the product isn't so good. So I was thinking should we have some strife or something, but I think that the most strife that we had was the odd hangover.

B.L. I can't wait for the DVD version. That is going to be hilarious. That's when you can use all of the outtakes.
R.R. We are actually doing a commentary the whole time, so you can watch the movie as a regular DVD or with Walt (Becker's) and my commentary under it. We go something like; we're doing the above the waist shot because Ryan's not wearing any pants in this scene because we needed Tara Reid to laugh, or something like that. It should be pretty funny.

B.L. Speaking of not wearing pants, you get to show off your butt quite a number of times in Van Wilder.
R.R. If you see Buying the Cow, the first movie that I made with Walt, I am literally wearing nothing but baby powder and hope! It's a little weird doing the whole 'here's my ass thing' -- especially because it's always on my first day. Always on my first day I have to do the butt bit and what's so funny is, when I'm wearing jeans, I don't have an ass! I think that subconsciously I am trying to prove to the world that yes, in fact, there is an ass here.

B.L There is a lot of talent in Van Wilder, especially some popular veteran actors. What I thought was great was that Tim Matheson, star of the hugely successful National Lampoon film, Animal House played your dad! Did he give you any Lampoon pointers?
R.R. O.K., I have a couple of things to say about that. I love the fact that in this movie there are all these veterans. Edie Mclurg is right at the beginning from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Curtis Armstrong from Revenge of the Nerds, Paul Gleason from Breakfast Club; these guys all show up as supporting characters in this movie. But they are never commented on, which is the hardest thing to do when you are working in a movie where every scene has at least three or four lines that are just ad libbed or improvised. It's so hard not say something when you are standing next to this patriarch of 80's comedy. That was kind of a difficult thing, but Tim Matheson, who is also from the original Animal House, is probably one of the classiest guys that I have ever worked with in my life. I was really fortunate to work with some great people in this movie and Paul Gleason is included in that group too. You don't call cut with Paul Gleason; he doesn't shut up until you drag him out of the spotlight. He is amazing at improv and got me going on so many scenes.

B.L. What's a teen comedy without a love interest. You work opposite Tara Reid; how was that?
R.R. Tara Reid has this reputation that precedes her. I read about her in all of the magazines that she is this wild party girl and that she's out every night doing stuff. That's always kind of weird to me because I have a work ethic that rivals a Japanese car manufacturer. I like people to be on time. I like people to know their stuff and it's the only thing that I am kind of anal about. That girl is the same. It's amazing, she just completely shattered everything I'd heard or read before I worked with her. I couldn't believe when I actually got into the daily grind with her how great she was.

B.L. Plus, she's not hard to look at either.
R.R. Yeah, but you know, it's such a pleasure to say that about somebody. When you hear all these swirling rumours and then you see that she is really wonderful and sweet and a hard worker.

B.L. It must be a big downside to the business having to listen to and read all the crap that people say or write about you?
R.R. Yes, that's why I live in Vancouver. You know I moved down to L.A. with Chris Martin and Barry Pepper and all of us did very well in L.A., I think. With Barry in Saving Private Ryan and We Were Soldiers and Chris in the CBC show Tom Stone. What I find funny is that we all are able to function in Hollywood but live in Canada.

B.L. What or who keeps you grounded?
R.R. I do, I think. What keeps me grounded is my amazing intellect. My charm, my wit.. I think being really good- looking keeps me grounded too.

B.L. Well, that goes without saying, but how about your family? How supportive have they been?
R.R. My family is awesome, actually. Family is very important to me. It's funny that you never get closer to your parents until the moment you move away. I definitely have a tight bond with my family and more so in the last 10 years than I did growing up. I was probably pretty close to my mom when I was breast-feeding, but after that, that's where the weaning factor came in.

R.R. Am I still talking?

B.L. Please continue, this is fascinating!
R.R. I have three older brothers, one of them is a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman, one is a painter and the other is an electrician; so we are a really diverse family. I talk to at least one of them daily, so they are all really important to me. That, more than anything, keeps me grounded. I couldn't bear it if they thought that my ego had gotten out of control. That would be horrible. Not to mention the beatings that my brothers would lay on me! Oof… wow! I remember when I used to be able to take them.

B.L. When you went to Los Angeles a number of years ago, you almost immediately got the job to star on the sitcom Two Guys and a Girl and a Pizza Place. How overwhelming was that, because you had a pretty good run on that show?
R.R. Two Guys and a Girl was a great job for me, and I don't want this to come off the wrong way, but I wasn't sad to see it go. Traylor, the girl on the show, and I talked last night. We are all still really close. My experience in TV was a little difficult because I thought that the way those shows are run, with so much money and so many resources, that there should be no such thing as just an O.K. joke. We're all paid a lot of money, more money than any of us deserve, and we should be working a little bit harder. So if it were up to me, I'd have stayed all night and made it right. Then again, I'm crazy about that. I was kind of happy to move on from Two Guys and a Girl.

B.L. Do you think that you would like to do a series again or would you just like to concentrate on film?
R.R. Oh yes, definitely. The great thing is that you can do both. At the moment, I am happy taking a little break from TV, but it's hard because I have been getting a lot of great television scripts. They are trying to get me to go back and it's hard to say no, but at the moment I just feel comfortable taking my time.

B.L. What do you like to do on your down time, when you have some?
R.R. My down time is as boring as anything. I have a dog; we hang out a lot. I ride my bike everywhere. I don't drive unless I am in Los Angeles because you have to drive there. It's all pretty much boring stuff. I'm not like young Hollywood hanging out in hotel rooms with dead hookers. Now, that would put a bit of a speed bump in your morning, huh.

B.L. Did you bring your dog to the set of Van Wilder?
R.R. Yeah, I did.

B.L. And did he get along with the dog that plays your pooch in the movie?
R.R. You know that dog in the film is more expensive for a day than I am! I guarantee you. Then try putting a 10-pound scrotum on him. That's pretty impressive. The dog and the trainers are just crazy. They are unbelievable; you wouldn't believe how these people work. That dog can't be put in stowage in a plane; it has to be in first class sitting there with its gut hanging out and its drool. I love the dog, though; he was such a cute dog. He gets something like 10 grand a day. It's totally out of control.

B.L. When you were growing up, were you a class clown? What were you like?
R.R. No, I wasn't actually. It's almost like a cliché to say that you weren't; but no, I was really quiet. School for me was a place where I was able to cultivate other things more than just being a jock or anything like that. That's probably because high school wasn't the most pleasant place for me. I moved around to a couple of different high schools growing up, but I wasn't really a class clown. I have to say I was a bit of a clown in elementary school.

B.L. So where does this comedic streak come from? You are a very funny guy.
R.R. I think my brother, probably. Growing up, my brother exposed me to what I think were some of the funniest classic movies ever made. One of the first movies that I remember watching with my brother Terry was M*A*S*H. He also exposed me to great music like Fleetwood Mac, and Simon and Garfunkel. I have to say he was one of the biggest influences in my life, artistically, for sure. He doesn't even know that; he's a Mountie and not in the entertainment business. Also being the youngest of four boys leads to a lot of comedy!! One way or another you are going to cultivate a few secrets hiding away downstairs in your room, plotting on how to take over not just the world or the empire, but the family.

B.L. Looking at all of the Canadians who have made it in the United States, like Jim Carrey and Mike Myers, these guys are hilarious. What do you think it is that makes Canadians so darn funny?
R.R. Yes, there are a lot of funny Canadians but, oddly enough, why are there not any really funny television shows here? Not to say that the stuff we have here is bad, but there is nothing that is really cutting edge, certainly not since SCTV. Moreover, there are a lot of really talented Canadians. I've got to say that when I am in Los Angeles even a lot of the comedy writers that I meet are from Toronto and Vancouver. I wonder if it's just something that distinguishes. I can't really put my finger on that.

B.L. It must be frustrating for you, as an actor who really wants to work at home has to go to the United States to be recognized and make some decent money.
R.R. Yes, it is a bummer. I speak for myself and maybe four or five other Canadian actors who I think have done really well in the States in saying that they would love to be here in Canada and support an industry here. But I really don't think that the industry supports its own. It's hard when half of your TV is government subsidized. There are some really good Canadian films, but again they aren't recognized as much as they should be. It's a frustrating situation and it's funny because I hear about all of these great movies that are being made here and then I wonder why I never get to see those scripts. Then I'm told that they think that they can't afford me. That's nuts — I'd love to get a chance to do more stuff here. Please! The last movie that I did was for fifty bucks and lunch.

B.L. Well as long as you get lunch; free food is where it's at!
R.R. Exactly!

B.L. Now you have a couple of other films coming out soon, so let's talk first about Buying the Cow. That's about a guy who doesn't want to commit to marriage?
R.R. Buying the Cow is not my movie, as far as the lead. It's myself, Jerry O'Connell and a girl named Brigit Wilson. It's a relationship comedy and it's a little bit like Van Wilder in the sense that it's a college comedy. It's about a guy who doesn't want to get married and, metaphorically speaking, has an angel and a devil on his shoulders. The angel is telling him he needs to work things out and I'm the devil. Throughout the whole movie, I'm saying no! There's no need for this... and that's another movie where I end up extraordinarily naked running around the streets of Los Angeles.

B.L. Plus, you made a film called Finder's Fee with Jeff Probst, Survivor host-man! How did that come about? I didn't know that he directed too.
R.R. That was the weirdest thing ever, but it was a learning lesson for me. I get a script one day that says "Finder's Fee" by Jeff Probst and someone asks me if I want to do this movie. They are offering one of the lead roles and tell me it's something that you have never played before and I think that you will really like it. And I went, no. I'm not working with Jeff Probst; he's the guy from Survivor. I read the script and it was phenomenal and my working experience with Jeff was incredible. I have to say that Finder's Fee is one of the best working experiences that I have ever had. It's a really dark, interesting role that I had never done before. It won some awards and it gave me another great opportunity and I have Jeff Probst to thank for that. I'll never ever forget it.

B.L. Future ambitions? Do you want to direct or just keep doing what you are doing?
R.R. You know, I always think that directing and producing by actors is more of a vanity plate than anything else. I don't feel like that's my place. I think in the creative process that we all have a hand in it. It's just who gets the actual "directed by" credit at the end of the movie. That's not important to me. I like doing what I'm doing, but I'll never say never.