B.L. I am a huge fan of yours and I have to tell you that I absolutely loved your performance in Mr. Deeds.
J.T. Really? Well, thanks.

B.L. You were so hysterically funny as Adam Sandler's butler. You have made countless movies and have played dozens of characters, where on earth did you come up with the idea for "Emilio" in Mr. Deeds?
J.T. You know, I never got to play a butler and I've wanted to play one. I thought, as they were re-writing the part and re-writing it, that it was something that I could do. To make him Hispanic was interesting and then I had this whole kind of bullfighter idea. I had done all this research about bullfighters, because I almost played a bullfighter in a movie. I never got to do it, so I thought that I could have that regal type of appearance and be very graceful, and I thought that would be fun. I also taped various people and found a sort of continental accent that I could use.

B.L. So most of it came from your imagination as opposed to reading it from the script?
J.T. The biggest thing was when I showed up. They really didn't know what I was going to do or look like and they were excited with everything. It was a really relaxed environment and Adam is generous that way. He likes to play like kids do, so that allows you to do the best you can do.

B.L. So I guess Adam Sandler didn't let you have your own personal butler so that you could thoroughly research the part?
J.T. No. I read a bit about butlers, the costume designer sent me all this butler material. I have always thought that it was a great stock comic character because the butler is this all-seeing person, but at the same time he's a little removed. There is something nice to play in that and that's why it's been used over and over again.

B.L. How did you get through some of those scenes that you had with Adam Sandler. I honestly don't know how you didn't crack up, especially the scene when you are beating his foot with a poker.
J.T. Well, it was hard work actually because we had to do it so many times with different angles, but we had fun. Sometimes you crack up afterwards. I always think that it is good if people are laughing a little bit. If they laugh too much on the set, then sometimes you could be patting yourself on the back, but a little bit of that is good. That means that there is life going on.

B.L. What makes working with Adam Sandler so unique?
J.T. I think that Adam is obviously funny, but he has a solidity to who he is and he's kind of grounded. Then he does these crazy things out of being grounded. He shows a little bit of who he is and is able to use himself in an intelligent comedic way. So he is a warm person and it was very easy to work with him.