美国国家公共电台 NPR--B.J. Novak learned a lot about himself — and Texas — while working on 'Vengeance'

B.J. Novak learned a lot about himself — and Texas — while working on 'Vengeance¹'

Transcript²

B.J. Novak says his new movie, Vengeance, is all about breaking down assumptions — an experience he had onscreen as its lead actor, but also off-camera as its writer and director.

The dark comedy follows Ben, a New York City-based journalist who travels to small-town Texas to investigate the death of a woman whose family falsely believes the two were dating. They also believed she was murdered. Cue the twists, turns and ensemble³ cast, which features Issa Rae, Ashton Kutcher, Boyd Holbrook, J. Smith-Cameron and Dove Cameron.

Novak himself has appeared in several films, including Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, but is probably best known for his portrayal⁴ of corporate⁵ climber Ryan Howard on NBC's The Office, on which he also served as a writer and co-executive producer.

Novak says making this movie, his directorial debut⁶, offered a welcome change in perspective. Namely: He's much nicer being the boss (which does sort of sound like something Ryan Howard might say).

Novak explains to Morning Edition's Rachel Martin that while he wouldn't exactly have called himself a diva before, he has a new appreciation⁷ for what a production takes.

"Any employee can get impatient. When I'm the boss of a film set, I am humbled⁸ and in awe⁹ of all the jobs that everybody has to do," he says. "How do I keep everyone happy, how do I keep them motivated ... I was much nicer and more professional and more respectful of everyone's job than I've ever been when I realized that it fell on my shoulders."

Novak spoke¹⁰ to Morning Edition about the movie, pulling pranks¹¹ with Kutcher and his views on the evolution of comedy.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

I thought it was a bad-a**: big people, big guns, big trucks, everything's bigger in Texas, and that it would be, as a result, very unfriendly to a guy like me, who was so clearly an outsider. And I was right about a lot of it but it was also so much more than that. It was not unfriendly at all — it was the most friendly place I've ever been. It is filled with intelligence and diversity and just surprises everywhere. And it was fun to show that through my character.

On working with Kutcher, who plays a music producer

Ben goes to make fun of him, but ends up meeting someone way smarter and more charismatic and intelligent even than he thinks he is. And he's really blown away by the surprises in Texas and what [Kutcher's character] tells him about the people there ... And really who better than Ashton Kutcher for that, who is so easy to underestimate ... [but] in reality is this brilliant producer and tech investor¹².

My first job on camera was pulling pranks for him on Punk'd ... He was very detail-oriented, meanwhile he's wearing the trucker hat and he just looks like this kind of iconic celebrity¹³. But he was calling all the shots.

To me, it's the same thing, because I'm thinking like the audience all the time. I'm thinking of my cousins in the theater, I'm thinking of me when I was a teenager going to see a movie. I'm thinking: I cannot let anybody down for a second, I got all this way ... I'm always thinking like the audience, because that is why I do what I do. I think some people make art for themselves, but I'm making art for — or art, I'm making what I make, whatever you call it — I'm making it for an audience. And I feel like that's my purpose.

On what he considers comedy's broad appeal

I feel, maybe naively¹⁴, but I feel that funny is funny and everyone has the same sense of humor. And when we made The Office we were making the most particular, obscure types of jokes and characters and it ended up becoming so popular ... And we pictured the audience while making The Office, but we were the audience. So I do think that if you work hard enough for what you think is good, I don't think there's any limit to who likes it.

On whether there are jokes the former stand-up wouldn't tell today

When you're a comedian¹⁵, which I have been, you read the room. And some things work better some nights, and some jokes get stale, and some jokes are wrong for one context and not in another. So to me, I don't think anyone should have regret over what worked in 2004 because it was a completely different room and a different context. But I also don't think anyone should be moaning that they can't tell the joke from 2004 in 2022; you're not telling a joke about Bill Clinton now either ... I don't think anyone needs to or should have regret, unless you really caused some pain that nobody spoke up about at the time.

This interview was conducted by Rachel Martin, produced by Marc Rivers and Claire Murashima, and edited by Simone Popperl.

1 vengeance   

n.报复，报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
• For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 ensemble   

n.合奏(唱)组；全套服装；整体，总效果

参考例句：

• We should consider the buildings as an ensemble.我们应把那些建筑物视作一个整体。
• It is ensemble music for up to about ten players,with one player to a part.它是最多十人演奏的合奏音乐，每人担任一部分。

4 portrayal   

n.饰演；描画

参考例句：

• His novel is a vivid portrayal of life in a mining community.他的小说生动地描绘了矿区的生活。
• The portrayal of the characters in the novel is lifelike.该书中的人物写得有血有肉。

5 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

6 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

7 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

8 humbled   

adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低

参考例句：

• The examination results humbled him. 考试成绩挫了他的傲气。
• I am sure millions of viewers were humbled by this story. 我相信数百万观众看了这个故事后都会感到自己的渺小。

9 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 pranks   

n.玩笑，恶作剧( prank的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Frank's errancy consisted mostly of pranks. 法兰克错在老喜欢恶作剧。 来自辞典例句
• He always leads in pranks and capers. 他老是带头胡闹和开玩笑。 来自辞典例句

12 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

13 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

14 naively   

adv. 天真地

参考例句：

• They naively assume things can only get better. 他们天真地以为情况只会变好。
• In short, Knox's proposal was ill conceived and naively made. 总而言之，诺克斯的建议考虑不周，显示幼稚。

15 comedian   

n.喜剧演员；滑稽演员

参考例句：

• The comedian tickled the crowd with his jokes.喜剧演员的笑话把人们逗乐了。
• The comedian enjoyed great popularity during the 30's.那位喜剧演员在三十年代非常走红。