OK! Interview: John Cusack

John Cusack, who left his mark on girls' hearts everywhere when he starred in Say Anything, is playing a dad in his new movie Martian Child, opening on Nov. 2. He talked to OK! about that role and whether or not he’d like to play it in real life.

Does playing these dramatic parent roles make you want to have kids?

I don’t know. Yeah, theoretically. I tend to do everything in reverse. I practice in the movie then try it in real life.

Do you like playing writers?

I don’t really think about it. I guess I’m drawn to people who are trying to figure stuff out.

You have a knack for picking “zeitgeist-y” roles.

Well, they only become zeitgeist-y after, not before, I make a movie.

Do you know that when you pick up a script?

That’s the plan, right? I plan to take over the world! laughs You do stuff not knowing if it’s going to be interesting when it comes out. Like that movie Grace Is Gone that I’m doing seems to have a lot of swirl around it right now. But you just never know if something’s going to be successful right out of the game. Maybe it’ll be in five or 10 years' time, who knows? You just hope people will like it.

How often do you see your sister Joan?

My sister doesn’t talk on the phone. You have to go to her house if you want to talk to her. We live near each other in Chicago and so I just go over and knock.

Do you coordinate your schedules to work together?

No, we don’t really. It’s just if projects come up and if I’m producing it, if there’s a funny role I ask her to do it ’cause I know she’s going to kill it — she’s just going to crush it. So it’s just a no-brainer. She’s so gifted.

By Alison Moodie