David Arquette: The _Heeb_ Interview

As much as we could razz David Arquette for falling into a plethora of family/spouse-related gigs, props go to the actor for his wide range of popcorn fare. From his blood-stained directorial debut _The Tripper_ to his cole slaw face-stuffing in _Never Been Kissed_ to running lines with Kermit the Frog in _Muppets in Space_, Arquette has managed to keep his act unpredictable and fresh. _Heeb_ recently caught up with the 36-year-old to talk about some of his most recent projects.

*Is it frustrating or challenging to deal with the family name in Hollywood? Have you ever felt second-guessed or dismissed because you are the brother of so-and-so, or because you’re married to so-and-so? Does it hurt or help more?*

It’s a plus and a minus. It gets you in the door sometimes, especially when you’re starting off, but then people have different ideas about you. I really don’t think about it all that much, but my wife’s show premieres on F/X on March 2nd. That was an obvious plug, and there was shame involved.

*You’re definitely seen more on the tube these days than your older sister Rosanna. Of course, 10 years ago it was quite the opposite. Is there any method to this madness in regards to acting dynasties?*

I have no idea what you’re talking about. Hollywood’s a tricky town, and it’s hard for anyone to get work. The fact that all of us are doing something is great. Patricia’s the most seen because she’s on TV every week. People go through phases of who they want to see as actors or anything else.

*Your directorial debut, _The Tripper_, came out last year. Quite a few critics saw it as something more than just a tongue-in-cheek psychedelic horror flick, but did you really want audiences to walk away with a message?*

Ultimately, I just wanted to make a fun, sit-in-a-room-with-a-bunch-of-friends-and-drink-beer-and-laugh, throwback to the ’70s slasher. As far as a political message, I think the leaders of the world are the true psychopaths when they allow war to be an acceptable solution to their problems. After all, how can they complain about violence in films when they are using violence on a much larger scale?

*You’re currently working on a couple film projects, not to mention shooting episodes for Courtney Cox’s _Dirt_. What else is up your sleeve?*

I recently directed my second episode of _Medium_, which is the sixth episode airing this season. Going back to family, I guess sometimes it does help with opportunities. I also directed an episode of my wife’s show that we produce through our company, Coquette. As for other projects, a lot of stuff is on hold due to the writer’s strike.

*Do you ever sense jealousy in the fam, like when one gets a bunch of work and the other doesn’t? Or is it not like that? Let me ask that in a better way: have you ever found yourself in a jealous or resentful state?*

I’m glad to see the family questions didn’t go too far away. No, we’re not jealous of each other. I do find myself sometimes jealous, though, of other actors’ roles, but that doesn’t help the process. I try to just turn it into respect and admiration.

*About a year ago or so, _Heeb_ signed a release granting you guys the right to feature our magazine in one of the _Dirt_ episodes. Did the mag ever show up on the show?*

It was definitely on the set sitting around the bullpen, so, yeah, it was there.

*How do you guys respond to the new wave of reviewers these days online? The blogosphere certainly isn’t as patient or forgiving as some of the old school reviewers, are they? Is this something you want to kvetch about?*

First off, I’m just digging on the word ‘kvetch’, I love Yiddish. Love it. My sister Alexis really picked up on my grandmother’s use of Yiddish and often makes me smile with it. Onto the negativity, I really hate when people are such pricks on the Internet. They’ve never met you, don’t know all of your work, and they just say the most horrible things. It’s like they hide behind their computers and are just mean. I’m just not a big fan of negativity, so I’d rather you share some more Yiddish with me so I can smile again.

What do you think?