Maxim Online: Jason Bateman

[rex]

Are you jealous of anyone's clothes?
I wouldn't mind getting on the Segway. They say for some kind of insurance reasons I can't. But I do like Dad's orange boiler suit; those are actually kinda hip now. But I'm fantastic at tying a tie now, so there are pluses.

How are you like and not like your character?
I am most like my character in that I have a low tolerance for stupidity and power trips. I am least like my character in the sense that I'm the least conservative guy I know.

Do you have a dream plotline for Michael?
In keeping with the incest plotline, that somehow I sleep with my mother. Of course, it would be a dream sequence, or a nightmare sequence, but that seems really consistent with our show. And I've been wanting to get her naked since the pilot.

What do people come up to you and quote from the show?
I don't have anything. I get a lot of "Hey, Teen Wolf." I've got a real good sense of humor with all that stuff, thank God.

Which Bluth would you trust to raise your child?
Will Arnett. Will Arnett is one of the funniest guys I know. He has seen it all and done it all and come out the other end pretty savvy and pretty strong, so I think he'd be a good prospect.

Do you have a favorite scene that didn't air?
When Buster was cursing at all of us and there was a big, long bleep-out. Tony Hale is a man of God; he doesn't really have a big dirty vocabulary, so what we wound up having him do is just recite the alphabet to get us a long enough curse sentence. True story. So that's what's going on underneath the beep and that should air.

What about a line where you just couldn't keep a straight face?
The pilot with Jeffrey, when he turns to the inmate and says, "Hey, T-Bone." It never made me laugh when I saw it on TV, but literally, that was one of the bigger giggle fits I've ever had.

Who makes you laugh on set?
Jeffrey Tambor. It's actually rare, like we did a scene this morning and I didn't break, so I kept saying to the director and producers, "Do we have this scene yet? It's kinda flat." Jeffrey kept saying, "What do you mean? Am I no good?" And I say, "No, it's not you. I think the cutaways in the middle of the scene are supposed to be the joke." So I told him now that we were going to reshoot it, and he's like "Really?!" Joking.

Which couple on the show is most screwed up?
Tobias and Lindsay...Maeby was an absolute science lab baby; that's all gonna come out in the third year. He was at MIT.

Who's your dream guest star?
I want Meryl Streep to play our prosecutor. But they want someone who's like MTV generation that I fall in love with. But I could fall in love with Meryl Streep! Maybe she wants to do a couple of episodes being funny. But they could be going the other way.
My sister [Family Ties star Justine Bateman] actually wants to do the show, and there's a pretty interesting idea for how we would use her, so we'll see. She's been busy making babies for the last three or four years.

You play the straight man, yet you get to be hilarious. How genius.
A straight factor is important in any comedy, because you need something to tee it up and also to ground it. I've always valued the straight element, and it's tough to find people who are willing to do it and who are good at it at the same time. Usually, if someone is not good at it, they're not that willing to do it. They're constantly trying to spin their straight lines into funny lines and then the whole thing just seems crazy. So I love the responsibility of it. They still write plenty of off-color stuff for me. I love it.

Your character was a good guy at first, but has now been involved in some crimes, like stealing office furniture and kidnapping that woman. Any criminal past that helped you get into the character of a felon?
The quick drive-up, pick-up, and drive-off I know from my 20s. 'Cause dealers don't like to stand around on the sidewalk that much. It's cold. They like to get in the car and go; go around the block, do your business, and drop them off.

Arrested Development and It's Your Move—equally underappreciated by the public?
I wasn't quite so much of a review whore as I am now, so I don't really remember how that show was reviewed. The story is that the schemes being written for my character were being repeated by the children around the country. And a bunch of letters came in from disgruntled mothers, so they had to tone my character down and switch nights and then the ratings slipped away. I don't know whether that's just something they told me to help me get to sleep or whether it was true.
I don't know what's going to happen with this show, but I hope it stays on forever. It's the best job I've ever had. And I think if the ratings continue to be where they are and actually grow like they've been, then I think we're looking at a nice long run.

Fox is pushing it a little harder. Does that feel good?
Again, if I'm to believe what I hear, they're absolutely behind us, and I just hope that's true and it stays true. A show like this is not some big flashy high-profile thing that comes out of the gate with a huge number. It's word of mouth and reviews and nominations. So, hopefully, they'll keep us on the air long enough to prove it.

Finally, how has your relationship with bananas changed?
I have always liked bananas. I'm told they're a fatty fruit, so I'm trying to get off them a little bit, but nothing really gives my morning shake its consistency as well as one, so I'm still with them—it's Hollywood. I've never been a frozen banana fan, so that's all acting.

[JuiceBox Junkie]

Good article...

[byron]

Tobias and Lindsay...Maeby was an absolute science lab baby; that's all gonna come out in the third year. He was at MIT.

Wonder if he was being serious...If so, think they'll stick with it?

[Frightened Inmate #2]

Wow, it only took 18 months for there to be a response in this thread. that's gotta be some sort of record.

It's an interesting article to read now, though.

[novel idea]

^ I just realized that, as well. Weird. Good article.

[ACR]

I actually thought that someone had posted it again and I was about to say it was on here somewhere else!
I suppose I should pay more attention to dates and other posts etc.

[LickMyLovePump]

Wow. I never noticed.
Rex, if you are still with us, Thanks.You must think we are an ungrateful bunch