This is the second part of our interview with Virgin Suicides star Josh Hartnett.

Did you meet Jeff Eugenides?
Yeah

Did you get along with him?
Definitely. He wrote an amazing book. I can’t say enough about his book. It left a lot of room for interpretation, but it was also very specific, and it’s rare to see that kind of a blend.

What was it like working on a low-budget film as opposed to a big studio film?
It was a unique experience. I had never done a low-budget independent before. I think the indie feel is great, jus the chance to experiment, and everybody who’s on it pretty much feels like they want to be there, because they’re not there for the money. They’re not there to meet people. It’s the closest to art that we get in this business.

Who shot it?
Ed. I forgot his last name. He’s gonna be famous. He’s good. The way the movie looks-I’ve only seen two or three scenes-but the way they look is unbelievable.

In terms of capturing the feeling of Grosse Pointe?
These were all indoors, but capturing the feeling of the ‘70s. You don’t have the whole art department to work on re-creating a house. I’d never seen this before. When I was working on Town and Country, we were in L.A. and we were shooting indoor Idaho stuff, flying in actual trees and re-creating a whole cabin on a soundstage-fake snow, the whole deal. Unbelievable budget. But for how much the film cost, The Virgin Suicides is going to look amazing.

How much did it cost?
It was under $15 million. I know that. I think everyone worked for scale, right around scale.

So there was a feeling of goodwill?
Camaraderie. It didn’t feel like one person had all the chips.

You moved to L.A. in February ’97. When did you book Craker?
I booked Craker probably late February

So you were working within weeks.
Yeah. I was really lucky. The people who booked me on Craker took a chance. I had never done anything, and that’s rare that you just get that kind of chance to be a regular on a shoe that they really have a lot of faith in. It didn’t pan out the way everybody thought it was going to, though. People thought it was going to turn over a new leaf for the network, but it didn’t work out that way. We got cancelled seven or eight months a go, and since then I’ve been lucky enough to be working.

The day the show was cancelled, you got a four-picture deal with Miramax?
It was right around then. Within days, I got this deal with Miramax to do a couple of movies, I had auditioned for Halloween H2O and the upcoming Kevin Williamson film [The Faculty], and Miramax added on some other things to the contract. Both Halloween and The Faculty were kind on the same genre, and no one wants to be pigeonholed, but I really wanted to work with all the people that I worked with. I had no problem with doing it. It was just a bonus coming from Miramax. They were giving me extra incentives to do it.

What do you do in your spare time?
Sleep

That wasn’t one of the special skills listed on your resume. What else do you like to do?
I don’t know. Basically whatever happens…I haven’t had a lot of free time lately, because I’m always thinking about a project, so I haven’t been completely free of work for a year and a half, since February. When I get off work, it’s nice to just lay around, really. I see a lot of films. I read and write. Do ‘rithmetic.

What have you read lately?
Everything I read is kind of on the pretentious side.

Throw me a bone.
I read The Idiot.

Let’s talk about what you’re wearing. Your hat says "Saint Paul School Police."
It was a crossing guard when I was in sixth grade. I found the hat again last year and I’ve been wearing it ever since. I get some pretty bad haircuts on movie sets.

Can I see? [He takes off hat] It’s not that bad. It’s kind of like an overgrown Caesar.
It used to be a Caesar and now it’s kind of like a-

Caesar salad?
Yeah…

Where do you live?
Nowhere in particular. I have a small apartment in L.A., but I’m rarely there.

Do you see yourself as being based there in the future?
No. I’ve been waiting to move to New York for a long time and eventually I will.

What neighborhood will you live in?
I’ll probably live on the Lower East Side.

There’s a good herring store called Russ and Daughters on Houston Street that I recommend. They have an excellent whitefish salad.
I’m a vegetarian.

The role that you played on Craker was sort of misunderstood. Have the roles you’ve played since then been like that too?
A few people have said that I have this quality of making everything seem deep and dark. The characters I’ve played in the stuff that’s come out so far [Halloween H2O and Craker] kind of have a tormented side. But I think Trip has very little of that. He’s more of a carefree kind of guy, until he gets tormented by this girl. Which is the downfall of every male I suppose.

-www.virginsuicides.com