Issue Date: December 2, 2007
The lowdown on "Superbad's" "McLovin"
Christopher Mintz-Plasse may not be a household name (yet), but after this past summer, moviegoers everywhere are familiar with McLovin, his hapless character from the hit comedy "Superbad." In his first film role, Mintz-Plasse, 18, not only stole the picture from co-stars Jonah Hill and Michael Cera, but he also gave the world the hippest geek since "Napoleon Dynamite." We spoke to CMP on the eve of the DVD release.
How were you discovered? At an open audition.
"I don't have a girlfriend, but I'm not horrific in the ladies department."
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The producers were looking to cast the part for three months or so, and they sent e-mails out to high school drama departments around California. My friends told me about it because I fit the description: a nerdy student who looks 15.
Do you have a lot of nerdy qualities in real life? I do. I'm on the Internet a lot. I play video games on my PS3. I read comic books, mostly X-Men and Wolverine. I'm not a smart kid who's good at science, though -- that's probably my least nerdiest quality. And I don't have a girlfriend, but I'm not horrific in the ladies department. I know how to treat women, and they like me, so I'm not a nerd in that regard.
Why do you think that nerdy characters are so popular in films? People like to see guys who are usually getting beaten up win. It's usually the hunky dudes who get the women, those ripped, muscular, blond-haired, blue-eyed guys. When a funny, good-hearted nerd gets the girl, audiences seem happier.
Since you have become famous, have you met anyone impressive? One of my biggest celebrity crushes was on Jessica Alba. We were both at the Teen Choice Awards, and she turned around, saw me and shouted, "Oh my God, it's McLovin!" She hugged me for about 30 seconds, and I just went "ahhhhhhhh." We talked a little bit after that, but I didn't get her number. I choked. It happens.
Do you still have your fake ID from the film? No, they never gave it to me after the movie ended. I was kinda upset. I have no idea where it is. Maybe it's floating around at some prop guy's home. He's probably putting it up on eBay right now.
-- Jeffrey Ressner
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