SPIDER-MAN 3: An Interview with Tobey Maguire, continued
By Chris Tongue

Well, more in a sense of wrapping up a whole character arch over the three films?

Maguire: I think that there is a lot of resolution in this movie from all three movies for many characters and different storylines. I don't like talking too much about the end of the movie or what happens. I don't want to take away from anyone's experience in seeing the movie. I think that trailers nowadays give away enough information, but as I said I do think that there are a lot of storylines kind of concluded in this film that were in process through the other movies.

Could you identify with some of the things that Peter went through in this film, success going to his head and things like that?

Maguire: I think that Peter and I react differently to that aspect of it. He's really kind of loving it and bathing in it and getting that kind of arrogance and self-importance. To me, I enjoyed playing it and I thought it was funny and fun to do personally. We just have different experiences.

You do have a great emotional arch in this with Kirsten Dunst and you've sort of come up as a movie couple together. Did it flow really easily this time or was it harder?

Maguire: It flowed pretty easily for me. Just the whole movie in general I had a good time on and I felt really at ease during the whole shooting process and working with Kirsten is great. I love what she brings to the role and to the movie. So it was always a lot of fun.

Bryce [Dallas Howard] talked about how you guys would talk about pregnancy since your fiancé was pregnant at the time and that you guys were three months ahead. What have you been able to learn about fatherhood since having your baby and congratulations too…

Maguire: Thank you. It's definitely amazing. I love being a dad. I love my daughter. It's amazing. It's like everyone says. All the clichés are true. It's indescribable and you just have to be there to understand it. You don't really get it until you're there.

You've talked about your own childhood being trouble in the 'Parade' article and about forgiving your parents. Do you have any advice to kids today who might find themselves in situations like that, having a tough time?

Maguire: It's hard to say. I think that each and every individual experience is so different. I do think that it's important to – I don't know. It's hard for me to say. I was fortunate enough to find different people along the way whether it was through movies or books or people that helped buoy me in times when things were a little bit down and I never really wanted to be a victim or kind of wallow in the harder things. I always wanted to move forward and I was very ambitious. I felt like I had a pretty good imagination and vision for my life and I had people telling me that I was driving the vehicle of my life here, that I was the master of my own destiny in a sense. They told me to do whatever I wanted to do.

That scene with Bruce Campbell was hilarious. Was there any adlib in your scene with Bruce, in that scene that made it into the film?

Maguire: Well, there wasn't really like, adlib. There was a different tone at first to the scene and it was kind of more confrontational and we thought that it would be funny if we were kind of getting along strangely. There were some awkward moments, but I thought that it would be a better tone if we were getting along better and Sam's always coming up with gags or different jokes. So I think that everyone was throwing ideas in here and there and it did change up a bit and there is some adlib in there, but that was a lot of fun, and I thought that Bruce was fantastic and the best appearance of the three appearances for him in these movies.

Whose idea was it to make him French?

Maguire: I don't know whose idea that was.

You got to work with Stan Lee in this movie, the creator of this iconic hero. What's your take on him and him seeing this character that he created forty years ago become this huge movie property?

Maguire: I'm not sure what his perception is or what his experience is of that as I'm not him and don't embody him, but I think that what he's done is pretty amazing to me. He created all of these characters, and not just Spider-Man, but a lot of characters that are these huge iconic characters that are really present in Hollywood movies now. So it's pretty interesting and he's an icon himself like his characters are.

If this is the end of your run with these movies, what are some of the things that you will look back on and think of fondly and what will you miss the most? Also, do you have any feelings about someone coming in taking over the character of Peter Parker?

Maguire: Well, I definitely love working with all of the people, the cast and Sam and all of that. So I hope to work with them whether it was this or not, and I'm sure that at some point I'll have memories, sentimental kinds of feelings about my experiences on the film. I mean, I already do. I've had great times doing this, but it's not like there's any pain involved in that. It's just kind of nice and in terms of another actor playing the part – I don't take any issue with that.

This is such a thrilling character for people. What is something that you do in real life for excitement?

Maguire: Well, I don't know. I like to be very active. I can't say that there is anything that quite compares to swinging around like Spider-Man does. I like to ride bikes and run and scuba dive and do different kinds of sports. I like to play a lot of basketball and kind of normal human being stuff.

There's not one particular adventure sport that you really prefer?

Maguire: I like all kinds of things. I'll do anything pretty much. I mean, I've never been skydiving or bungy jumping and I don't really see the point for myself in bungy jumping, but I would consider skydiving. Now, however, my fiancé is like, 'You're not skydiving.' It would be a shame if something happened and I missed my daughter's life. That would be a drag.

A lot of actors who've had kids said that it will change what their choices will be for future projects. Mark Wahlberg said that he wouldn't do a 'Boogie Nights' now that he has children. Have you found that has changed your mind about choices?

Maguire: It may. I don't really know right now. I think that the greatest affect that it'll have is on what the locations of movies are more so than what the content of them are. Although, it might affect my decisions about the content as well, I don't know.

You played a very good ugly American in The Good German. Is that the sort of thing we can expect more of from you, characters who are sort of the flipside to Peter Parker?

Maguire: Not necessarily. I mean, I enjoyed doing that movie and kind of like I said before I don't really have any character in mind or types of characters or types of films. I just want to do everything with people that I really respect and want to work with.

We kind of have a comparative mentality. We see this movie and we put it up against 'Batman' or 'Fantastic Four' and all of that. Do you have that, or do you look at all of this as just being movies that are out?

Maguire: Well, yeah, sure. I understand it and will do that a bit. Not a lot, but yeah, sure. I don't know. What do you want from me? (Laughs)

For example, I'm sitting here last night watching this movie with tears running down my face at how powerful it is and thinking about how great these are in comparison to other comic book movies. I'm just wondering if you have that sort of pride in the film or do you not want to be that mean to the other comic book films?

Maguire: No, and well, first of all I'm glad that you had that experience and thank you. For me though, no, I think that there is a whole bunch of them. I really like 'Batman Begins.' I really liked 'The Matrix' a lot. The first two original 'Superman' movies were great. Tim Burton's 'Batman' was great. I mean, there are a lot of really good ones out there and we're all just trying to make the best films that we can and hopefully live in that world and be peers to those other great ones.

You've been with Peter Parker for six years now. Do you think the character has changed with you over the years?

Maguire: Well, I'm sure that I've changed a lot over the last six years. I'm not quite sure how to separate how I've changed based on the movies over the last six years versus just growing up over the last six years. That's kind of hard for me to answer without manufacturing something.

Someone said that you are a perfectionist and that you're really involved in the character. Have you have always been like this or did someone help you develop in that direction?

Maguire: I've always been like that.

Even as a teenager?

Maguire: Since before I can remember.

There are a lot of actors who do certain types of characters over and over again like detectives and things like this. Could you see yourself doing another comic book based character, maybe from like a graphic novel like maybe in 'The Watchmen' that Zack is doing now?

Maguire: (Laughs) The funniest part of that whole thing that you just said is, 'Zack is doing "The Watchmen" next’ like I'm supposed to know what all of that means. Who is Zack?

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