Harrelson is a world-class vacationer!

In Zombieland Woody Harrelson returns to type with a kooky role as a Zombie killer. The film tasted instant success debuting at the number one position at the US Box Office and becoming a cult comedy. We talk to the unconventional star on his latest ‘zom com’.
What are the criteria for you taking a role at the moment?
A good story or in this case something that I found really funny and I thought people would laugh at it.I don’t really have any kind of set criteria but I’ve always had a big interest in the words — I’ve always been a big reader so I like a good story. And this was too good to pass up. I haven’t seen it yet, but I think it’s going to be good.
Ruben is a first time director and you’ve been working with him on Zombieland. Did he live up to your expectations?
You know, there is an element of trust there but I think he did a great job and I’m glad that we all put our trust in him.
You mentioned before that there was a fair bit of improvisation on this. Was that encouraged by Ruben?
Oh he loved it and he encouraged it. There were times when we would shoot something and there really weren’t supposed to be any words and he would just go ‘let loose and riff..!’ And we would come up with some crazy dialogue. Even the last day on set when we were shooting some driving scenes and there wasn’t any dialogue at all and he said ‘just go for it..’ I love that because sometimes for the writer or the director it’s an ego play and they don’t like anyone adding anything. But in this case, the writer was there at all times and they loved it if we added anything and Ruben was really great about it too. And a lot of times it’s grade A shit but sometimes you get little gems that just wouldn’t happen and that's what you are looking for.
You had a long break from making movies — something like five years. When you aren’t filming are you able to forget about it entirely or are you always looking for that elusive, great script?
I read scripts the whole time when I’m not working. Even when I took like five years off I still read some scripts and there was a couple that came in and I was like ‘I should do this..’ But you know when I’m around my family obviously they are my priority but I still take time to read. I also like to write and I’ve got three things that are three quarters finished including a stage play so I’ve got to kind of push through to the end on those.
What have you been writing?
A lot of times working on a production as an actor, even though it’s a great gig, you are kind of a pawn to whatever a director’s vision is — actually you always are. Which is great but I want to get my version of funny out there and get that across. So I have to get it finished. Actually, it’s two screenplays and one stage play — all comedy, every one of them. One is an adaptation of a book called The Comedy Writer by Peter Farrelly. It’s so good. He’s a great writer. And that could be a great movie but again, I have to finish (laughs)
You are a committed environmentalist. Do you find it a more hopeful time? Are people more aware now?
I think in terms of awareness it’s moving in the right direction but driving a bunch of hybrid cars is not going to be what changes this world. We have to change the fuel that feeds our society and the fuel that feeds us as individuals — I think those are the things that are going to have to undergo major change.
We talked about the fact that you had a five-year break from films earlier. Why was that?
Well, I needed to step back. I needed to take some time away from it. I didn't intend to take that long but I wasn’t enjoying it or appreciating it and I had been doing so many back to back I was upset by and disappointed by the reaction to The People v. Larry Flynt, particularly the whole backlash. I think it was received better in Europe. In the States they got very puritanical about it so there was that disappointment and a couple of other movies that I wished had turned out different and I was like ‘I’m not enjoying this anymore, I’ve just got to stop.’ I consciously decided that I was going to hang out with my family.
What did you learn from that time?
I learned that I’m a good worker and a hard worker but I’m a world-class vacationer! And that living the life of Riley is not so bad. I was still getting a fix with the theatre but I really came to miss doing the movies and it’s good to be doing it again.
And you are enjoying it now?
Oh yeah, man, I’m having a blast!