Tobey Maguire Interview

The Original Web Hero

Tobey Maguire is relaxed. The star of Spider-Man is in London to promote his first genuine foray into the world of the blockbuster movie. Despite tabloid rumours that he has been partying hard with best buddy Leo DiCaprio, he is chilled out, laidback and a genuinely warm and funny guy.

Although he was by no means a comic junkie as a kid, it's clear that Maguire is thrilled to don the webbed one's garb. "It was a dream job" he confesses, "like being a little kid but being paid to play". And he soon makes it clear that he doesn't just turn up for his pay cheque. "I really liked working on all of the little details and trying to bring the character to life and especially since Sam (Raimi, the film's director) was so generous and encouraging and constantly asked me for my ideas about Spiderman. It was the most input I had in any film I have done."

So why did he take the leap from relatively low-budget but usually well-received films to the event movie? Maguire has been a staple of the 'quality' American film since the mid 90s and has chalked up impressive performances in critical hits such as The Ice Storm, Pleasantville and The Wonder Boys. "Well, when I first heard about it I was intrigued but not totally sold on it," he admits. "I was a little skeptical and I had never read the comic books at all. But after reading the script and meeting Sam, and seeing how the story really lives in Sam who has been a fan since he was a kid, I saw the film we could make and it started to feel right to me."

"In relation to superhero characters I found Peter Parker very interesting. Someone told me a story about how when Superman puts on his glasses and becomes Clark Kent he is acting whereas Peter Parker is really this awkward, geeky kid who gets these superhero powers and it's how it affects him that made it interesting to me."

So is Tobey a bit of a geek himself? " I don't really know why I get cast in these roles %u2013 maybe the filmmaker sees something in each film that I do and wants me to do that. Of course I like to see myself as the antithesis of all that!"