Since most actors are based in Los Angeles and I'm in New York, my interviews usually get scheduled in the afternoon, or even late at night. But New Line wanted me to talk to Haley Joel Osment at 7am LA time. I asked why, and they said he has high school at eight in the morning. I just thought it was darn funny. He's probably the only actor I've ever talked to that didn't have a hangover of some kind.

Secondhand Lions is a lovely little movie with a great big Oscar cast. Osment plays Walter, a nerdy little boy who is dropped off at his eccentric uncles' farm in the middle of nowhere. At first, Walter thinks that a summer without TV will make him whither up and die. But soon, he discovers that his uncles are the most fun people on earth. They had traveled all over the world, served in the French Foreign Legion, and loved and lost all over the planet. Walter discovers more about himself that summer than he ever thought he would.

Secondhand Lions has just been released on home video by New Line as part of their Platinum series, meaning it is chock full of extras and other goodies including hidden Easter eggs, thirty minutes of deleted and alternate scenes, and a documentary about Haley Joel Osment entitled An Actor Comes of Age.

Check out the website for Secondhand Lions at http://www.secondhandlions.com.

UGO: I would say you're the only actor to wake up this early when they're not working.

Haley Joel Osment: Maybe [laughs].

UGO: Did you see the Super Bowl?

HJO: I did and I really enjoyed it. It was one of the best ones I've seen so far.

UGO: What about the halftime show?

HJO: That was interesting.

UGO: We've all been waiting to see a Jackson naked for years.

UGO: What made you want to be in Secondhand Lions? The cast, or the script?

HJO: It was everything combined. The first thing that did catch my eye was the script, and it was a script we heard of for years. It had been recognized as one of the top ten scripts never made into a movie. When I did finally read it, I thought the character was a great opportunity, especially for me at that age. When we heard about the cast that was coming together, it made it even more interesting to do it.

UGO: Did they walk around with their Oscars in front of you?

HJO: People did try to get me and Michael into that stuff, but they were cool about it.

UGO: Who was tougher to deal with, the pig or Robert Duvall?

HJO: The pig was tough. We did have a large animal cast. The giraffe, lion and a bunch of dogs were behaving fairly well. The pig caused a lot of problems.

UGO: Was it always the same pig?

HJO: No, it was four different ones, each with their own specialty. One would run, sit in one place, and other things.

UGO: I know you don't eat a lot of meat, but do you take more pleasure in eating pork now?

HJO: I've never been a pork fan, but it does bring that to mind when I do eat it.

UGO: Secondhand Lions director Tim McCanlies is a big comic book fan. Do you read comics?

HJO: I have read certain comics and some that Tim is a fan of. I have read the comics of Berkeley Breathed, and I know Bill Watterson's Calvin & Hobbes was a big inspiration for the story. I owned a lot of Berkeley Breathed's kid's books.

UGO: What do you think of the extra on the Secondhand Lions DVD about you growing up [An Actor Comes of Age]? That must be weird for you.

HJO: It is kind of weird. But I guess looking back on it now, the time when we shot Secondhand Lions was the exact perfect time for me to play that character because as he was growing, I was growing through that stage as well. It's kind of nice because it's not just the extra on the DVD that shows that, but the whole movie as well.

UGO: Did working with these actors kind of toughen you in the way your character was toughed by the uncles?

HJO: Oh yeah. Every film you go on gives you greater experience. It wasn't necessarily being toughened because it was difficult or adverse conditions, but just being around Michael Caine and Robert Duvall -- meaning their stories and acting styles -- does it to you.

UGO: Obviously you've played some pretty heavy roles. Do you have a process you've worked out for yourself?

HJO: Usually, it's all just based around being in the character. You can never use the same process for more than one character, because they're all different people. But the one thing you have to do the same is make it completely real for yourself and just get to where you believe the script. When you get to that point, the difficult aspects become easier.

UGO: I was looking at your official website, and I wanted to know if Kobe Bryant is still one of your favorite athletes?

HJO: Last year was pretty disappointing. I still admire him as an athlete but not as a person anymore.

UGO: What's your first class you're going to today?

HJO: English. We're studying Emerson right now, so that's pretty interesting. We were bringing in certain selections of music that we thought gave us a transcendentalist feel.

UGO: What kind of school do you go to?

HJO: It's a private school, but it's still a normal school pretty much. It's near my house, and I go there when I'm not on a project, but I still have a tutor on movie sets.

UGO: So many people hate Artificial Intelligence: A.I., but I like it a lot actually. Have people told you what they have thought of it?

HJO: In the media, the case was that people don't like it. But I've never talked with a person who did not respect the film. Even though it appears as if it's not very well liked, I think it made its point. It was not meant to be a big blockbuster. It was meant to ask some questions that may not make for a huge box office. I think Steven [Spielberg] knew that when you are working with Kubrick material, you are going to be dealing with stuff that may not appeal to everyone. But it certainly made you think. I think it was a good thing that we got such a serious response, because that means it made its point.

UGO: Was it disappointing that it didn't do very well though in the theatre?

HJO: You always want the best for a film but it never got to the point where it was disappointing. I don't think we expected a huge box office. I think we were really happy with the members of the audience I did meet, and I was satisfied with their response.

UGO: I know you do a lot of voiceover work. A lot of people say it's like stealing money, but did you start doing that because you're a fan of cartoons?

HJO: I've been doing it for a long time. It is a very laid back process, and it's also entertaining because you're trying to make a character just out of your voice, which is good for an actor to do. When you have a lot of control over your voice, it really helps in film acting.

UGO: I know you did some voices for Family Guy.

HJO: Yes, that was a few years ago, and I had not seen the show before I did those voices. But I watch it quite a bit now. I'm glad I did because I love that show.

UGO: I know they are doing more Family Guy. Are you going to do anymore voices on it?

HJO: Possibly. We haven't received any calls, but if something comes up, then maybe.

UGO: A lot of people call M. Night Shyamalan the next Spielberg. You've worked with both; do you see any similarities between them?

HJO: You do see similarities between. That happens when you work with two great directors. It helped that both films had a similar tone. With art, it's hard to call someone the "next." Every director has a very different style. Though I saw the same quality in working with actors, they did have different styles. The similar qualities you see between them is giving the actors room to build their own character while working their energy into the movie.

UGO: Do you look at Macaulay Culkin and think "I hope I don't look like that when I'm his age?"

HJO: [laughs] No, it's not like that. There are certain negative things that can happen in this business. You look at them as a lesson. I don't hold any bad feelings towards him or anything.

UGO: Do people still ask you to say, "I see dead people?"

HJO: Not so much anymore. I think the voice change has something to do with it.

UGO: You're getting to the age where you are supposed to start listening to death metal and hating your parents. How's that going?

HJO: Well, it's not like that so much. On the music side of things, I have definitely been getting into stuff like Radiohead and Incubus. Then, some older bands like Pink Floyd and other classic stuff.

UGO: Do you play music at all?

HJO: I do. Me and a couple of friends have been playing music for about a year. I play the guitar and the piano. We just jam, like in rock. We get into all kinds of arrangements.

UGO: Are you taking your driver's test soon?

HJO: In two months. I've had my learner's permit since last summer, and I turn 16 in two months.

UGO: Do you have a car picked out for yourself?

HJO: At this moment I'll be happy with anything.

UGO: What do you spend your money on?

HJO: All the money that comes in for films is being saved in a fund for college. It's a state law that you can't use the money until you turn 18, which I think is good. I'm not so much into buying stuff for myself except CDs and guitar stuff.

UGO: What's your favorite movie franchise out of Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, and Star Wars?

HJO: Probably Lord of the Rings. That's a solid three films. I'm beyond what the new Star Wars movies are going for, but the original three were just so good and revolutionary. If they had remained just the original Star Wars films, it would be a tougher choice. These latest couple of Star Wars films don't appeal to me at all.

UGO: What superpower would you like to have?

HJO: Always flight.

UGO: Do you have any movies coming up?

HJO: There are a couple of possibilities, but nothing definite.

UGO: Do you have a certain kind of movie you want to do?

HJO: I want to do something I haven't done yet. At this age, the possibilities have definitely opened up since I'm not just a kid anymore. I've always wanted to play a bad guy because I've heard those are fun, and I want to be in an action film.

UGO: Have you had your first onscreen kiss?

HJO: Not yet onscreen.

Be sure to read the excellent original article.

**Many thanks to FAIR for this article.