I related to Tyler in that I wish I could have done things like he did when I had the opportunity. There is something quite satisfying about being a little bit more reckless and even fighting. It’s quite cathartic to just sort of randomly start hitting someone. It was fun kind of, letting all your rage go on the set.

In a lot of ways, it’s different because when you’re working with young people it’s like you’re going on the journey together. Everything is fresh to you. Whereas if you’re working with experienced people, they’re much clearer about what they want to do or bring to the job right from the beginning which is really good in some ways. But, at the same time, they’re very willing. Chris [Cooper] and I were rewriting the scene when we fought each other during the lunch break just before. I never worked with anyone who is really tied down to what they want to do and that’s that. It’s really good either way.

It’s the fantasy idea of living in the East Village. It’s the kind of life I would have wanted to have if I was a student. It’s a very active culture- even the extras in New York, everybody’s got an opinion about everything.

Mine was made out of half a bra and some wig tape, which took me 35 minutes to actually figure out how to stick on and then it just fell off immediately. You’re so obsessed whenever you have to do any nudity stuff. You’re like, ‘Yeah, I definitely need this thing on.’ And then you get there and as soon as you’re standing naked in front of everyone you don’t care anyway. It’s actually quite liberating.

Like when you meet someone who you feel whatever for, it doesn’t necessarily mean that that’s a finish line, and that’s like ‘oh you’ll be alright now afterwards.’ I think that worked in the relationship with Allie and Tyler. I think it’s to show that it’s sort of ok to have, if you just have one moment of happiness, where you can feel that you’re happy, even if it just lasts for a minute. It’s worth a lot. Because I think people now, everyone does all of these things because they think they should be happy like all the time. Doing therapy, and taking anti-depressants and all of these things. If you’re happy all of the time, it’s difficult to acknowledge when you actually are happy.

I was hitting myself afterward in a little spur of the moment thing which they cut out of the movie. I hit myself so hard, I was in so much pain for the rest of the shoot. It was the most stupid thing I’ve ever done.

Tyler is so aware of his actions. But he has no idea whether they’re of any value at all. Can you be a person if you live in the bubble? He’s stuck in the middle. At the same time, he’s lucky to have the choice. Conflict is innate in a lucky person.