Filmink, October 1998


Price of Fame: BRECKIN THROUGH


Following a TV career which included turns in Party of Five and The Wonder Years, Breckin Meyer landed small movie roles in Freddy's Dead - The Final Nightmare and The Craft. Breckin's big break however, arrived when he played a stoned skateboarder in Amy Heckerling's hilarious Clueless (she had earlier directed Fast Times at Ridgemont High in which Sean Penn played a stoned surfer - connect the dots). Breckin went on to feature in Escape from LA, and last month's Can't Hardly Wait (directed by his girlfriend), but his first genuine leading role arrives with this month's Dancer, Texas Pop. 81.

The actor is part of the nineties rat pack - a bunch of young thesps whose careers are constantly intersecting - only they're better behaved than those eighties rats like Emilio Estevez and Demi Moore.

Since Dancer, Breckin has completed a number of projects: Tail Lights Fade alongside Elizabeth Berkley and Denise Richards; and next month's 54 in which he plays Salma Hayek's boyfriend. Now that's paying the price of fame!



Who is the nicest person in Hollywood?

There's a nice person in Hollywood? Liar. Oh wait! My girlfriend, Deborah Kaplan!!


What is the fourth sign of the apocalypse?

Starbucks coffee and Planet Hollywood. It's a plague, I tell you.


What's the worst film ever?

Other than the ones I've appeared in? Showgirls is up there. I didn't need to see Kyle McLachlan's bare ass.


Three words that best describe you?

Very. Very. Obnoxious.


What do you most dislike about yourself?

Everything. Me bad. Shoot Breckin now.


What's the worst smell in the world?

Not Ethan Embry. I swear. He's a sweet smelling kid. No, honest.


What scares you more than anything else?

Al Pacino. I'm in his next film and when I met him I was scared out of my mind. I mean, he's Al Pacino and I'm just this f***er who plays a stoner in every film I've ever done. Then someone told me he's this huge Chris Farley/David Spade fan. He thinks they're comedy genius. So of course, I think he's completely psychotic. Keep that f***er away from me or I swear I'll cut myself. He doesn't subscribe to this magazine, does he? I'm so dead.


What do you drive?

A big ass jeep. I like being high off the ground because I'm usually not.


Who's shorter than you in the film industry?

Only Salma Hayek. Nobody else, since Herve Villechaize died and Gary Coleman became a security guard.


Who do you want to be like when you grow up?

Either Fred Savage, Ralph Macchio or Urkel. A short stud.


- Chris Parry