How did you get the role in "Finding Forrester"?

Well, I had a $300 cell phone bill, I didn't have any more allowance, and I didn't have a job either. I knew some friends who were on a mailing list to be extras so I figured it would be good money. I went and read the first time on the Thursday before Valentine's Day. They called me back on Valentine's Day to read for Gus Van Sant. Then I was asked to read again the next day, and I was pretty surprised to be reading with Sean Connery. I just went there and read. It was weird but I ended up getting the part.

Did you ask Sean to tell you some stories from his past?

I didn't really have to ask him as he was always willing to tell me stories. There was one time when I went to his apartment, and he just said "Ask away!" I've spoken with him a few times, since we shot the movie but he's not in the States a lot.

What was your reaction when you saw yourself on screen for the first time?

That's the thing. I have no problem watching myself on screen; Sean doesn't have a problem watching himself on screen. Both of us don't really understand why actors don't like watching themselves. If you watch yourself, you can see what you did and correct mistakes or whatever. The first time I saw myself, I was relieved. People had been coming up to me from LA - people who I didn't know - telling me about my audition tape that I hadn't yet seen. So when I finally got to see myself on screen I was relieved.

In the film, there is a scene where you must miss two consecutive basketball shots. Was that easy to film?

No, that was hard. Seriously, that was hard. When we shot that scene, we shot the whole scene. I'd have to go up, miss the first one, look around, and then miss the second one. Sometimes I would nail the first one and we would have to start again. Then, sometimes I would nail the second shot and we'd have to start again.