Looking sharp in a royal purple button-down and a cute new mustache, actor/musician/hipster heartthrob Jason Schwartzman graciously thanks me for taking the time to sit down with him to discuss his latest adventure in film, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. He plays Gideon, Pilgrim’s arch-nemesis, the comic book’s Final Boss-type character. The charming veteran of Wes Anderson indies has a quite different role this time, but he’s certainly well-matched with the part. Ramona’s evilest ex is an egotistical record exec, and Schwartzman’s own music career helped out with the development of his character (he’s the founding drummer of Phantom Planet and a soloist with Coconut Records). Here, he talks about his first fight scene, recounts his mid-production marriage, and praises Beck.

You composed the score for your last movie, Funny People. What do you think of the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World soundtrack?
I love it, so much. A really big part of the film is the music, and not only in the background during fight scenes, but there are bands in the movie playing songs. We were pretty lucky to have Beck, Broken Social Scene, Metric do songs for the films. And Nigel Godrich composed an original piece of music. To me it was just incredible. I probably did Funny People cause nobody else was available. But for this one, everyone was available, so they all got to do it, as they should. And it’s just amazing. Especially, the sound design is amazing, in the movie.

Which of the tracks are standouts for you?
I love like, every Beck song. “Ramona” is a great song; it’s got great chord changes. And I like “Summertime,” and [sings] “We’re not havin no fun, we’re not havin no fun…”

Your character Gideon is some kind of evil hotshot music producer. In what ways did your own career in music influence your take on the character? Did he remind you of any producers you’d ever come into contact with? 
No, I’m trying to be honest. I’ve never worked with anyone as young, or as cocky as that. Nor in any way was I copying or imitating anybody. The only thing that my own musical experience has in common with the film is that I was in a lot of battle with the bands. When I see how excited Mark Weber’s character is to have a show, I can relate to that excitement. I remember when I was young we wanted to play clubs like the Whiskey in LA, [and] when they would call back about a show, it was so exciting. In fact, my mom just changed her whole answering/phone system -- it died, which shows you how long she’s had it. I had saved the message from the Whiskey A-Go-Go in 1994; they called my house and said they’d heard our demo tape and that we could play there May the fifth. I still have that message. We lost every battle of the bands we ever played in. I can relate to the Battle of the Bands thing.

Do you remember any of the bands that beat you? Anyone we’d know?
No, nope. They peaked in high school. Actually, one band that beat us was really good; they became big. Oso Motley. I think they beat us. They would never remember that we played with them, but they kicked the shit out of us.

One hilarious scene in the movie occurs during Scott’s fight with Ramona’s third evil ex, the vegan bassist. I heard that you’re a strict vegan. Have you had any altercations with the Vegan Police? 
I’m not like, militant -- I was very, very strict. Now, I don’t eat meat or eggs or anything, but if someone says, “try this little piece of whatever,” and it’s got yogurt on it or something, I won’t be as tough on myself as I used to be. But unless you are an undercover Vegan Cop, no, I haven’t had any problems with the Vegan Police.

Is it true that playing the villain is more fun?
It was pretty fun, for me. Sure, everyone who’s played a villain has said something like that. So many of my favorite characters are villains, or at least mysterious, in a lot of movies that I personally love. The opportunity to learn how to do some fight sequences was really something I’ve always wanted to do. To be able to do wire fighting was really a remarkable experience, to be hoisted up into the air. It’s terrifying, because you fly up in the air a couple times, then you look over and see how they’re actually doing it: it’s just a guy jumping off of a ladder with a rope. His bodyweight is propelling you, then he’s got NyQuil in his back pocket and you’re like, “is this really safe?”

So we can say that Jason Schwartzman does all his own stunts?
We did a lot of our own stunts. Edgar had it all planned out, it was all very safe. It took about three weeks to shoot it. In fact, I got married in the middle of the fight scene. We started the scene, then I got three days off to get married. We spent our honeymoon on the set of Scott Pilgrim. And you can see a difference in my fighting style, a little bit more aggression and power. But it was a joy for me to be the Final Guy, to take on Michael Cera and be the opposite of him.

It would have been easier to beat you if Scott had just entered the Konami code.
Yes! Up up down down, left-right left-right, B-A-B-A-Select-Start?

That’s the one. So what was it like to work with Edgar Wright, the acclaimed pioneer of the Action Comedy?
I have this 50/50 split in me: I have this dream wishlist of people I could work with, and then on the other hand I flagellate myself for having a dream wishlist, like, “How could you even think that you could work with them?” It’s a weird inner-battle, it’s my Nega-Jason. He’s always been on [my list] but I never thought it could be possible because up until then, he’s only worked with the English, in England. But to work with him was so interesting, because he’s so enthusiastic about the movie, more than anyone else. Some directors have a director’s chair, he does not. He just stands there the whole time, watching.

Gideon didn’t appear in the comics until Book 6. How much of your character did you draw from the page, and how much of him did you have to create yourself?
I wish that, in the future, if I ever work again, that whatever it may be, they do a comic of it first. It really is helpful to visually see so much of the stuff laid out like that. Honestly, it’s so helpful, I’m not kidding. In terms for me, it was all there in the script. There wasn’t a lot to go on from the comics, there was some, but there’s the outline of my character cause people are talking about him the whole time. You don’t necessarily have to be there the whole time, if people are talking about you. Other people are doing their thing but you’re involved: it outlines you in some way. So I knew the space I had to fill.


More coverage on Scott Pilgrim here