New Again: Vince Vaughn

In New Again, we highlight a piece from Interview’s past that resonates with the present. 

Vince Vaughn’s political affiliation is far from a closely guarded secret—the Wedding Crashers funnyman openly endorsed Ron Paul in both the 2008 and 2012 elections. But we did not expect to hear last week that Vaughn would be teaming up with conservative personality and notorious liberal agitator Glenn Beck on a new reality series. Beck recently announced on his radio show that the project, Pursuit of Truth, will pit 20 documentary filmmakers against each other, competing for the highly coveted chance to have a project financed and distributed. The show will air on TheBlaze TV, Glenn Beck’s very own network (in case you were unaware that Glenn Beck has his own television network: we’re so sorry to have to tell you this way).

When we met up with a 30-year-old Vince Vaughn in June 2000, the hilarious actor had already proven, as the star of the comedic classic, Swingers, that he deserved his chance. On the eve of his upcoming comedy-crime release, Made, the actor revealed his endearing humanity by regaling us with stories of his bedwetting past and dishing on sex advice for future children to close pal and slightly more politically palatable collaborator, Jon Favreau.

Vince Vaughn
Good news—the two who made Swingers are at it again
By Jon Favreau

JON FAVREAU: What was the most triumphant moment of your childhood?

VINCE VAUGHN: The first time I woke up dry.

FAVREAU: [laughs] You were a bedwetter?

VAUGHN: I was a bedwetter till very late, Favs. My mom used to hang my sheets out the window to dry, and I’d have to run home from school in order to beat the other kids to my house so they wouldn’t see them.

FAVREAU: I’m no psychologist, but that’s not a condoned method of controlling bedwetting. Anyway, Vince, people have called you an overnight success from Swingers [1996], but actually you had done a number of things before, from after-school specials to an appearance on 21 Jump Street…

VAUGHN: Yes, I did a lot of guest-starring. I was on China Beach. I was on Doogie Howser.

FAVREAU: And now we’re getting ready to go to New York to shoot this movie, Made, our first collaboration since Swingers.

VAUGHN: Hopefully we won’t kill each other before it’s over.

FAVREAU: Before that, however, audiences can see you The Prime Gig [due out in August], in which you play a telemarketer. What appealed to you about the role?

VAUGHN: My dad was a salesman and my mom did a lot of sales too—real estate and stocks and stuff—so it’s a world I grew up in and one I was always fascinated by. And I liked the script, as well as the other actors involved: people like Ed Harris, Julie Arnold, Wally Shawn, and George Wendt.

FAVREAU: What profession did your dad want for you?

VAUGHN: My father came from nothing, so he believed that people could do anything if they worked hard enough. I think he liked that I chose to be an actor. Both he and my mom were totally supportive.

FAVREAU: Speaking of parenthood, Vince, what advice would you give to your son about sex?

VAUGHN: About what?

FAVREAU: About sex. If you had a son, what advice would you give him?

VAUGHN: I would just tell him to handle it with class and be a gentleman and to enjoy yourself.

FAVREAU: And what would you tell your daughter?

VAUGHN: Don’t ever leave the house… No, I would say the same to her.

FAVREAU: All right Mr. Vaughn, let’s close it up with a couple quick questions: If you were an animal, what would you be?

VAUGHN: I’d be a Favreau. That’s what I’d be.

FAVREAU: Nice. I see. OK. And if you could costar with any actor in history, who would it be?

VAUGHN: I’d costar with Jon Favreau.

FAVREAU: As you do in the upcoming release Made. All right, Vince, I think that’ll do it. I don’t want any 2:00 a.m. phone calls saying “Could we take out that line, please?” Understand?

VAUGHN: You got it.

THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN THE JUNE 2000 ISSUE OF INTERVIEW.

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